Is America winning the “war on drugs?” I don’t think so, and apparently, neither does the White House.
According to a recent statement from the White House reported at thebostonchannel.com, the U.S. government's drug strategy should focus more on treating addiction and less on imposing harsh prison sentences. This would include more drug education classes and counseling.
The White House office submits an annual report to Congress, and this year’s suggests a new national approach that includes criminal justice system reforms aimed at stopping the revolving door of drug use, crime, incarceration, and recidivism.
One issue from the White House report that I totally disagree with is that overall drug use in the United States has "dropped substantially” over the past 30 years. While cocaine consumption in the United States had decreased 40% from 2006 to 2010, and methamphetamine use had dropped 50% in that same period, the use of marijuana and prescription medications have replaced them.
President Barack Obama has said point-blank that the prescription drug abuse problem in America is especially worrisome.
It is nice that the White House and the Obama Administration see the need to change their tactics. Obviously, as a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I think education and support is the best way to help get people off of drugs and stay sober