Drug Watch
International
Position Statement
DRUG
USER ACCOUNTABILITY
Drug users, like any other member of society, must be
held accountable for their actions. Illicit drug use must bring swift and cost
effective consequences which will benefit the user and society at large. Every
segment of society must send the message that drug use and drug use behavior
will not be tolerated. Drug user accountability must be a cornerstone of
national and international drug policy.
Background: The
U.S. Experience
Throughout the 1970's, United States drug policy
exhibited tolerance for drug users and focused enforcement on heroin
traffickers. Marijuana was
decriminalized in 11 states; drug addicts were viewed as victims; and cocaine
decriminalization was proposed. The largest increase of youth using drugs in the
history of the U.S. and perhaps in the world followed this permissive attitude
by government and society.
In 1979, approximately 24 million Americans had tried
an illicit drug, and one in ten high school seniors was using marijuana every
day of the week. Drug incarceration rates reached an all time low and crime and
drug-related social problems threatened the health and well being of all
citizens.
In the early 1980's, non-drug users became acutely
aware of the negative impact that drug use was having on their families and
communities. The public and law enforcement applied pressure to hold drug users
accountable for their illegal drug use and their role in facilitating the
illegal drug trade after a decade of lenient drug policy.
Zero tolerance of drug use led to a dramatic shift in
attitudes and to major declines in drug use.
In 1992, a child was half as likely to use illegal drugs as his or her
counterpart from 15 years previous, and adults were even less likely to use.
Social intolerance to drug use resulted in 12.6 million fewer Americans using
drugs. Drug user accountability had been applied by law enforcement, schools,
families, workplaces, and the media.
Drug legalization advocates initiated a sophisticated
public relations campaign aimed at weakening the public's aversion towards
illegal drug use. Drug user lobbyists and organizations and other drug
apologists assailed user accountability measures as infringement of one's
"personal right" to use drugs, exaggerated the cost of user
accountability policies, and ignored the benefit of 12.6 million fewer drug
users.
In the early 1990s, the drug issue began to lose
national focus, and thus momentum. Once
again, anti-drug messages and social attitudes started to soften, the media and
music began to reglamorize drug use, and drug use among school children began to
climb (teen marijuana use doubling over a three year span), after a 12 year
decline.
Rationale:
Drug use is not a victimless crime. Drug users place
non-drug-users at risk and cause considerable societal harm. Drug users harass
and disrupt the public peace, commit crimes under the influence of drugs, cause
accidents, and create unhealthy conditions.
They destroy families and take rights and freedom from law-abiding
citizens.
Recreational drug users, as well as hard-core users,
are the foundation of the international drug cartel trade and the source of
funds for drug kingpins and terrorists. The drug trade exists solely because
drug users keep it alive. Drug users who are not yet addicted are perhaps the
most culpable for their drug use.
Holding drug users accountable early in their drug use
pattern can prevent abuse and addiction problems. For those already addicted,
swift and certain negative consequences for drug use can modify drug use
behavior and lead to recovery through treatment or individual initiative.
In the workplace, programs must protect employers and non-drug using employees.
Workplaces should communicate clear rules and consequences.
In the community, schools, and homes clear anti-drug norms and values
must be stated and applied. Tough,
but fair, user accountability sanctions should be enacted.
Drug user accountability should be a cornerstone of
drug strategy. Directing policies, funding, and energies towards effectively
reducing the demand for drugs is true compassion for the drug user and is in the
best interest of society.
COPYRIGHT:
Permission is granted to reproduce this article,
provided credit is given to Drug Watch International.
References: Drug User Accountability
U.S. Experience
Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Crime in the
United States 1960-1994," FBI, Washington D.C., 1994. Reported in Bureau of
Justice Statisitics, "Sourcebook of Criminal
Justice Statistics 1993".
Gold, Mark, M.D., The Good News About Drugs and Alcohol: Curbing, Treating, and
Preventing Substance Abuse in the New Age of Biopsychiatry, Villard Books. New
York 1991.
Jaspers, William F., "Some Kids are Taught to Just Say Yes,"
New American, November 7,
1988.
Johnston, Lloyd D., et al, "National Survey results on Drug Use from
Monitoring the Future Study, 1975-1993, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, National Institute on
Drug Abuse, (NIDA) Washington, D.C., 1994.
National Drug Control Strategy, Office of National Drug Control Strategy,
September 1989.
Peterson, Robert E., "The Success of Tough Drug
Enforcement," PAE Report, Vestal, New York, 1995.
Roques, Wayne, DEA retired, Drug Prevention Specialist,
South Florida, August 1995. Time to Focus on the User, U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration, July 1989.
User Accountability, Office of National Drug Control
Policy, Bulletin No. 6, Washington D.C. May
1992.
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