New White House drug control strategy to stress treatment, prevention programs

[kpete]

Source: Star Tribune

New White House drug control strategy to stress treatment, prevention programs

By SAM HANANEL , Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Tuesday announced a revised approach to "confronting the complex challenge of drug use and its consequences," putting more resources into drug prevention and treatment.

The new drug control strategy boosts community-based anti-drug programs, encourages health care providers to screen for drug problems before addiction sets in and expands treatment beyond specialty centers to mainstream health care facilities.

"By boosting community-based prevention, expanding treatment, strengthening law enforcement and working collaboratively with our global partners, we will reduce drug use and the great damage it causes in our communities," Obama said. "I am confident that when we take the steps outlined in this strategy, we will make our country stronger and our people healthier and safer."

The plan — the first drug plan unveiled by the Obama White House — calls for reducing the rate of youth drug use by 15 percent over the next five years and for similar reductions in chronic drug use, drug abuse deaths and drugged driving.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/93398574.html

[callous taoboy]

1. Want to reduce youth drug use? Make school incredibly interesting instead

of mind-numbingly geared toward test scores.

[Lochloosa]

4. +1000

[ShortnFiery]

2. Decriminalize basic small quantities - possession. eom

[the other one]

3. IOW more drug war

Change we can believe in.

[Webster Green]

5. "Strengthening law enforcement"????

What a bullshit, misleading headline.

"Community based anti-drug programs, more drug testing, working collaboratively with our global partners, and best of all...strengthening law enforcement". Yeah, ramp up the phony drug war. That's the ticket.

Fuck that! What an idiotic proposal. Expect more brutality from the DEA thugs, and their local pig associates.

So much for change. This president is fucking clueless!

[freebrew]

6. I don't want treatment

for something I WANT to do. Where is my freedom?
Why does Obama hate America?

[Flaneur]

7. The Obama national drug control strategy means more drug war.

Talk is one thing, budgets are another. The Obama drug war budget is essentially identical to the last Bush drug war budget. Their "balanced approach" is two-thirds law enforcement, eradication, and interdiction (drug war) and one-third prevention and treatment. Nothing new here.

I will give them credit for acknowledging some harm reduction practices, like needle exchange, although they can't bring themselves to say the actual words "harm reduction."

One more in a growing list of disappointments from the Obama administration.

[No Elephants]

8. Prevention. . Gee, why didn't I think of that?