III. New Community -

Cracking Down on Drugs

-- President Clinton
February 8, 1995

Background: Illegal Drugs are Still a Problem

• Widespread Use. 1 in 3 Americans have used an illicit drug; 1 in 9 have tried cocaine. Half of high school seniors have tried drugs, and 1 in 5 use them regularly.

• Alarming New Trends. Kids: After years of decline, in 1991, we started to see signs of increasing drug use among adolescents. And surveys show that fewer 8th, 10th and 12th graders have a clear understanding of the risks associated with drug use -- and are using more drugs. Drug Availability: Illegal drugs remain readily available to anyone who wants to buy them. Cocaine and heroine street prices are low and purity is high. And marijuana -- 10 times as potent as in previous years -- threatens to entice a new generation of drug users.

• The Costs of Drug Use. Drugs cost society an estimated $67 billion -- 70% of which covers crime costs; 30% of which covers health-related costs. That's why, despite shrinking government and reducing the deficit, the Administration's Drug Strategy budget is the largest in history -- $14.6 billion to fight drugs.

A Four Part Drug Strategy

• Heavy drug users consume a majority of the nation's illegal drug supply. Although hardcore users account for only about 20% of all cocaine users, they consume about two-thirds of the available cocaine. And hardcore drug use is linked to a disproportionate amount of crime and violence. On any given day, more than half the arrestees in our cities test positive for drug use. Treating these drug users can save us money -- as much as $7 per treatment dollar -- and reduce crime. That's why our Strategy includes:
  • $919.8 million for the Substance Abuse Performance Partnership, including a $60 million set-aside for the heaviest drug users;
  • $150 million for Drug Courts and $40.2 million for treatment in prisons, so we can use courts, jails and prisons to turn crime-committing addicts around.

Send a Strong No Use Message to Our Kids

• Recent surveys show that adolescent drug use -- and the feeling that drugs are cool and not dangerous -- is on the rise. Studies also show an alarming level of violence in our schools, much of it tied to drug use. Our kids need to get a strong "no" message on drugs -- as well as on guns and gangs. Our Strategy proposes:

• $500 million for the Department of Education's Safe and Drug-Free Schools program, to give states the money to fund drug prevention programs like DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), train parents on the warning signs of drug use and to pay for more police and metal detectors; and

• Implementation and funding of the Crime Bill's prevention programs, to help keep kids in school, off drugs and out of trouble.

Reduce Drug-Related Crime and Violence

• Implement the 1994 Crime Bill. The nation took a major step forward when Congress passed the President's Crime Bill. It includes key tools and resource to help communities reduce drug use and trafficking, such as:
  • 100,000 more police in community policing, to do everything from helping break-up open-air drug markets to teaching kids about the dangers of drugs;
  • drug enforcement task forces that can cover several jurisdictions; increased resources for the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF); and drug courts.

Tough Federal Drug Enforcement. The Strategy calls for increased coordination of federal anti-drug enforcement efforts, including:

• a new comprehensive initiative to reduce marijuana cultivation;
• targeted investigative resources on major drug traffickers;
• expanded border control drug enforcement; and
• increased coordination with private sector to crack down on money laundering.

Cut Drugs at the Source

• Last year, the President signed a Presidential Decision Directive outlining a 4-pronged strategy to reduce the flow of cocaine from the Andean countries. It includes (1) strengthening the law enforcement and judicial institutions in source countries; (2) destroying narco-trafficking organizations; (3) working to interdict drugs at their source as well as en route to the United States and (4) increasing international cooperation on the drug issue.