The destructive impact of drugs on the United States: How the legalization of drugs would jeopardize the health and safety of the American people and our nation

Given the negative impact of drugs on American society, the overwhelming majority of Americans reject illegal drug use. Indeed millions of Americans who once tried drugs now turn their backs on them - they no longer "do drugs," and most importantly, don't want their children doing them. While most Americans steadfastly reject drugs, small elements of the social spectrum argue that prohibition - and not drugs - creates the problems we face. These people offer solutions in various guises, ranging from outright legalization to so-called "harm reduction." In fact, all drug policies seek to reduce the harms of drug use. No rational approach would seek to increase harms to families, children and our nation. The real question is: what policies actually do the most to decrease the harms drugs cause?
Part I of this monograph provides an overview of what proponents of legalization really want to achieve through their efforts, namely: legalization of not only marijuana, but other more dangerous drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Part II of this monograph cuts through the haze of this misinformation to expose the fallacies and realities of what legalization would mean to this nation, namely: significantly higher rates of drug abuse, particularly among young people, and exponentially increased human and social costs to our society. Part III of this monograph sets out the balanced approach to fighting drugs provided in our National Drug Control Strategy. This part summarizes how we intend to reach our goal of cutting drug use and its consequences in America by half over the next ten years.