Despite Promises, President Continues Split Favoring Punishment Over Treatment
World Leaders Call for New Direction in Drug Policy
WASHINGTON, DC -- A group of police officers, judges and prosecutors who have waged the so-called "war on drugs" is criticizing President Obama because his federal drug control budget, released today, does not match up to his rhetoric on treating drug abuse as a health problem.
Despite the White House drug czar's office saying the administration is shepherding a "revolutionary shift" to address drug policy through a "public health approach," Obama's federal drug control budget maintains a Bush-era disparity devoting roughly 60 percent of the budget to punishment-oriented approaches and roughly 40 percent for treatment and prevention.
Since taking office, President Obama has repeatedly said things like, “We have to think more about drugs as a public health problem," which requires "shifting resources."
"The president sure does talk a good game about treating drugs as a health issue but so far it's just that: talk," said Neill Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and a former narcotics officer in Baltimore. "Instead of continuing to fund the same old 'drug war' approaches that are proven not to work, the president needs to put his money where his mouth is."
The release of the drug budget comes just days after President Obama returned from the Summit of the Americas meeting in Colombia, where he was pressed to open up a debate on legalizing and regulating drugs by sitting Latin American presidents like Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia and Otto Perez Molina of Guatemala.
"The chorus of voices calling for a real debate on ending prohibition is growing louder all the time," said Franklin. "President Obama keeps saying he is open to a discussion but he never seems willing to actually have that discussion. Polls show that three out of four U.S. voters think the 'war on drugs' is a failure and a majority now support marijuana legalization. The time for real change is now, but at the Summit of the Americas President Obama announced more than $130 million in aid to fund the continued effort to arrest drug traffickers in Latin America. This prohibition strategy hasn't worked in the past and it cannot work in the future. Latin American leaders know it, and President Obama must know it. Let's stop the charade and begin to bring drugs under control through legalization."
The 2012 National Drug Control Strategy, released by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, can be found online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/2012-national-drug-control-strategy
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) represents police, prosecutors, judges, prison wardens, federal agents and others who want to legalize and regulate drugs after fighting on the front lines of the "war on drugs" and learning firsthand that prohibition only serves to worsen addiction and violence. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2012
CONTACT: Tom Angell - (202) 557-4979 or media@leap.cc
Showing posts with label office of national drug control policy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label office of national drug control policy. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Press Release: New Obama Drug Strategy Just Like Old "Drug War" Approach
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 11, 2010
CONTACT: Tom Angell - (202) 557-4979 or media//at//leap//dot//cc
New Obama Drug Strategy Just Like Old "Drug War" Approach
Despite Rhetoric, Administration Funds Enforcement Over Treatment
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Obama administration released its National Drug Control Strategy today, claiming that it represents a balanced new approach to drug policy that focuses on treatment over enforcement. However, a group of police officers who support legalization is pointing out that despite the administration's words, the drug budget dedicates nearly twice as much funding to policing and enforcement as it does to public health and prevention, virtually the same ratio as the previous budget under President Bush.
"The drug czar is saying all the right things about ending the 'war on drugs' and enacting a long-overdue balanced strategy focused on a public health approach," said Neill Franklin, a former Baltimore cop and incoming executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). "Unfortunately the reality of the budget numbers doesn't match up to the rhetoric. Two-thirds of the budget is dedicated to the same old 'war on drugs' approach and only a third goes to public health strategies. My experience policing the beat tells me that it's certainly time for a new approach, but unfortunately this administration is failing to provide the necessary leadership to actually make it happen instead of just talking about it."
The strategy devotes 64 percent of the budget to traditional supply reduction strategies like enforcement and interdiction while reserving only 36 percent for demand reduction approaches like treatment and prevention. And, due to accounting changes made under the Bush administration and maintained by Obama, the budget ratio doesn't even take into account some costs of the "war on drugs" such as incarceration.
Drug policy reform advocates are pleased, however, with the strategy's support for syringe exchange programs and its criticism of laws that bar people with drug convictions from receiving public benefits like student aid.
"It's great to see the administration starting to talk like they want to actually change failed drug policies," said Franklin. "But we can't let them get away with claiming that they've ended the 'war on drugs' while we continue to arrest 800,000 people a year on marijuana charges alone."
The National Drug Control Strategy can be found online at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/strategy/
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an international organization representing police, prosecutors, judges, FBI/DEA agents and others who want to legalize and regulate drugs after fighting on the front lines of the "war on drugs" and learning firsthand that prohibition only serves to worsen addiction and violence. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com
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CONTACT: Tom Angell - (202) 557-4979 or media//at//leap//dot//cc
New Obama Drug Strategy Just Like Old "Drug War" Approach
Despite Rhetoric, Administration Funds Enforcement Over Treatment
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Obama administration released its National Drug Control Strategy today, claiming that it represents a balanced new approach to drug policy that focuses on treatment over enforcement. However, a group of police officers who support legalization is pointing out that despite the administration's words, the drug budget dedicates nearly twice as much funding to policing and enforcement as it does to public health and prevention, virtually the same ratio as the previous budget under President Bush.
"The drug czar is saying all the right things about ending the 'war on drugs' and enacting a long-overdue balanced strategy focused on a public health approach," said Neill Franklin, a former Baltimore cop and incoming executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). "Unfortunately the reality of the budget numbers doesn't match up to the rhetoric. Two-thirds of the budget is dedicated to the same old 'war on drugs' approach and only a third goes to public health strategies. My experience policing the beat tells me that it's certainly time for a new approach, but unfortunately this administration is failing to provide the necessary leadership to actually make it happen instead of just talking about it."
The strategy devotes 64 percent of the budget to traditional supply reduction strategies like enforcement and interdiction while reserving only 36 percent for demand reduction approaches like treatment and prevention. And, due to accounting changes made under the Bush administration and maintained by Obama, the budget ratio doesn't even take into account some costs of the "war on drugs" such as incarceration.
Drug policy reform advocates are pleased, however, with the strategy's support for syringe exchange programs and its criticism of laws that bar people with drug convictions from receiving public benefits like student aid.
"It's great to see the administration starting to talk like they want to actually change failed drug policies," said Franklin. "But we can't let them get away with claiming that they've ended the 'war on drugs' while we continue to arrest 800,000 people a year on marijuana charges alone."
The National Drug Control Strategy can be found online at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/strategy/
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) is an international organization representing police, prosecutors, judges, FBI/DEA agents and others who want to legalize and regulate drugs after fighting on the front lines of the "war on drugs" and learning firsthand that prohibition only serves to worsen addiction and violence. More info at http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com
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Thursday, November 19, 2009
CAMPAIGN UPDATE: LEAP Forces DEA to Change Website, Problems Still Remain
Thanks to everyone who took action and contacted Attorney General Eric Holder this week, the DEA has removed from its website one false claim that the American Medical Association opposes medical marijuana.
This is a significant victory for truth, but we're not done yet. Believe it or not, other government websites hosted by DEA and the White house "drug czar" are still claiming that the AMA opposes medical marijuana.
Please visit http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com/dea to take action now. Tell Attorney General Eric Holder and "Drug Czar" Gil Kerlikowske that the government should stop using taxpayer money to spread misinformation about important topics like medical marijuana.
This is a significant victory for truth, but we're not done yet. Believe it or not, other government websites hosted by DEA and the White house "drug czar" are still claiming that the AMA opposes medical marijuana.
Please visit http://www.CopsSayLegalizeDrugs.com/dea to take action now. Tell Attorney General Eric Holder and "Drug Czar" Gil Kerlikowske that the government should stop using taxpayer money to spread misinformation about important topics like medical marijuana.
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