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Nationwide, the drug war has been fought for decades with no progress. Attempts have been made enforce drug laws on both the supply and demand sides. But the one area that will actually help is in drug treatment funding, as it has in states like California with Prop 36.

Attempts to stop the supply of drugs entering the US have not worked. We have seen many drug lords arrested, only to be replaced in their organizations which continue to operate. With billions of dollars worth of drugs like marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and prescription drugs crossing the border each year, law enforcement can only stop a small percentage.

While education works to an extent on potential drug users, the demand side, again there has been no significant improvement. So the answer has been to incarcerate drug users for non-violent drug crimes including possession of small amounts. This does nothing but take them off the streets for a short period of time, only to return to drug use and commit more crimes.

The answer is to solve the foundational problem on the demand side with drug addiction treatment instead of incarceration. We can not only help individuals to overcome the problem that drives them to criminal activity, but we can also save on incarceration and healthcare costs nationwide.

The federal government provides some funding to states for alcohol and drug treatment, and they know the benefits. So why not shift some of the funding from drug enforcement to something that can succeed and make progress in the war on drugs?

The New York Times has published an article suggesting that the federal government may be considering drug treatment as an answer to the nation’s drug problem. An excerpt from the article is below, followed by the link to the full article.

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The economic case for expanding treatment, especially amid a recession, seems clear. Study after study concludes that treating addicts, even in lengthy residential programs, costs markedly less than incarcerating them, so budget-strapped states could save millions.

The unmet need for more treatment also is vast. According to federal data, 7.6 million Americans needed treatment for illicit drug use in 2008, and only 1.2 million — or 16 percent — received it.

But the prospect of savings on prison and court costs hasn’t produced a surge of new fiscal support for treatment. California’s latest crisis budget, for example, strips all but a small fraction of state funding away from a successful diversion and treatment program that voters approved in 2000.

— Source: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/09/business/AP-US-Drug-War-The-Treatment-Challenge.html?_r=1 –

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides court-related services as part of our commitment to integrated behavioral healthcare in alcohol and drug treatment. If you or a loved one needs help with drug addiction or alcohol dependence, please call us now at 888-777-8565 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.