The Nation : Programs to Cut Drug Demand Urged

The federal government should attack the nation’s drug problem by reducing demand rather than trying to cut supply, the General Accounting Office said. “Many drug experts, including law enforcement offices, believe that drug supply reduction efforts are, at best, a ‘holding action’ in the war against drugs and that more needs to be done to reduce the demand for drugs in this country,” the congressional watchdog agency said. The Senate Armed Services Committee is holding hearings on the nation’s drug problem as it prepares to begin work with the House on a compromise version of a Pentagon budget bill. The two defense bills passed separately in each chamber provide new roles for the military in the anti-drug fight. The GAO concluded that “reducing drug demand is a long-term approach” and many questions remain unanswered.