BACK TO THE FUTURE - THE COLLAPSE OF NATIONAL DRUG-CONTROL POLICY ANDA BLUEPRINT FOR REVITALIZING THE NATIONS COUNTERNARCOTICS EFFORT

The Nation is confronting a nerv drug epidemic marked by increased juv enile drug use and violent juvenile crime. In this Article, Robert B. Charles, Staff Director and Chief Counsel to the Subcommittee on Natio nal Security, International Affairs and Criminal Justice, of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, examines the causes of this crisis and offers recommendations for ending it. He believes that the current epidemic is tied to the weak national drug strategy, whic h places too much emphasis on federally funded drug treatment and too little emphasis on drug interdiction, effective source country program s, demand reduction through prevention, and overall better coordinatio n of the Drug War. In 1995 and 1996, Mr. Charles visited Mexico, panam a, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, and the Caribbean Transit Zone for a hands -on evaluation of U.S. counternarcotics efforts. Insights from those v isits are included in this Article.