ABSTRACT
Accepting responsibility is often a first step in problem solving on any scale. Just as an alcoholic must first acknowledge his or her condition to be able to overcome it, the United States must acknowledge the extent to which it provides a market for drugs in order to combat the drug menace. This leads to several critical issues facing actors in the war on drugs: are United States strategies properly balanced? Are United States strategies aimed at both domestic and international criminals? Are United States strategies tackling both ends of the supply – demand cycle? Are United States strategies sufficiently flexible to protect civil liberties for the general public while giving adequate authority to drug enforcement officials? These are just a few of the issues facing drug enforcement policy makers.
