SPEAKING OUT Against Drug Legalization

Increasingly the news is full of reports providing misleading or biased information about
our nation’s drug policies. Whether there are questions about the Drug Enforcement
Administration’s (DEA) actions to enforce federal law, or challenges to the basic concept
that drugs are dangerous, there is a growing discussion as to whether our current drug
policies are effective and appropriate.
This booklet, Speaking Out Against Drug Legalization, is designed to cut through the
current fog of misinformation with hard facts. It presents an accurate picture of America’s
experience with drug use, the nature of the drug problem, and the potential for damage
if the United States adopts a more permissive policy on drug abuse. The information is
presented in a bulleted format, in an effort to provide specific points in response to the
most common myths and facts about drugs and drug abuse.
Drug abuse, and this nation’s response to it, is one of the most important and complex
challenges facing all Americans—especially our youth. The national drug policies presently
in place were not dreamed up from an ivory tower of idealism, but instead were constructed
from the cold realities of experience.
From a historical perspective, the unique freedoms offered by the United States have
always depended on a well-informed public. Accordingly, the DEA hopes you will use
the scrupulously researched facts you find in this booklet to help you educate your friends
and family.