Political Quotes

“Substance abuse is one of our Nation's most pervasive problems. Addiction is a disease that does not discriminate based on age, gender, socio-economic status, race or creed. And while we tend to stereotype drug abuse as an urban problem, the steadily growing number of heroin and methamphetamine addicts in rural villages and suburban towns shows that is simply not the case. We have nearly 15 million drug users in this country, four million of whom are hard-core addicts. We all know someone--a family member, neighbor, colleague or friend--who has become addicted to drugs or alcohol. And we are all affected by the undeniable correlation between substance abuse and crime--an overwhelming 80 percent of the two million men and women behind bars today have a history of drug and alcohol abuse or addiction or were arrested for a drug-related crime. All of this comes at a hefty price. Drug abuse and addiction cost this Nation $110 billion in law enforcement and other criminal justice expenses, medical bills, lost earnings and other costs each year. Illegal drugs are responsible for thousands of deaths each year and for the spread of a number of communicable diseases, including AIDS and Hepatitis C. And a study by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, CASA, shows that seven out of ten cases of child abuse and neglect are caused or exacerbated by substance abuse and addiction.”