Jim Ramstad: “Ironically, when President Nixon declared the war on drugs, he directed 70 percent of the funding to treatment…”

“Ironically, when President Nixon declared the war on drugs, he directed 70 percent of the funding to treatment, prevention and education, 30 percent to the supply side. In other words, 70 percent to demand side, to reduce the demand for drugs, and 30 percent for law enforcement, proper adjudication and interdiction efforts. Well, today those funding priorities have been reversed, and we simply aren't spending our resources wisely. We are not doing enough on the demand side of the equation. That's why over the last decade and a half the treatment beds in America have disappeared. They're gone. Insurance companies aren't reimbursing. That's why, even more alarming, 60 percent of the adolescent treatment beds have disappeared over the last decade. We need to reverse those priorities. I remember visiting with President Clinton and several other Members of Congress and Mexican President, President Salinas, former President Salinas, and he said, until you Americans curb your insatiable demand for drugs, we're never going to be able to address the supply-side problem, the flow of drugs from Central and South America through Mexico into the United States. So the gentleman from Rhode Island is absolutely correct: we need to address the demand side. We need to spend more of our resources on treatment, education, and prevention.”