Benjamin Gilman: “I rise in support of the Souder amendment and commend the gentleman from Indiana for this initiative. Illicit drugs are…”

“I rise in support of the Souder amendment and commend the gentleman from Indiana for this initiative. Illicit drugs are an international threat to all countries: corruption, addiction, and lawlessness exact an enormous price. Because drug cartels have extraordinary resources, no country can fight this problem alone. Producer countries, transit countries, and consumer countries all share in the costs of the drug scourge and, therefore, must all share the responsibility for solving the problem. One very conservative estimate places the annual cost of drug abuse to U.S. society at $67 billion--in terms of crime, lost productivity, and health care. Other estimates run as high as $500 billion. Another tangible impact is on U.S. youth. Data suggest that if cocaine abuse were listed on death certificates, it would constitute the leading cause of death of people 14 to 44 years of age in New York City. Experience proves that concerted efforts that attack each link in the drug chain can produce dramatic results. For example, new levels of cooperation have led to significant strides against the Cali cartel kingpins. With a vigorous program that addressed each of the pillars-- eradication, interdiction, enforcement, education, and treatment-- cocaine use in the United States dropped 80 percent in that period, from 5.8 million users down to 1.3 million.”