Political Quotes

“Millions of American families are struggling with an unrelenting addiction to controlled substances. This is nothing new and that is the unfortunate part about it. But after decades of taking the wrong path toward treating drug abuse, it appears that we are finally in the midst of a fundamental shift in the way we are going to focus and approach this issue. For years we simply considered drug abuse as a crime, to be dealt with by police, prosecutors, and prisons. There is now, however, a near consensus that addiction must be viewed as a public health issue. This requires coordinated investments in prevention and treatment. Law enforcement agencies would rather not arrest the same offenders over and over without dealing with the underlying addiction. Treating that addiction--rather than just punishing the addict--is often the more effective, more humane, and less costly approach. There is perhaps no greater advocate for this shift in thinking than Michael Botticelli. Throughout his career in public health he has worked to bridge gaps between law enforcement, health care, and education providers. As acting director for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP, he has made clear that we cannot ``incarcerate addiction out of people.'' While law enforcement will always play a vital role in protecting citizens from drug-related crime, Mr.…”