TT Interview With Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske
As the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, the former chief of police in Seattle, is charged with implementing the Obama administration's drug control programs and strategy. "Drug Czar" Kerlikowske spoke with The Texas Tribune on Tuesday about what's needed to curb drug addiction in the United States. The solution, he says, is a comprehensive approach balancing criminal justice, prevention and treatment options.
He also talked about the drug-related violence in Mexico, which many here say is the byproduct of the United States’ insatiable appetite for illegal drugs. Some say legalizing ...
Comments (5)
buzz marzetti
perhaps the drug czar, in response to the fourth question, should have responded to this:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=portugal-drug-decriminalization
instead of responding 'We don’t see any evidence that legalizing drugs and making them more widely available would be a help to anyone in this country.'
just saying...
Mark Gudanowski via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The title, "Drug Czar" needs to be thrown away. The person in charge of "regulating" policy when it comes to the influx of illegal activity requires a different process... Until they begin actually following the money trail- the business of drug distribution will flurish for decades to come.
t tbone
It would have been great if you would have asked him why Mexico legalized "personal" quantities of drugs including cocaine, pot, ecstacy, and heroin in 2009. Why would you not bring that up?
Patrick Froehlich
"I think the RAND Corporation study not only says that legalizing drugs would not reduce the violence in Mexico but the chaos could actually increase the violence in Mexico."
It's difficult to imagine that Kerlikowske actually believes this.
Legalizing drugs would cut off the majority of the cartels' revenue. There is simply no way that they could compete in a legal, regulated market.
The profitability of other criminal activities (kidnapping for ransom, extortion, counterfeiting, etc.) is miniscule in comparison to the torrent of money that drug smuggling provides.
Cartel gunmen don't work for free. Less income for the cartels equals less money to buy weapons and hire assassins. This is basic economics. Does the Drug Czar actually believe that having fewer hired gunmen will result in greater violence?
Charisse Willis
Hi. I am an intern at The Partnership at DrugFree.org. Gil Kerlikowske is right to bring up America’s problem with prescription drugs. So many parents worry about their children using illegal drugs, but they are not aware that the drugs most often abused are prescription drugs. These drugs are harmful and, as Kerlikowske says, highly regulated by the government. However, while the drugs are government regulated, once they are prescribed, it is up to the patient to keep their drugs for themselves. No amount of government regulation will stop someone’s child from swiping a few pills from the medicine cabinet. See our article on the dangers of prescription drugs, http://decoder.drugfree.org/2010/11/02/teen-abuse-of-prescription-drugs-how-many-teens-are-doing-it-what-are-the-risks-what-should-parents-do/, and just how easy it is for youth to get them.