This, of course, puts large burdens on police and probation officers who have to supervise the drug testing, as well as on those who run drug treatment programs in or out of correctional facilities. But if we wish to reduce the link between crime and drugs, we can do it only by reducing the demand for drugs. We've had a lot of experience in this country with efforts to reduce the supply of drugs. They have not had much effect. The price of cocaine on the streets today is lower than it was a few years ago, suggesting that the ability of people to move drugs into our country exceeds our capacity to intercept those drugs at the border.
Demand reduction is the key.
And the people on whom we can operate quite directly to reduce it are those already under the control of the criminal justice system. I suppose if I had been in Congress I might have voted for the Brady Bill, aimed at reducing the supply of guns by controlling sales at the point of purchase. They are not purchased from a federally licensed gun dealer. We are told that the Brady Law has prevented a large number of felons from buying guns. That is true.