Some of our policy makers would have us believe that we should throw up our hands in defeat because we have lost the war on drugs. In fact, we have logged tremendous successes. Between 1979 and 1992, through a strategy of drug education and the strong enforcement of our nation's drug laws, we reduced drug abuse in the country by fifty percent. That is a victory by any standard. But sadly, interest in the war on drugs has steadily diminished during the past several years.
Many persons now call for the re-distribution of our law enforcement and educational resources.
The fight against drug abuse no longer seems to be a priority for our government. Yet average Americans, when polled, continue to describe drug use, violent crime and gangs as their major concerns, and rightfully so. Every American deserves the opportunity to live and raise a family in communities that are safe and drug free. This foreign threat that we face is particularly evident in California and throughout the remainder of the Southwest border. America is especially vulnerable to the terrorism waged by international drug cartels operating along our very porous 2,000-mile border with Mexico.