The making of a drug-free America1992

There are few problems as persistent in American life today as drugs. Despite the "solutions" put forth by our country's leaders - seize more ships, impose harsher jail sentences, pursue foreign drug lords - the government's policies have failed to reduce drug abuse and drug crime. Today, as illegal drugs continue to disrupt our schools, our workplaces, and our communities, we face once again this crucial question: Does anything work? It is easy to get discouraged by the magnitude of America's drug habit and by the failures of the multibillion-dollar "war on drugs," but Mathea Falco argues that we need not give in to such despair. One of our nation's leading experts on drug abuse, Falco showcases effective prevention, treatment, and law enforcement strategies from across the country to reveal what really works in the fight against drugs. Success stories include a school program in Kansas City that cuts youngsters' drug use by half; a neighborhood group in Washington, D.C., that is driving drug dealers off the streets; an anti-drug coalition in Miami that is creating new political priorities; and a treatment program in Los Angeles that keeps people off cocaine. For concerned citizens, parents, and government officials alike, The Making of a Drug-Free America offers workable courses of action that are already changing lives and transforming communities.