drug addiction and drug abuse: Reduction of Demand for Drugs

Attempts to reduce the demand for drugs in the main involve education and treatment. For the most part, responsibility for education falls to local schools and for treatment to local public hospitals or private treatment centers. The federal government gathers statistics and provides funds for treatment and rehabilitation programs. Certain laws are designed to promote education of the public (e.g., those requiring warning labels on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages), and all states have Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) laws. Other drug laws attempt to reduce the demand for drugs by imposing stiff penalties for drug possession, manufacture, and trafficking. Drug testing in the workplace has been a controversial measure, weighing productivity and the safety of the workers and those for whom they are responsible against an individual's right to privacy, but it has resulted in increased public awareness. Some grassroots groups have had a profound effect; MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) was instrumental in raising the drinking ages in many states.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• History
• Legalization and Decriminalization
• Reduction of Demand for Drugs
• Supply Reduction
• Fighting Substance Abuse
• Treatment
• Effects on Society
• Effects on the Family
• On the Individual
• Effects of Substance Abuse
• Motivations for Drug Use
• Illegal Substances
• Legal Substances
• Types of Abused Substances
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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