Change of Strategy in the US

Obama has announced a change of drug strategy with the goal of reducing teen drug use by 15 percent:

The White House is putting more resources into drug prevention and treatment, part of President Obama's pledge to treat illegal drug use more as a public health issue and less as a criminal justice problem.

The new drug-control strategy, to be released Tuesday, boosts community-based anti-drug programs, encourages health-care providers to screen for drug problems before addiction sets in, and expands treatment beyond specialty centers to mainstream health-care facilities.

"It changes the whole discussion about ending the war on drugs and recognizes that we have a responsibility to reduce our own drug use in this country," Gil Kerlikowske, the White House drug czar, said in an interview.

The plan -- the first drug plan unveiled by the Obama White House -- calls for reducing the rate of youth drug use by 15 percent over the next five years and for similar reductions in chronic drug use, drug abuse deaths and drugged driving.

Kerlikowske criticized past drug strategies for measuring success by counting the number of children and teenagers who have not tried marijuana. At the same time, he said, the number of deaths from illegal and prescription drug overdoses was rising.

"Us facing that issue and dealing with it head-on is important," Kerlikowske said.

The new drug plan encourages health-care professionals to ask patients questions about drug use, even during routine treatment, so that early intervention is possible. It also helps more states set up electronic databases to identify doctors who are overprescribing addictive painkillers.

"Putting treatment into the primary health-care discussion is critical," Kerlikowske said.

The policy shift comes in the wake of several other drug policy changes since Obama took office. His administration said it will not target patients or caregivers using marijuana for medical purposes as long as they comply with state laws and are not fronts for drug traffickers.

Earlier this year, Obama called on Congress to eliminate the disparity in sentencing that punishes crimes involving crack cocaine more heavily than those involving powder cocaine.

So far, this doesn't seem to be attracting much attention in the US, but it is here in Mexico.