Drug Survey Shows Prohibition's Failure

Gee, after more than fifty years of prohibition, people still use illegal drugs. Imagine that.

A 1995 survey of illegal drug use in the U.S., released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. government, summarized the result of 22,181 interviews.

Teenage reported use of marijuana nearly doubled from 1992 to 1995, from 4% to 7.3%. Use of illegal drugs rose from an estimated 11.7 million people in 1993 to an estimated 12.2 million people in 1995. Since the survey relies on self-reported drug use, the actual number is probably higher.

U.S. "drug czar" (the czars were tyrants, right?) Lee Brown blamed increased pot use on glamorization by the entertainment industry, and promoted new public service pamphlets with the slogan, "Stay Drug Free! You Have the Power!"

The Libertarian alternative, in the face of drug war related property seizures, imprisonments, public-pay-phone-banning and taxes would be, "Stay Free! You Have the Power!" Support the repeal of drug prohibition, and vote Libertarian.

Source: Sept. 13, 1995, New York Times News Service article, "Use of marijuana soars among teens, survey says."