What government strategies have been used to reduce the incidence of drug use in the United States?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There are five main policy initiatives used in the battle against illicit drugs:

1. Antidrug legislation and strict enforcement emphasizes strict enforcement of antidrug abuse laws, focusing particularly on the arrest, prosecution, and incarceration of distributors of controlled substances, as well as on the seizure and destruction of illegal drugs and clandestine drug laboratories.

2. Interdiction is an international drug control policy focusing on stopping drugs from entering the country. Interdiction enforcement in the United States is difficult because of gaps in border coverage and instances of corruption in U.S. border agencies.

3. Crop control involves the eradication of both domestic and overseas drug crops such as marijuana and coca plants.

4. Asset forfeiture allows the criminal justice system to seize money and property that has been used in drug trafficking or manufacture or that was obtained as a result of drug trafficking.

5. Antidrug education and drug treatment strategies which reach targeted individuals through schools, corporations, and media campaigns, have become increasingly popular recently, although recent studies have questioned the effectiveness of many school-based programs, such as D.A.R.E.

6. What is prostitution? What are the various types of prostitutes identified in this chapter?

Prostitution is defined as the act engaging in sexual activity for money. There are four main types of prostitutes:

• Streetwalkers are the lowest class of prostitutes. They solicit customers in public and perform their services in customers' cars, in alleyways, in nearby hotels, darkened doorways, etc. Streetwalkers command the lowest prices, have little bargaining power over sexual practices and use of condoms, and face the highest risk of harm and of arrest.

• Bar/hotel prostitutes work in bars, clubs, and hotels, and may have a standing relationship with managers, bartenders and security personnel. Services usually are provided in the establishment. Prices vary according to the prestige of the establishment and the prostitute's risk of harm and arrest are low to moderate.

• Call girls work for escort services on an "outcall basis" and are not restricted to specific locales. The call girl may negotiate on site with the customer for specific services, thus insulating the escort service from legal action as it claims it merely arranged for "companionship." Escorts have considerable bargaining power over types of sexual services provided and use of condoms and face the lowest risk of harm or arrest.

• Hotel/brothel prostitutes perform in legal environments but are limited to only a few venues in the U.S. where prostitution is legalized. In the U.S., brothel prostitution is available in rural counties in Nevada.