[House Document 113-20]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



113th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 113-20


 
                  2013 NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                  THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 THE ADMINISTRATION'S 2013 NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY, PURSUANT TO 
                             21 U.S.C. 1504




   April 24, 2013.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
    Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and the Workforce, 
 Veterans' Affairs, Armed Services, the Judiciary, Natural Resources, 
Financial Services, Homeland Security, Oversight and Government Reform, 
Ways and Means, Foreign Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
       Intelligence (Permanent Select) and ordered to be printed
To the Congress of the United States:
    I am pleased to transmit the 2013 National Drug Control 
Strategy, my Administration's blueprint for reducing drug use 
and its consequences in the United States. As detailed in the 
pages that follow, my Administration remains committed to a 
balanced public health and public safety approach to drug 
policy. This approach is based on science, not ideology--and 
scientific research suggests that we have made real progress.
    The rate of current cocaine use in the United States has 
dropped by 50 percent since 2006, and methamphetamine use has 
declined by one-third. New data released this year suggest that 
we are turning a corner in our efforts to address the epidemic 
of prescription drug abuse, with the number of people abusing 
prescription drugs decreasing by nearly 13 percent--from 7 
million in 2010 to 6.1 million in 2011. And the number of 
Americans reporting that they drove after using illicit drugs 
also dropped by 12 percent between 2010 and 2011.
    While this progress is encouraging, we must sustain our 
commitment to preventing drug use before it starts--the most 
cost-effective way to address the drug problem. The importance 
of prevention is becoming ever more apparent. Despite positive 
trends in other areas, we continue to see elevated rates of 
marijuana use among young people, likely driven by declines in 
perceptions of risk. We must continue to get the facts out 
about the health risks of drug use and support the positive 
influences in young people's lives that help them avoid risky 
behaviors.
    The Strategy that follows presents a sophisticated approach 
to a complicated problem, encompassing prevention, early 
intervention, treatment, recovery support, criminal justice 
reform, effective law enforcement, and international 
cooperation.
    I look forward to working with the Congress and 
stakeholders at all levels in advancing this 21st century 
approach to drug policy.

                                                      Barack Obama.
    The White House, April 24, 2013.

    
    
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