October 10, 2011 5:17PM

Interesting Quotes from the National Drug Threat Assessment Report

By Juan Carlos Hidalgo

Do you need further proof that the war on drug is a failure? Then just read the 2011 National Drug Threat Assessment report recently published by the Justice Department. Here are some interesting quotes:

  • The abuse of several major illicit drugs, including heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine, appears to be increasing, especially among the young. [pag. 1]
  • The overall availability of illicit drugs in the United States is increasing. Heroin, marijuana, MDMA [ecstasy], and methamphetamine are readily available, and their availability appears to be increasing in some markets. [pag. 24]
  • An estimated 8.7 percent of Americans aged 12 or older—or 21.8 million individuals—were current illicit drug users in 2009, a statistically significant increase from 8.0 percent in 2008. [pag. 1]
  • Major Mexican‐​based TCOs [trasnational criminal organizations] and their associates are solidifying their dominance of the U.S. wholesale drug trade and will maintain their reign for the foreseeable future. [pag. 7]
  • Mexican‐​based TCOs were operating in more than a thousand U.S. cities during 2009 and 2010 [last year’s report put the figure at 270 cities]. [pag. 8]

You can read the full report here.