45. End the "War on Drugs" Direct Funds to Substance Abuse Treatment

WHEREAS the “War on Drugs” has been in existence for over thirty years and drugs are still as available and as dangerous as ever; and

WHEREAS our prisons are full to over-flowing with persons convicted of non-violent drug or alcohol related offenses; and

WHEREAS it costs the state and federal government at least $30,000 a year to incarcerate an individual prisoner; and

WHEREAS billions of dollars have been spent on the “War on Drugs” which has raised the price of drugs on the street, resulting in higher drug dealer profits and more crime which is committed in order to satisfy the addiction of drug addicts; and

WHEREAS treatment, education, childcare, affordable housing, not incarceration, are the only ways to rehabilitate alcohol and drug abusers; and

WHEREAS the use of our troops and equipment to conduct the "War on Drugs" in foreign lands results in poisoning their lands with herbicides, imposing hardship on the poorest farmers when their lands are contaminated,  and damaging international regard for the United States, now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party will work to end the "War on Drugs" both at home and abroad and to direct those funds to substance abuse treatment.