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News
Release [print-friendly
page] DEA Statement for the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking JUN 26 -- (Washington, DC) - On this International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) joins with the international community in supporting our common goal of achieving an international society free of drug abuse. The UN World Drug Report last year affirmed our progress: global enforcement and regulatory efforts have made significant and positive changes in illegal drug markets worldwide, and drug addiction rates have lost pace. We are seizing greater quantities of illegal drugs than ever before—more than 41 metric tons of cocaine seized in just two enforcement actions last year. In the United States alone, we denied drug traffickers a record-breaking $3.5 billion in 2007. Drug prices in the United States have increased while drug purity has decreased, indicating success in disrupting supply. Drug demand has decreased, with national survey results indicating drug demand among our teens and in our workplaces at their lowest levels in years. Working with our international partners, we have arrested an unprecedented number of high level narco-traffickers and extradited them to face justice. Clearly, the collective efforts of the global community are making a difference. This encouraging news indicates we are on the right path, but we must not lose any ground. No society is immune from the enormous social and financial costs of drug abuse and trafficking. Our successes have been the result of partnership and international cooperation that must strengthen and expand so that we may address new challenges that continually confront us all: the well-being and security of our nations depend upon it. ## |
