Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 86.djvu/108

 66

PUBLIC LAW 92-255-MAR. 21, 1972

[86 STAT.

TITLE I—FINDINGS A N D DECLARATION OF POLICY; DEFINITIONS; TERMINATION Sec. 101. 102. 103. 104.

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Congressional findings. Declaration of national policy. Definitions. Termination.

§ 101. Congressional findings. The Congress makes the following findings: (1) Drug abuse is rapidly increasing in the United States and now afflicts urban, suburban, and rural areas of the Nation. (2) Drug abuse seriously impairs individual, as well as societal, health and well-being. (3) Drug abuse, especially heroin addiction, substantially contributes to crime. (4) The adverse impact of drug abuse inflicts increasing pain and hardship on individuals, families, and communities and undermines our institutions. (5) Too little is known about drug abuse, especially the causes, and ways to treat and prevent drug abuse. (6) The success of Federal drug abuse programs and activities requires a recognition that education, treatment, rehabilitation, research, training, and law enforcement efforts are interrelated. (7) The effectiveness of efforts by State and local governments and by the Federal Government to control and treat drug abuse in the United States has been hampered by a lack of coordination among the States, between States and localities, among the Federal Government, States and localities, and throughout the Federal establishment. (8) Control of drug abuse requires the development of a comprehensive, coordinated long-term Federal strategy that encompasses both effective law enforcement against illegal drug traffic and effective health programs to rehabilitate victims of drug abuse. (9) The increasing rate of drug abuse constitutes a serious and continuing threat to national health and welfare, requiring an immediate and effective response on the part of the Federal Government. § 102. Declaration of national policy. The Congress declares that it is the policy of the United States and the purpose of this Act to focus the comprehensive resources of the Federal Government and bring them to bear on drug abuse 'with the immediate objective of significantly reducing the incidence of drug abuse in the United States within the shortest possible period of time, and to develop a comprehensive, coordinated long-term Federal strategy to combat drug abuse.

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