Lies, damned lies, and drug war statistics : a critical analysis of claims made by the office of National Drug Control Policy / Matthew B. Robinson, Renee G. Scherlen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robinson, Matthew, 1970-

Contributor:

Scherlen, Renee G., 1962-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Office of National Drug Control Policy.

United States.

Drug control--United States.

Drug control.

Drug control--United States--Statistics.

Drug abuse--Government policy--United States.

Drug abuse.

Drug abuse--Government policy.

Drug abuse--United States--Statistics.

Genre:

Statistics.

Physical Description:

xviii, 268 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [2007]

Summary:

This book critically analyzes claims made by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the White House agency of accountability in the nation's drug war. Specifically, the book examines six editions of the annual National Drug Control Strategy between 2000 and 2005 to determine if ONDCP accurately and honestly presents information or intentionally distorts evidence to justify continuing the war on drugs.

Matthew B. Robinson and Renee G. Scherlen uncover the many ways in which ONDCP manipulates statistics and visually presents that information to the public. Their analysis demonstrates a drug war that consistently fails to reduce drug use, drug fatalities or illnesses associated with drug use; fails to provide treatment for drug dependent users; and drives up the prices of drugs. They conclude with policy recommendations for reforming ONDCP's use of statistics, as well as how the nation fights the war on drugs.

Contents:

Introduction

About America's drug war

Methodology

Claims of success in reducing drug use

Claims of success in healing America's drug users and disrupting drug markets

Costs of the drug war

A fair assessment of America's drug war

Conclusions and policy recommendations.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 225-257) and index.

ISBN:

0791469751

9780791469750

079146976X

9780791469767

OCLC:

64486801