by the Office of National Drug Control Policy

About the author: The Office of National Drug Control Policy is a branch of government dedicated to fighting drugs and drug traffickers.

The first duty of government is to protect its citizens. The Constitution of the United States—as interpreted over 208 years—articulates the obligation of the federal government to uphold the public good, providing a bulwark against all threats, foreign and domestic. Illegal drugs constitute one such threat. Toxic, addictive substances present a hazard to society as a whole. Like a corrosive, insidious cancer, drug abuse diminishes the potential of our citizens for full growth and development.

The traditions of American government and democracy affirm self- determination and freedom. While government must minimize interference in the private lives of citizens, it cannot...