Supply-Side Policies

Supply-side policies include efforts to disrupt and reduce the supply of drugs into the United States as well as practices that make it more difficult for illicit drug users to obtain drugs. These approaches can be contrasted with demand-side policies, which are aimed at lowering demand for drugs through prevention and treatment measures.

U.S. drug control policy has always been comprised of both supply-side and demand-side measures. For most of U.S. history, supply-side policies have received the majority of funding in America's “drug war.” Further, the percentage of federal drug control funding going to supply-side policies has increased over time. For example, the percentage of the nation's drug war budget devoted to supply-side policies has increased from 54.4 percent in fiscal year (FY) 2002 to 64.9 ...