Since the end of World War II, almost every president has declared a war on illegal drug use. The efforts against drugs that are currently used, got their start from a series of laws passed during the Nixon administration's "War on Drugs". Many programs have been established including Nancy Regan's "Just Say No" campaign which was started in 1983. George Bush, later provided the DEA with its largest federal funding increase ever, raising the DEA's budget to more than $18 billion. The War on Drugs has continued in the 1990s with a larger focus on the strict enforcment of U.S drug laws. However, the increased enforcement of U.S. drug laws has led to prison overcrowding and a change from the smugling of illegal substances to a local production of cheap, highly potent substances such as crack, cocaine, and methamphetamine. While when compared to foreign countries, the United States appears to be doing a good job in combating illegal drug use, it is very clear that the drug policies used during the past three decades have failed remarkably to meet their stated objectives. Limited drops in usage levels (rising levels in Denver), failure to reduce violent crime related to drug use, failure to reduce importation of ilegal substances, faliure to reduce availability of illegal drugs, the expenditure of great amounts of money and limited public resources, and failure to provide meaningful treatment for current substance abusers, are all evidence that in fact the "War on Drugs" has been a non-sucessful program up until this point.
             In the city of Denver, the FBI denver devision has joined forces with local agencies which include the Denver Police Department, U.S. Customs service, Immigtration and Naturalization Service, and the DEA to impliment various progams including both educational and enfocement policies. Mentorship for youth, Youth leadership, Parental and family education, community org...