Obama favours drug rehab to a war

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by Change | 17 Mar 2009

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New US president Barack Obama has moved away from the old rhetoric of the White House by focussing on drug addiction treatment rather than a war on drugs.

The US is pursuing a new focus on tackling drug addiction through rehab centers and addiction treatment programs instead of labelling its actions as a war on drugs.

New president Barack Obama has moved away from the rhetoric of previous White House administrations and is now looking to develop a cogent system to tackle addiction problems in US society by helping people access the rehab centers that can help them overcome their addictions.

The Guardian reports that Mr Obama is seeking to deliver a policy that is based more on public health needs than simply trying to crush the import of illegal narcotics.

"This will result in a policy that is broader and stronger than the one we had in the past," David Johnson, an assistant secretary of state, told the newspaper.

The move comes as the UK looks to change its approach to tackling alcohol addiction. A recent report from chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson proposed the implementation of a minimum price for alcohol.

However, despite claims that such a move could help reduce the number of people seeking rehab centers to help them overcome addiction problems, prime minister Gordon Brown has so far given a cautious response to the scheme.

Mr Brown said he did not want to punish the "responsible, sensible majority" by increasing prices for everyone.

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