It_PPH1 's_VBZ time_NNT1 this_DD1 drug_NN1 'war'_NN1 ended_VVN Even_CS21 though_CS22 the_AT administration_NN1 of_IO President_NNB Obama_NP1 has_VHZ championed_VVN "_" change_NN1 "_" as_CSA its_APPGE hallmark_NN1 ,_, many_DA2 of_IO its_APPGE domestic_JJ policy_NN1 and_CC funding_NN1 programs_NN2 reflect_VV0 more_RRR a_AT1 "_" continuation_NN1 "_" of_IO the_AT big_JJ spending_NN1 ways_NN2 of_IO his_APPGE predecessor_NN1 ._. 
However_RR ,_, in_II the_AT area_NN1 of_IO drug_NN1 control_NN1 policy_NN1 ,_, early_JJ signs_NN2 are_VBR that_CST Obama_NP1 is_VBZ serious_JJ about_II charting_VVG a_AT1 new_JJ course_NN1 --_NN1 and_CC a_AT1 better_JJR one_PN1 ._. 
Barely_RR moved_VVN into_II his_APPGE office_NN1 in_II the_AT nation_NN1 's_GE capitol_NN1 ,_, Gil_NP1 Kerlikowske_NP1 ,_, the_AT director_NN1 of_IO the_AT Office_NN1 of_IO National_JJ Drug_NN1 Control_NN1 Policy_NN1 ,_, more_RGR commonly_RR known_VVN as_II the_AT office_NN1 of_IO the_AT "_" drug_NN1 czar_NN1 ,_, "_" signaled_VVD a_AT1 bold_JJ change_NN1 in_II direction_NN1 and_CC emphasis_NN1 in_II the_AT federal_JJ government_NN1 's_GE long-running_JJ anti-drug_JJ program_NN1 ._. 
In_II one_MC1 of_IO his_APPGE first_MD public_JJ statements_NN2 ,_, Kerlikowske_NP1 officially_RR jettisoned_VVD the_AT term_NN1 "_" War_NN1 on_II Drugs_NN2 "_" to_TO describe_VVI the_AT federal_JJ effort_NN1 to_TO combat_VVI mind-altering_JJ drugs_NN2 ._. 
The_AT short-hand_NN1 nomenclature_NN1 had_VHD been_VBN in_RR21 common_RR22 usage_NN1 since_II 1971_MC ,_, when_CS then-President_JJ Nixon_NP1 first_MD attached_VVN the_AT term_NN1 to_II the_AT national_JJ anti-drug_JJ program_NN1 ._. 
Kerlikowske_NP1 's_GE law_NN1 enforcement_NN1 career_NN1 began_VVD in_II Florida_NP1 in_II the_AT second_MD year_NNT1 of_IO the_AT "_" war_NN1 "_" he_PPHS1 now_RT plans_VVZ to_TO alter_VVI and_CC took_VVD him_PPHO1 to_II police_NN2 chief_NN1 in_II Seattle_NP1 in_II 2001_MC ,_, where_RRQ he_PPHS1 stayed_VVD until_II being_VBG sworn_VVN in_RP as_CSA drug_NN1 czar_NN1 ._. 
Despite_II his_APPGE strong_JJ law_NN1 enforcement_NN1 credentials_NN2 ,_, Kerlikowske_NP1 will_VM not_XX have_VHI an_AT1 easy_JJ job_NN1 of_IO shifting_VVG the_AT direction_NN1 of_IO the_AT massive_JJ and_CC costly_JJ anti-drug_JJ effort_NN1 directed_VVN from_II Washington_NP1 ._. 
For_IF four_MC decades_NNT2 ,_, the_AT primary_JJ focus_NN1 of_IO the_AT federal_JJ anti-drug_JJ effort_NN1 has_VHZ been_VBN enforcement_NN1 ,_, interdiction_NN1 and_CC incarceration_NN1 as_II31 opposed_II32 to_II33 demand_NN1 reduction_NN1 ,_, prevention_NN1 and_CC treatment_NN1 ._. 
The_AT figures_NN2 on_II the_AT allocation_NN1 of_IO the_AT nearly_RR $15_NNU billion_NNO dedicated_VVD directly_RR to_II the_AT federal_JJ anti-drug_JJ effort_NN1 in_II the_AT current_JJ 2009_MC fiscal_JJ year_NNT1 illustrate_VV0 the_AT magnitude_NN1 of_IO the_AT task_NN1 facing_VVG Kerlikowske_NP1 ._. 
Fully_RR two-thirds_MF of_IO that_DD1 amount_NN1 is_VBZ consumed_VVN by_II enforcement_NN1 ,_, interdiction_NN1 and_CC international_JJ activities_NN2 ;_; only_RR one-third_MF goes_VVZ toward_II treatment_NN1 and_CC prevention_NN1 ._. 
Obama_NP1 's_GE preliminary_JJ requests_NN2 for_IF the_AT 2010_MC budget_NN1 barely_RR change_VV0 those_DD2 ratios_NN2 ._. 
Still_RR ,_, the_AT signal_NN1 Kerlikowske_NP1 is_VBZ sending_VVG in_II the_AT deceptively_RR simple_JJ vocabulary_NN1 shift_VV0 away_II21 from_II22 the_AT war_NN1 rhetoric_NN1 is_VBZ important_JJ ._. 
Although_CS his_APPGE agency_NN1 has_VHZ no_AT enforcement_NN1 power_NN1 ,_, it_PPH1 helps_VVZ set_VVI the_AT president_NN1 's_GE "_" policies_NN2 ,_, priorities_NN2 and_CC objectives_NN2 "_" in_II this_DD1 arena_NN1 ._. 
If_CS Kerlikowske_NP1 is_VBZ in_II fact_NN1 reflecting_VVG Obama_NP1 's_GE priorities_NN2 ,_, and_CC ,_, more_RGR importantly_RR ,_, if_CS the_AT president_NN1 is_VBZ willing_JJ to_TO back_VVI him_PPHO1 up_RP ,_, then_RT true_JJ change_NN1 may_VM indeed_RR be_VBI in_II the_AT offing_NN1 for_IF the_AT government_NN1 's_GE drug_NN1 program_NN1 ,_, and_CC change_NN1 is_VBZ long_RR overdue_JJ ._. 
Regardless_RR of_IO whether_CSW one_PN1 is_VBZ a_AT1 "_" drug_NN1 warrior_NN1 "_" or_CC a_AT1 "_" drug_NN1 legalizer_NN1 ,_, "_" it_PPH1 is_VBZ difficult_JJ if_CS not_XX impossible_JJ to_TO defend_VVI the_AT 38-year_JJ war_NN1 on_II drugs_NN2 as_II a_AT1 success_NN1 ._. 
Illicit_JJ drugs_NN2 are_VBR every_AT1 bit_NN1 as_CSA easy_JJ to_TO score_VVI on_II America_NP1 's_GE streets_NN2 and_CC in_II her_APPGE schools_NN2 now_RT as_CSA they_PPHS2 were_VBDR more_DAR than_CSN three_MC decades_NNT2 ago_RA ._. 
Last_MD year_NNT1 ,_, just_RR under_RG 84_MC percent_NNU of_IO 12th-graders_NN2 considered_VVD that_DD1 marijuana_NN1 was_VBDZ "_" very_RG easy_JJ "_" or_CC "_" fairly_RR easy_JJ "_" to_TO obtain_VVI ;_; virtually_RR the_AT same_DA as_CSA in_II a_AT1 1975_MC survey_NN1 ._. 
America_NP1 's_GE prisons_NN2 continue_VV0 to_TO burst_VVI at_II the_AT seams_NN2 with_IW drug_NN1 offenders_NN2 ,_, who_PNQS are_VBR serving_VVG longer_RRR and_CC longer_JJR sentences_NN2 (_( thanks_NN2 in_RR21 part_RR22 to_II mandatory_JJ sentence_NN1 terms_NN2 which_DDQ came_VVD into_II vogue_NN1 in_II the_AT 1980s_MC2 )_) ._. 
While_CS the_AT country_NN1 's_GE population_NN1 was_VBDZ increasing_VVG by_II 46_MC percent_NNU from_II 1970_MC to_II 2007_MC ,_, our_APPGE prison_NN1 population_NN1 exploded_VVD by_II 547_MC percent_NNU ._. 
The_AT lion_NN1 's_GE share_NN1 of_IO that_DD1 huge_JJ increase_NN1 is_VBZ the_AT result_NN1 of_IO drug_NN1 and_CC drug-related_JJ arrests_NN2 ,_, which_DDQ soared_VVD by_II a_AT1 factor_NN1 of_IO 14_MC from_II 1968_MC to_II 2007_MC ._. 
The_AT direct_JJ cost_NN1 to_II America_NP1 's_GE taxpayers_NN2 of_IO housing_VVG this_DD1 prison_NN1 population_NN1 is_VBZ staggering_JJ ,_, with_IW the_AT Bureau_NN1 of_IO Prisons_NN2 '_GE budget_NN1 mushrooming_VVG more_DAR than_CSN 740_MC percent_NNU since_II 1971_MC ,_, to_II more_DAR than_CSN $5.5_NNU billion_NNO ._. 
More_RGR important_JJ than_CSN the_AT monetary_JJ cost_NN1 of_IO this_DD1 multidecade_NN1 effort_NN1 ,_, however_RR ,_, is_VBZ the_AT human_JJ cost_NN1 ._. 
If_CS Obama_NP1 and_CC Kerlikowske_NP1 are_VBR indeed_RR serious_JJ about_II refocusing_VVG not_XX only_RR rhetoric_NN1 but_CCB action_NN1 toward_II demand_NN1 reduction_NN1 (_( and_CC focusing_VVG the_AT enforcement_NN1 effort_NN1 on_II violent_JJ criminal_JJ activities_NN2 )_) ,_, then_RT the_AT years_NNT2 ahead_RL might_VM actually_RR witness_VVI some_DD true_JJ successes_NN2 in_II keeping_VVG our_APPGE nation_NN1 's_GE youth_NN1 off_II mind-altering_JJ drugs_NN2 ._. 
Experts_NN2 say_VV0 Japan_NP1 tends_VVZ to_II pigeonhole_NN1 China_NN1 as_II a_AT1 place_NN1 for_IF low-end_JJ outsourcing_NN1 ,_, and_CC is_VBZ particularly_RR fearful_JJ of_IO intellectual-property_JJ theft_NN1 in_II China_NP1 because_CS relatively_RR high-cost_VV0 Japanese_JJ manufacturers_NN2 lose_VV0 everything_PN1 if_CS their_APPGE ideas_NN2 are_VBR stolen_VVN ._. 
Stronger_JJR protections_NN2 against_II intellectual-property_JJ pirates_NN2 could_VM yield_VVI all_DB kinds_NN2 of_IO collaboration_NN1 ,_, even_RR a_AT1 world-beating_JJ green_JJ car_NN1 capital_NN1 of_IO the_AT world_NN1 run_VVN by_II Japan_NP1 and_CC China_NP1 ,_, Japan_NP1 market_NN1 analysts_NN2 say_VV0 ._. 
