Resumen de Curbing drug abuse in Iowa: one response to a growing problem

K. M. Quinn

• The State of Iowa in the United States of America faced a growing drug related problem, with cocaine abuse increasing in the cities and cannabis availability spreading to rural areas. The State also experienced a concomitant rise in crime, particularly by juveniles, which was demonstrably linked to the prevalence of illicit drugs. To counter these problems, Governor Robert Ray convened a State-wide Crime Prevention Conference, provided help to communities in organizing drug abuse prevention programmes, proposed legislation to seize illegally gained assets and allocated additional funds to law enforcement agencies for narcotics operations. The Governor's programme included, inter alia:

  The establishment of a "crime stoppers" hot-line, providing a toll-free telephone number for citizens to report crime anonymously;

  The outlawing of "look-alike" drugs, i.e. pills designed to look like controlled substances (usually amphetamines) but actually containing licit substances such as caffeine;

  The outlawing of "turkey" substances, such as baking flour and detergent, which were not themselves illegal but which dealers sold as illegal substances to test whether a purchaser might be an undercover police officer;

  The proposal for a criminal justice improvement fund to provide money to enhance State-wide law enforcement efforts.