Activity Quote by Milton Friedman
“Our emphasis here is based not only on the growing seriousness of drug-related crimes, but also on the belief that relieving our police and our courts from having to fight losing battles against drug use will enable their energies and facilities to be devoted more fully to combating other forms of crime.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Economic Policy Forum, 1975
He argues that focusing police enforcement on drug crimes drains resources that could better address other crimes.
In simple terms: Redirect police from drugs to serious crimes.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize resources for greater overall safety.
Themes
law enforcement
resource allocation
crime policy
efficiency
public safety
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
policy
economic
When to use this quote
- budget planning
- legislative reform
- community policing
- crime prevention strategies
Key Concepts
economics
public policy
cost‑benefit analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance drug control with other crime prevention?
- What are the societal costs of deprioritizing drug offenses?
A Different Perspective
Drug enforcement also serves public health and deterrence roles.
![“With drug use related harms, explanatory models are often presented as predictive tools, even though they ‘are [rarely if ever] predictive of consequent behavior’ or outcomes. Hence, we feel confident in asserting at outset, that prohibition based approaches in drug policy lack a sound basis in…” quote by Daniel Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e7b/daniel-waterman-25499_belief_with-drug-use-related-harms-explanatory_303076.jpg)
