New Drug Czar Vows to Change War on Drugs

When President Barack Obama  announced the Gil Kerilikoske nomination to National Drug Czar he stated:

"With escalating violence along our Southwest border and far too many suffering from the disease of addiction here at home, never has it been more important to have a national drug control strategy guided by sound principles of public safety and public health, We must demonstrate to our international partners, the criminal organizations threatening to undermine stability and the rule of law in those nations, and the American people, that we take seriously our responsibility to reduce drug use in the United States."

In May the United States' legislature overwhelmingly voted to confirm the Obama Administration's nomination of former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to be the new Drug Czar.

Just months into his new assignment as President Barack Obama's drug czar, Kerlikowske has begun using the platform to change the "War on Drugs" to reflect that it is a national health problem - not simply the domain of the criminal justice system.

His nomination met with surprise from many voters because Seattle, the site of his former job, is known for its progressive policies on Marijuana use. This has led many to wonder if this was a pretense to legalization of the drug.

During confirmation hearings Kerlikowske made it clear he was simply enforcing the laws passed by the voters in Seattle. He recognized however the need to make drug addiction a matter of national health -not a war to be fought.

"I'd be happy if I can change the conversation about drugs. We recycle people through the criminal justice system but it's more than that," Kerlikowske said in a trip home to Seattle before taking up offices in Washington D.C.