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How Successful Has Prevention Been in Communities?

Community-Wide Combating of Illicit Drugs A system of interagency coordination in Miami among city and county officials, code enforcement, and law enforcement agencies has resulted in the elimination of substantial numbers of crack houses. One program conducted in nine target high-risk neighborhoods includes efforts to identify and demolish crack houses and clear the land for playgrounds, parks, and low-income housing. Between September 1990 and April 1994, 48 crack houses were destroyed, 8,000 drug-related arrests were made, and over $2 million in narcotics were seized. The changes in drug activity and norms created by such programs as well as synergistic effects of other projects operating in the greater Miami area have led to a 40 percent reduction illicit drug users, as shown in this graph.