We’ve been hearing the term “war on drugs” for decades, yet the war never seems to come any closer to being won. In an attempt to shift the public’s view of drug abuse as a mental disorder to be treated instead of a crime to be punished, the Obama administration’s new drug czar called for an end to talk of the “war on drugs.”

In his first interview since being confirmed as the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske said, “Regardless of how you try to explain to people it’s a ‘war on drugs’ or a ‘war on a product,’ people see a war as a war on them…We’re not at war with people in this country.” Kerlikowske said he doesn’t support efforts to legalize drugs, but he does plan to work with Congress and other agencies to alter the current drug policies.

Kerlikowske also said he wants to see more emphasis put on drug treatment instead of incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses, as he believes arrests alone don’t work. The Obama administration has already called to end the disparity in the way in which crimes involving crack cocaine and powder cocaine are dealt with. Critics of the current law say that it unfairly targets African-American communities, where crack is more prevalent.

The administration also said that federal authorities would no longer raid medical marijuana dispensaries in the 13 states where medical marijuana is legal. In addition, President Obama has talked about ending the federal ban on funding for needle-exchange programs. Kerlikowske says he supports these programs, calling them “part of a complete public-health model for dealing with addiction.”

Kerlikowske has his fair share of supporters and critics. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), the only senator who voted against him, said he was concerned about Kerlikowske’s permissive attitude toward marijuana enforcement. James Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, said that while he holds Mr. Kerlikowske in high regard, police officers are wary. “While I don’t necessarily disagree with Gil’s focus on treatment and demand reduction, I don’t want to see it at the expense of law enforcement,” he said.

“I think he believes there is a place for using the criminal sanctions to address the drug-abuse problem, but he’s more open to giving a hard look to the demand side of the equation,” said Alison Holcomb, drug-policy director with the Washington state ACLU. And Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that supports legalization of medical marijuana, said he is “cautiously optimistic” about Kerlikowske. “The analogy we have is this is like turning around an ocean liner,” he said. “What’s important is the damn thing is beginning to turn.”

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