The National Drug Control Policy has failed its two major functions (supply reduction and demand reduction) due to faulty assumptions regarding nearly every aspect of the alcohol and drug fields, charges author Fisher. Yet, in spite of overwhelming evidence of this failure, policy makers have strongly resisted discussing major changes to the assumptions that underlie current policy, because of political pressure, bias and philosophical intransigence. Fisher discusses controversial topics and defends uncommon approaches in chapters focused on subjects including legalization, harm reduction, the futility of supply reduction, the problem of underage drinking and effectiveness of treatment and prevention. He proposes a new national policy for drug control, including elimination of the "war" metaphor, inclusion of alcohol in the mandate, conceptualization of addiction as a public health problem, and utilization of harm reduction principles to guide policy and discontinuation of approaches that isolate drug and alcohol problems from their connection to broader social issues such as poverty.