Argumentative Essay On The Drug War

For many years, drugs have been the center of crime and the criminal justice system in the United States. Due to this widespread epidemic, President Richard Nixon declared the “War on Drugs” in 1971 with a campaign that promoted the prohibition of illicit substances and implemented policies to discourage the overall production, distribution, and consumption. The War on Drugs and the U.S. drug policy has experienced the most significant and complex challenges between criminal law and the values of today’s society. With implemented drug polices becoming much harsher over the years in order to reduce the overall misuse and abuse of drugs and a expanded federal budget, it has sparked a nation wide debate whether or not they have created more harm than good. When looking at the negative consequences of these policies not only has billions of dollars gone to waste, but the United States has also seen public health issues, mass incarceration, and violent drug related crime within the black market in which feeds our global demands and economy. With this failed approach for drug prohibition, there continues to be an increase in the overall production of illicit substances, high rate of violence, and an unfavorable impact to our nation.

Here lies a stale lifeless body after a drug cartel raids a small town, just south of the Texas border. In December of 2006 and still ongoing, the Mexican Drug War has resulted in the death of tens of thousands of individuals. Mexico believes that in order to put an end to the Drug Wars, America needs to control its need for drugs. The first call to action involves new policies and restrictions on the exports and imports of drugs in between the United States and Mexico.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon initiated the national War on Drugs, which focused on the passage of policies geared toward fighting illegal substances (Amundson, Zajicek, and Hunt, 2014). During this time, Nixon allocated two-thirds of federal dollars for treatment of drug addiction and prevention of new users and one-third of federal dollars for interdiction and enforcement (Amundson et al., 2014). After Nixon’s initial War on Drugs program, policies and programs began to shift. Under the Regan Administration, the War on Drugs became more punitive and there was a reversal of federal dollars. Under the new and subsequent regimes, two-thirds of money was spent on interdiction and enforcement and one-third was spent on treatment and prevention (Amundson et al., 2014). Under this new Administration came tougher sentencing, an increase in prison spending, and mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offenses (Amundson et al.,

Do you know what the war on drugs is about? Drugs? No, it’s more than that it could be about alcohol too but let’s just focus on the main issue, drugs. The war on drugs is a phrase used to refer to the government in which the goal is to stop illegal drug use, distribution and trade by increasing penalties for users. War on drugs started in the United States in the 1890s, the Sears and Roebuck catalogue had offers for syringe and small amount of cocaine for $1.50 and at that time, cocaine use had not yet been outlawed. The first uses of drugs were in the United States and spread to others but in some states laws to ban drugs were passed in the 1800s. In 1890s morphine and opium were taxed. The smoking Opium Exclusion Act in 1909 banned the possession, importation and use of opium for smoking. Although, opium could still be used as a medication. This was the first federal law to ban the non-medical use of a

Throughout U.S governmental history, policies have been known to affect the way of life and every aspect. The topic it choose to research is about “The War on Drugs”, the impact policies have on society and if it does help the public or tend to extent social inequality. This topic is very important to me in the sense that, I look at the community I live and see how drugs have affected people lifes, broken up families and also destroyed the community itself. I wanted to know if the “war on drugs” stop our neighborhood from being flooded with drugs or it just over shadow the real problems that needs to be tackled.

While laws prohibiting the use of drugs, in one form or another, can be traced back to the 1870s, it was not until 1968, when Richard M. Nixon was elected President, that our current drug war was conceived. In 1970 Congress passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse and Control Act.(2) With an

Within the last couple of years, the statewide governments of Colorado and Washington have made strides in changing decade old policies that have place many men and women into federal prisons over petty marijuana charges. In 2014, retail stores opened in both Washington and Colorado, allowing anyone over the age of 21 could purchase marijuana in a vast amount of forms varying from buds, seeds, drinks, and even edibles amongst many more options. This change in the previous policy has shown many benefits, not only to the medical aspect of the dilemma, but also improvements to the economy in creating different opportunities for different retailers and also growers of the plant.

Starting in 1914 the U.S introduced the first probation acts that prohibited the consumption of Opiates and Cocaine with the Harrison Narcotics act of 1914 Later this act was amended to include marijuana. This Act was the first use of federal criminal law in the United Sates to attempt to deal with the nonmedical use of drugs (wisegeek). The war of drugs started primarily in the 1971 when Nixon declared the war on drugs. He dramatically increased the size and presence of federal drug control agencies (Drug Policy). With the first major organized drug imports from Columbia from the Black Tuna Gang based in Miami, Florida Columbia was quickly growing into a drug superpower able to feed America’s growing addictions.

Each day it seems America slips further away from the true meaning of individual liberty. I’m sure you have been raised to think that you grew up in the land of the free, but I question what the true definition of freedom is. Now don’t get me wrong, I agree that other countries may not have as much freedom as we do in America but that’s not my argument. The problem is that “The land of the free” isn’t so free anymore. It seems we go against the constitution more often every year. The drug war is a great example of us loosening our grips on the constitution because of the precise fact that it takes away individual liberty. Using drugs is most certainly not anything I would advise, but if it was my choice to make for you then you wouldn’t truly

Imagine a prison full of sick people, and what is their crime? The illness that they have. This is what is currently happening in the US because of the drug war. The US is imprisoning drug addicts instead of helping them recover. The drug war needs to reform its strategies and and laws to benefit America rather than tear it apart. The drug war has dragged on far to long on the same failing techniques. The drug war is having the same effect as prohibition in the early 20th century, and is costing us money, and the well being of our youth.

The war on drugs was officially declared on June 1971 by President Nixon, when he dramatically increased the presence of federal drug control agencies, and pushed through measures such as mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants. Many believe it is the number one issue in the United States today. The cost of this war has been lives, money, and the respect for law enforcement. The war on drugs has had little to no positive effects, while the decriminalization of drugs has many benefits. Citizens should inform themselves of everything our country could benefit from by simply decriminalizing what has been the cause of close to most incarcerations in federal and state prisons. There is no doubt that the war on drugs has a severe impact on the economy of our country. Drug criminalization is a multi-edged sword; the monetary costs, the loss of those who are lawfully employed in the labor market, and the deterioration of the relationships between the community and law enforcement.

The so-called “War on Drugs,” as declared by the Nixon administration in the signing of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, marked the beginning of the current era of mandatory minimum sentencing, racism, privatized prisons, and a powerful constituency that profits as a result of the prohibition of drugs. Psychoactive substances have been apart of the human experience as long as humans have walked the earth. There is little hope that drug production will ever be curtailed, so long as there is a demand; a demand that has remained steady even though it has been forty years since the beginning of said war. As Judge James P. Gray from the Superior Court of Orange County has so plainly put it: “Where did this policy

The War on Drugs is a current conflict that has been going on for many decades. It is a movement organized by the United States Government in attempts to reduce the amount of illegal drug trafficking in the country. The War on Drugs enforced strict drug policies that are intended to reduce both the production, distribution, and consumption of illegal drugs. The term was first used by President Richard Nixon, during a press conference concerning the nationwide drug abuse issue, in which Nixon announces to the Congress that drug abuse was, “public enemy number one”. Illegal drugs are certainly dangerous; addiction and death are two but many factors as a result of drugs. However, even though the War on Drugs might sounds justifiable, in truth, it is actually making the drug issue worst in the country.

There are many drugs that are illegal like heroin, crack, LSD, marijuana, and meth. Many are bad for people and can cause longterm damage, but there are some drugs which don’t even cause shortterm or longterm damage that are illegal for unfounded reasons. The stigma today is that all drugs are bad and can ruin your life, although that’s what many think it’s lot more complex the deeper you look into why drugs are illegal or why the war on drugs is failing and causes worse problems then it tries to fix. America’s drug war has been detrimental to the function of society as well as a violation of personal liberties because it has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars, sent hard working, taxpaying american minorities to prison, and lets the federal government control what people sell and can put inside their own bodies.

The “War on Drugs” is the name given to the battle of prohibition that the United States has been fighting for over forty years. And it has been America’s longest war. The “war” was officially declared by President Richard Nixon in the 1970’s due to the abuse of illegitimate drugs. Nixon claimed it as “public enemy number one” and enacted laws to fight the importation of narcotics. The United States’ War on Drugs began in response to cocaine trafficking in the late 1980’s. As the war continues to go on, winning it hardly seems feasible. As stated by NewsHour, the National Office of Drug Control Policy spends approximately nineteen billion dollars a year trying to stop the drug trade. The expenses shoot up, indirectly, through crime,