Drug Abuse And The Unwinnable War

“Over 40 year ago president nixon, Declared Drug abuse public enemy number one, starting an unprecedented global Campaign, the war on drug.

The United states has taken consistent efforts to control the distribution and manufacture of medications and other drugs, with many efforts regulate possession importation and sales of various types of drugs. While there are several historic pieces of legislation that deal with the regulation and control of various substances, there is no other single piece of legislation that is an important and impactful to health care as the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. This essay will explore the history of this legislation, its purpose and passage from proposal to law. Some may argue American this is true for American society as a whole, because of the implementation of this law and the addition of the Drug enforcement Agency as the agency that

Since the late 19th century, the federal and states governments of the United States have enacted laws and policies to deter the use and distribution of illegal drugs. These laws and policies have not only deemed what drugs are legal and illegal, but have also established penalties for the possession and distribution of these substances and established federal agencies to control drug use and administer drug law enforcement. This essay will not only examine the landmark drug laws and policies established by the federal and state governments, but also the enforcement of drug laws.

Introduction - Use of psychoactive substances for recreational purposes is not a radically new social issue. In fact, history tells us that almost every society had their own pharmacopeia of herbs, potions, and substances that not only contributed to healing, but also allowed the user to escape reality (Schules 1992, 4-5). However, it is the contemporary use of psychoactive drugs purchased through illicit or illegal channels and used by persons neither prescribed nor in quantities larger than necessary that defines modern drug abuse (Robins 2006). Prior to World War I, substances like morphine, heroin, and cocaine were available in the major American cities, particularly those with active international ports. For instance, when Chinese immigrants were first imported to work in the mines and railroads during the early 1800s, they brought opium to America. It was the leisure class, who began to experiment with this drug, and, as in Europe, many major U.S. cities had so-called opium dens. In addition, there were a substantial number of "society women" who ended up addicted because their doctor prescribed this drug to deal with female histrionics or to "cure" an excessive sexual appetite (Johnson 2002). Within major cities, this problem began to spill over into other groups: prostitutes, child laborers, orphans, and even men and women of lower social classes seeking to escape the harshness of their lives (Courtwright 2002, 3-19). Between the widespread use and general

Drugs have been used for hundreds of years for medical, religious, and psychotherapy purposes. As psychoactive drugs became more popularly used for recreational use and were being introduced in new ways, there became a strong need for control and regulation. The Controlled Substance Act was implemented to take a stronghold on the growing drug problem in the United States. The advancement of science and technology continuously present a need for new ideas and legislations; to keep a strong hold on the war on drugs. Whether the United States can keep up with the changing epidemics and tackle them head on, proves to be a main concern.

The focus in the video Heroin and the War on Drugs, is to address the most efficient recorded path to defeat drug addiction; which is identifying drug addiction as a national health issue. With drug addiction being directly related to crime, former president Nixon first approached the drug epidemic with tough penalties that resulted in no documented reduction change and resources being wasted. After, different approaches were being tested such as methadone; resulting in “overdose deaths went from 70 deaths a year to 4. The crime rate at a monthly bases was cut in half in that period of time.” stated L. DuPont. Next approach that was tested was clean needle exchange which produced “Baltimore’s HIV rate plummeted.”. Although, the video stated

The legal prohibition on most psychoactive drugs has been in place in this country for the better part of a century. This policy of prohibition, however, has never been based on reason or careful consideration, but on the paranoia of a small segment of society and the indifferent willingness of the majority to accept this vocal minority’s claims without question. Outlawing any use of a particular drug is a violation of the basic freedom of individuals to act as they please in their private lives. However, even if one does not accept this belief, an objective analysis of the United States’ history of prohibition clearly shows that attempts to enforce this policy have done far more harm than good,

The decades-old United States war on drugs has not been successful and very cost ineffective (Madden, 2008). Today, drug addiction continues to be an important public health problem in our nation. The U.S. spends more than $700 billion dollars annually in costs related to substance abuse (National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2015). Drug-related costs include abuse of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, crime, lost work productivity, and health care (NIDA, 2015). And the costs corresponding to those whose lives are ruined or whose death is premature, are too immense to be measured. Collateral damage such as that of family members who have to endure witnessing these experiences is not just unfortunate; it is also priceless. Treatment programs for drug addiction are available, and psychosocial approaches have demonstrated to be better than no-treatment controls (Madden, 2008; Silverman, Roll, & Higgins, 2008). Unfortunately, currently available treatment programs are not effective in all individuals, and high relapse rates are typical (Silverman et al., 2008). Considering the immense impact drug addiction has on individuals as well as society, the development of a treatment program that produces long-term abstinence outcomes is of paramount importance.

The American experience with drugs at the end of the 19th century demonstrated the serious problems that can be caused by the general use of a wide range of legally available drugs. These problems were judged unacceptable by Americans of that day. Prohibition was the result of nonpartisan public outcry over the negative effects of unrestricted drug use. (Trebach 41-44)

The use of mind altering substances has been about since prehistoric times. Thought to have been just a modern day dilemma, scientist have proven through archaeological evidence that this is not the case. Neither the substances nor the ways they affect the human body have changed throughout human history. Nor the reason why people indulge in the consumption of illegal substances.  People abuse drugs to relieve stress, manage other illnesses and receive a high.  Depending on the drug of choice, the toll it takes on the human body differs. Furthermore, injection choice, also plays a factor on how the body is affected. For example,  through injection into the bloodstream more immediate results can be expected in comparison to consumption

Government institutions, such as the United States of America, have indoctrinated in its citizens the idea that psychedelic hallucinogens such as LSD have had a detrimental effect on society. These government organizations have sanctioned access even for research purposes inhibiting further intellectual and ethical development on theoretical uses, albeit psychotherapeutic applications, spiritual entheogens, addiction suppression, etc. While the State claims the use of LSD is hedonistic and promotes violent tendencies, it fails to acknowledge that legislation regarding the prohibition of psychoactive substances has been historically deficient, promoting the criminal distribution, manufacturing,

Drugs have been used for centuries. Many are legal and many are illegal. The negative stigma that is frequently associated with psychedelic substances is not necessarily true. In this study, I identified the effects of the short-term use of alcohol, nicotine, opioid analgesics, psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA. These effects were determined to be adverse, neutral, or beneficial. Then, I identified the punishments that the possession of these substances could result in. These punishments were determined to result in imprisonment, potentially result in imprisonment, or not result in imprisonment. It was discovered that the short-term use of these substances do not differ greatly in regard to their adverse, neutral, and beneficial effects. Additionally,

The use of drugs is a mixed blessing. On one hand, they could be used for medical reasons, such as lowering severe pain or depression. These drugs are often prescribed by a medical professional, and the patient is given the drug in moderate doses. However, the use of drugs is typically for recreational purposes, which has negative consequences. Drugs used for recreational purposes are used to alter physical sensations, consciousness, thoughts, mood, and behaviors and ways that users believe are desirable (Grison, S., Heatherton, T. F., & Gazzaniga, M. S. 2016). The continued use of drugs for recreational purposes often leads someone to become addicted. Drug addiction is a rising problem in the United States. With the increase of drug addiction, drug overdoses and deaths by overdose has increased. The rate of deaths due to overdoses has increased 137% since 2000 (Rudd, R. A., Aleshire, N., Zibbell, J. E., & Matthew Gladden, R. 2016). Even though drug overdoses are increasing and the effects of drugs are known to be negative, people still use drugs as a way to relax, and do not believe that they will become addicted.

The War on Drugs is a deep-rooted controversial campaign of prohibition and military aid that has been disputed for many years. There are constant debates as to whether there will ever be a viable solution to the problem. However, as we continue to pursue the “war on drugs,” it has become increasingly evident that “winning” the war seems to be an impossible task. Drug prohibition and the undertaking of the war on drugs have stirred much controversy over its moral and logical implications. While there are many drugs that exist that are unhealthy when abused, it has become apparent that the drug policies in the United States, as well as many parts of the world, are inconsistent and oppressive. Ironically, drug laws were initially created for the good of society, but it has become increasingly clear that drug laws and our undertaking of the drug war have only served to cause problems. The current war on drugs has led to devastating effects on society both economically and socially. Violence and corruption have subjugated throughout the United States, Mexico and many other parts of the world. Additionally, drug prohibition efforts have had very little impact on the supply of illegal drugs and have had little to no success in reducing the demand for illegal drugs. The war on drugs, which is fueled by corruption and propaganda, needs to come to an end for the betterment of society.

Imagine yourself sitting in the corner of your room, depressed, hallucinating, isolated from everyone else, feeling an ache in your bones, feeling worthless and seeing your life flash before your eyes; and then you ask yourself, is it worth it? Drug is known as a hazardous substance either solid, liquid or gas that changes the function of your body and mind. Theres no doubt that drugs give you that rush of pleasure and a good taste of the present. However, people don't realize that the present is distorted on so many levels. The widespread use of drugs has been a tackled issue for centuries. It seems to be unstoppable for many individuals who feel the need to fit in, ease pains, or relieve their ordinary life routine. People may think