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Illegal Drugs And The United States

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On June 18, 1971, United States President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs. Since then the United States has focused their efforts on the criminalization and prohibition of drug use, possession, trafficking, sale, and the production of it. The issues pertaining to the War on Drugs has become a bigger issue throughout the years due to the United States being the largest market place for illegal drugs and substances. The United States has spent billions a year on drug war policies to help and try to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of any drugs that are found illegal in the United States. When it comes to drug use, efforts to lower the use and flow of illegal drugs in the United States have yet to be succeeded. On the contrary, the use and production of illegal drugs have only seemed to grow. Sadly, punitive laws have not reduced the use or the availability of illegal drugs but have actually had collateral damage. Example of said collateral damage is drug-related violence, health epidemics, mass incarceration, and the waste of law enforcement. Sadly, many have been murdered due to the act of violence between criminal activity fighting over territory and or power made due to drug trade. Since 2000, the amount of people living with HIV has tripled due to injecting drugs. In the last 30 years, prison population, in the United States, has quadrupled and nearly a quarter of federal inmates are convicted of drugs. Lastly, the amount of money being spent

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