Is Harm Reduction a Desirable National Drug Control Policy Goal?

Drug laws are a big part of society and are constantly evolving within the government. There is a constant debate about whether drug laws should be more restrictive or less restrictive. More restrictive drug laws can create more dangerous roles in society because of the government standards. While less restrictive drug laws can also create danger within society due to government standards and show how restrictive laws do not work. Drug laws should remain less restrictive because the courts would reduce the amount of people in prisons, take profits away from drug cartels, and restrict research.

“The mentality and behavior of drug addicts and alcoholics is wholly irrational until you understand that they are completely powerless over their addiction and unless they have structured help, they have no hope.” This quote from Russel Brand shows how serious of an issue drug use and addiction is, and why there is a need for more discussion on this topic to decrease the use of drugs in our country. Drug use and addiction is a large problem in our country and although many people believe there is no help, there are ways we can help put an end to drug use.

For example, Benedikt Fischer talks about the benefits of the adoption of harm reduction in Germany, in his article “Drugs, Communities, and Harm Reduction in Germany: The New Relevance of Public Health Principles in Local Responses.” Similar to America, Germany dealt with drug issues by applying the idea of abstinence. However, in the early 1980s, they have “modified their approach to drug controls from a strategy of repression and stigmatization of drug users to a policy of what is currently discussed under the umbrella of harm reduction” (Fischer 1995: 393). After employing the harm reduction approach, registered drug users, deaths related to drugs, and drug-related crime has declined significantly. Although drug abuse and drug-related issues exist, one of the main goals of harm reduction was accomplished; reducing the harm and risk of drugs. Fischer concluded that “one is especially startled by how these relatively dramatic changes and results could be accomplished in a political-ideological environment of a nation and culture characterized by a strong sense of prohibition and repression” (Fischer 1995: 406). Therefore, due to the similar past policies on drugs, America will experience beneficial changes if it

Mark A.R. Kleiman, Jonathan P. Caulkins, Angela Hawken. Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press, 2011.

Spearheaded by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, the movement known as the “War on Drugs” sought to control the sale and use of psychoactive drugs as well as promote access to treatment for those who abuse and misuse these substances (Bagley, 1988; Elkins, 1990). Policies implemented prohibited the possession and distribution of narcotics (e.g. marijuana, cocaine, heroin); the punitive policies, which often resulted in hefty fines and prison sentences for violators, ultimately prompted the emergence of a black market, more potent and lethal drugs, synthetic drugs as well as led to the increase in organized crime and prison population (Bagley, 1988; Broden, 2013; Cussen & Block, 2000; Elkins, 1990; Friedman, 1991; Henderson, 1990; MacCoun, 1993; Powell, 2013). Despite the initial intention, there was rarely sufficient funding allocated towards achieving the latter goals—of promoting and advocating treatment for drug addicts (Bagley, 1988).

If the United States is serious about winning the war on drugs, it will have to face some hard facts about the failure of its drug policy to date. Since Reagan introduced the war on drugs in the early 1980s, the focus of anti-drug legislation has been on incarceration and eradication, not on drug education and treatment. Drug use is viewed as a crimethe same way that burglary and murder are viewed as crimeswithout examining the social and economic causes behind drug use. This categorization of drug use as criminal misrepresents the nature of addiction. Drug addicts do not abuse drugs because they are deviant or even because they consciously desire to cause harm to themselves or to those around them, they abuse drugs because they are

As opposed to being a strict set of policies, harm reduction has been described as an ““more of an attitude” (Marlatt, Larimar, and Witkiewitz, 2012, p. 8) that is founded on strong humanitarian values. It offers an intervention paradigm which refrains from making moralistic judgements about the nature of substance use behaviors, and instead focuses upon reducing the negative impact less functional patterns of behavior have on the affected individuals, their communities, and society at

There always seems to be debate on whether the decriminalization of drugs would be of great public interest. It is a very important and controversial issue that has many people wondering if legalizing drugs would be a right move or not. In the article, “Decriminalization Would Increase The Use and The Economic and Social Costs of Drugs” by David Mineta, Mineta argues about why drugs should not be decriminalized and how keeping illicit drugs illegal outweigh the possible negative consequences of legalizing these substances. Mineta himself writes that, “Our position is simple and evidence-based: both decriminalization and legalization of illicit drugs would increase their use, along with their associated health and social costs” (Americas Quarterly). According to Mineta the decriminalization of drugs will only allow more people to become addicted causing more health and social costs because seen as they will be more widely used. (Americas Quarterly)

For years, the issue of legalization has been an increasingly controversial subject. Millions of dollars are spent annually in the War on Drugs causing many to wonder if this fight is cost-effective or if an alternative such as legalization would be more realistic than current efforts in drug prevention. Opponents state that with legalization would come an increase not only in availability, but also with everything associated with that availability. This includes suffering of users and their loved ones, death of users and innocent alike, increases in health-care costs, cost to employers, drug-related crimes, and increases in various other social, economic, and emotional

The debate over the legalization of drugs continues to disturb the American public. Such an issue stirs up moral and religious beliefs, beliefs that are contrary to what Americans should believe. I ask all of you to please keep an open mind and hear me out on this very controversial subject. All of us have in some way or another been affected by drug, whether it is a family member or the economic burden on society. Americans often take at face value the assumptions that drugs cause addiction, which leads to crime. This is true but abundant evidence exists to support the view that legalizing illicit drugs can help solve the drug problem in America.

It goes without saying that America faces a drug addiction that is beyond anything we could have ever anticipated. It is reported that an estimated 22.5 million Americans suffer from a dependency from a drug of some sort, whether it may be stimulants, depressants or hallucinogens (NIDA 2). However these victims of addiction are often demonized for their condition and are treated as criminals by the infallible U.S. Government. As a result there is a trend of 1 in every 100 adults will end up incarcerated for a drug related offense such as possession (Drug Policy Alliance 1). So instead of treating addiction itself, many politicians decide that

Drugs and alcohol have been at the forefront of abolishment since the early 1900’s. It was very hard for many people to understand why the use of these contents were so criminalized when many people engage in using it every day. (DrugAbuse, 2016) This assignment will establish the current drug problems in America, explain possible solutions to the problem, it will also explain what type of approach needs to be taken and why. It will discuss the changes in the criminal justice system from then to now, and the view of drug crime in public health policies since some 17 years ago.

From “Just Say No to Drugs” programs in elementary schools to minimum sentences for drug crimes, America has tried to contain its usage of illicit substances. The goal of anti-drug programs and policies are to deter people from using and abusing drugs. On the other side of the country’s schizophrenic relationship with illicit mood-altering substances, drugs can be found in most communities in America, from sketchy side alleys to upper class neighborhoods. When drug policies are pondered, several main questions arise. (1) Are drug laws helpful, do they accomplish the goals they aim to? (2) How do we as a society treat those who abuse drugs; are addicts criminals? (3) What are the costs/benefits, social, financial and otherwise, of our current

With certain drugs legalized (like marijuana), we could take some of the country’s most dangerous criminals out of business overnight. The legalized drugs could be regulated and taxed by the federal government, and instead of pouring billions into fighting drugs, we could stimulate the economy by opening up a whole new market. Much like Colorado has done so effectively. It is the time the United States moves away from its punitive approach to the drug epidemic. In order to attack the problem at the root, policies should focus on prevention and recovery, rather than punishment. The decriminalization of more harmful drugs (such as heroin) does not mean legalization but rather just a more delicate approach. The government's devotion to increasing resources for detecting, arresting and incarcerating people involved in illicit drug markets has failed and put thousands of sick people away. We need to educate the populous with the truth on addiction to give them a new non-criminal perspective of addicts. You wouldn’t throw an alcoholic in a cell to withdraw on his own. We need to adopt a more

First drug prohibition has cause harm to the entire country because of the escalating crime rate. Drug addicts will rob, kill and even prostitute themselves to obtain the illegal drugs they are addicted to. “Prohibition drives markets underground, thereby generation violence and corruption. Participants in black markets cannot resolve their disputes with courts and lawyers, so they resort to violence instead.”(Miron). If drug legalization takes places it this country will be a safer place.