The United States is not immune to the worldwide drug addiction epidemic. Drugs pour in from Mexico daily, then distributed to throughout the country. The economic crisis in America is creating an excuse for drug use (e.g., depression, hopelessness). This chemical fix not only creates problems for the addict, but the family and community as well. Every addict has an enabler, a person who makes the addiction possible through various venues of support (e.g., financial, denial). Addicts are only concerned with their next fix and will resort to any means to obtain it (e.g., theft, prostitution, pan-handling). Some have even resorted to extremely desperate measures; for example, murder for inheritance or life insurance proceeds.
Through my research I have found our involvement in the drug world follows the same theme that seems to recur with our government and their policies. We talk a good game that formulates a structure and a well-worded policy that appears to be in the best interest of American citizens and foreigners alike. However we also aid these countries. The problem doesn’t lie within our policies or the simple compassion from our government that drugs hurt our society. The problems occur with those that implement and enforce these policies. Cocaine and its market cannot be eradicated. The efforts of many of our political leaders have been futile because of the supply and demand of the product. In 1989, President Bush had a plan that he called, “The cheapest and safest way to eradicate narcotics” (Menzel pg.43). The result was the following,
The United States Drug Policy evolved after the 1900s when laws dictating drug abuse became prevalent. The targeted audience for the War on Drugs was aimed at helping the upper-class citizens and not the lower-class citizens which ultimately caused the government to become hypocrites. The United States War on Drug Policy was supposed to help America as a whole and not select classes. The supply of drugs entering into the United States did not seem to be affected after numerous different strategies were instilled by different presidents and government officials. Without a successful strategy to end the spread of drug usage we as a country have lost the War on Drugs. An unintended consequence from the United States drug policies to thwart drug
whom the user comes in contact. There are over 40 million illegal drug users in the world today and America is the biggest market for drugs1 . There are more drug dealers in this country, than there are dentists. Illegal drug abuse must be stopped; it hurts our
The war on drugs has clearly failed, hard drugs are now more potent and easier to buy than ever before. The truth, is crimes rates do not explain the sudden and dramatic mass incarnation in the past 30 years. Drugs offenders alone account for about two-third of the increase in the federal inmate population and more than half of the increase in the state prison population. Michelle notes:
The United States prohibits the use of narcotics such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. The government of the United States continues to be at war preventing these drugs from being smuggled across borders, but one major supplier that causes a difficulty in that operation is known as “El Chapo”. Most underground drugs today come from a cartel in Mexico because the drugs are inexpensive (Schuppe). Throughout his life, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera has smuggled over “one million pounds of narcotics” into the United States, and backboned the United States drug market (Ware). Joaquin Guzman had a hard beginning in life, starting with his struggling childhood, which influenced him to get involved in the drug trade and led to his control over the Sinaloa Cartel, then he proved that he was the ultimate drug lord by his escapes.
Many people in the United States keep stating that the issue is only a Mexican problem. Mexico’s government has stated that there primary goal is get rid of the drug cartels in their country and that it is the United States hope to prevent the drug cartels from coming into their country. Drug trafficking can also be explained as the “war on drug” which was coined by Richard Nixon (Calderon, 1). This coin is an important matter to know because it explains how people actually feel about these things. However, there are many other countries that do smuggle in drugs into America; but due to the fact Mexico and America share a border the problem is much bigger. Especially
In some areas of California, heroin overdose deaths have leveled off, but citizens are still losing their lives to the drug. In Los Angeles County alone, there were 225 heroin deaths in 2010. In 2012, this number dropped to 29, before rising to 46 in 2013. Six: Abuse of Prescription Painkillers
As U.S. Drug Policy has become more politicized, the number of laws for using, and possessing illegal substances has increased, and the number of those using illicit drugs has risen. Though drug policies were created with the intent of protecting the public, a gap has developed between different groups - the “drug warriors” and the “legalizers”. These polarizing groups advocate opposing, often politically-driven views that result in overly punitive drug penalties that are expensive, racially disparate, and totally ineffective. Consequently, movements inspiring a drug counter culture against this oppression has emerged in America and illicit drug use has increased. By the second half of the 20th century the major importation of illegal narcotics and the drug war were just getting started.
America has been at war for a lot years dealing with drugs in the United States. Law enforcement has been fighting to decrease this drug abuse for almost centuries. Presidents have personally have been trying to find different methods on how to stop this drug war. Unfortunately law enforcement has not been able to win this battle. You could see how they are losing because there been so many cases that involve drug abusers that had to go to get treatment or some even go to prison. This is causing so many problems especially with the drug trade business which sometimes involves violent crimes in different neighborhoods which is only benefiting the organized crime members and the drug dealers. The United States has put so much effort on stopping this Drug epidemic by spending billions of dollars to stop this war. In order to see how has law enforcement and the United States been trying to stop this war we have to go back to the history when drugs were introduced to the United States. According to Elaine Casey
Whichever stance you may have on the matter, it is pretty evident that drug use is increasingly prevalent and an ongoing issue in the United States. “Drug use is on the rise in this country and 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs. That’s approximately one in every 10 Americans over the age of 12 – roughly equal to the entire population of Texas” said Dr. Kima Joy Taylor, director of the CATG Initiative (Drugfree.org). Because of facts like these, the War on Drugs was created with the proposed mission to deplete the number of drugs being consumed and sold in the United States. After over forty years since Nixon declared it, the War on Drugs has continuingly failed its promises and created additional social problems for
Illegal immigrants accounted for nearly 75% of federal drug sentences in the US in 2014. Many people do come in to the US seeking a better life but often with work visas. Some sources say that overstayed work visas are more common than illegal border entries. However, those who do cross illegally bring drugs along with them. Rob Portman of the Department of Homeland security stated, “We understand that this heroin is primarily
Drugs around government The problem here in México is that drug dealers are taking our country and the government is working with them below the water. Why is this affecting our country? Why the government is not doing nothing about it? First of all we have to see why and how these two themes are related. Drugs have been affecting our country since the very beginning but in this last five years it has been worse, since the drugs have been consumed in an excessive way and without moderation, this is bringing violence and with this, insecurity to our country. According to the web page Multimedios, In 2010 violence levels increased a lot. Violence increase its levels in this few months (2010,January5)
The Effects of Drugs in the US Drug abuse is one of the most discouraged behaviors in our country. In the United States of America, we, the people value several things, some of which are freedom, expanding and taking care of our families and our financial security. We, the people, take such things for granted. We also discourage some behavior, such as crime, laziness and use of illegal drugs.
Drug smuggling is the main criminal activity of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border (Horowitz). In 2016 99.8% of the seized marijuana and 76% of the seized heroin was smuggled through the Mexican border (Horowitz). Hector Garza, President of the National Border Patrol Council in Texas states that “violent