The Influence Of The War On Drugs In The United States

In the past forty years, the United States has spent over $2.5 trillion dollars funding enforcement and prevention in the fight against drug use in America (Suddath). Despite the efforts made towards cracking down on drug smugglers, growers, and suppliers, statistics show that addiction rates have remained unchanged and the number of people using illegal drugs is increasing daily (Sledge). Regardless of attempts to stem the supply of drugs, the measure and quality of drugs goes up while the price goes down (Koebler). Now with the world’s highest incarceration rates and greatest illegal drug consumption (Sledge), the United States proves that the “war on drugs” is a war that is not being won.

The war on drugs is a movement that had started in the 1970s and is still evolving from today. Over the years, people have had mixed reactions to the campaign, ranging from full-on support to claims that it has racist and political objectives. People who are affected by drugs are the people you use them and have gotten addicted to the substances that they started using for medical or recreational purposes. The war on drugs has many challenges attached to it but there are five possible solutions that can hopefully end the war on drugs.

Beginning in the nineteenth century, spanning to the present day, US history has witnessed a plethora of changes both socially as well as racially. These racial and social changes were the results of moral panics centered around marijuana as well as eugenics.

increased both the number and longevity of laws, that required longer sentences and mandatory minimum sentences.

The war on drugs in the United States is becoming a major problem for everyone involved. As more people are arrested for drug crimes, the more police are spending resources in order to arrest them. It's shown that non violent drugs offense have risen over the years, but violent and property offenses have gone down. While this doesn't suggest that police are solely focus on just arresting non violent drug offenders, one has to wonder why there are so many of them in jail. The government believes that locking up these offenders will reduce drug related crimes and lower demand for drugs, but I don't see that happening. During the late 20's and early 30's, the U.S had a prohibition on alcohol and it caused an uproar with the public. The prohibition

The drug war in the U.S. has been waged on civil fronts for over four decades and has not only proven to be not only futile but at times even more damaging to society than the drugs themselves. The once virtuous intent of this ‘war’ has been corrupted by police unions and dirty politicians who have turned it into a carefully crafted system of capitalistic enterprise, designed push their political agenda by perpetuating the myth that drugs are the primary threat to our nation. Zero tolerance laws and strict prohibition have failed to achieve their goal of eliminating the supply and demand for drugs. In contrast, legalization in the Netherlands and Europe has already been in place for several years now, and with great success. Portugal has lived with 14 years of full legalization after their government admitted to both the futility, and counter-productive failure of their drug war. Income that was used to imprison part of the population is now being used to educate, counsel, and rehabilitate those who are caught in possession of substances. The U.S. government must also come to realize that their efforts to fight this invisible war have in reducing drug use, while at the same time, escalating violence, intensifying racism, and creating broken homes and families. The best way to demolish this corrupt system is through the legalization of all class B drugs along with the use, but not the production, or trafficking of all Class A drugs.

According to Johnson (1999) one of the reasons that there is such a profound war on drugs is the U.S. antidrug policy. Ever since this policy has been in effect it has contributed to the growth of the problem. The trafficking of drugs into the United States of America has corrupted officials everywhere. It had an effect on the economy and democracies creating violence and terrorism. It has had the ability to control major parts of the economy. (Bruce, 199) An example would be the Medellin cartel, led by Pablo Escobar; he killed a presidential candidate, judges, and hundreds of Colombian citizens to force then Colombian society to accept his drug business. In order for his business to run effectively he

The “War on Drugs” has been a hot topic for several decades in the United States. The argument for the success of this campaign usually varies depending on one’s political affiliation. The government handled the ongoing campaign differently with each new administration taking command, most of them having no little success. The fact of the matter is that the ideal of a “drug free civilization” is far from reality. The world is coming to terms that the various drug-fighting programs across the world are not producing the desired results. In fact, UN Office on Drugs and Crime doesn’t publicly aspire to reach a drug-free world. That wishful scenario seems very close to impossible at this moment. The office biggest claim to fame is that that the international drug markets have stabilized, which is not very optimistic.

The current policy in use by the United States concerning illegal drugs is both outdated and unfair. This so-called war on drugs is a deeply rooted campaign of prohibition and unfair sentencing that is very controversial and has been debated for many years. The war on drugs is designed so that it will never end. This current drug was has very little impact on the overall supply of prohibited drugs and its impact on demand seems non-existent. United States’ taxpayers are spending billions of dollars on this failure of policy. They are spending billions to incarcerate drug users instead offering drug treatment which could help lower demand. Legalizing illicit would lower abuse and deaths from use and could have a positive economic impact on the United States. Certain industries are making massive sums of money by capitalizing on the drug war.

What lead to the failure of the War on Drug? To answer that we need to know about the War on

In the 20th century, the United States would begin a disastrous campaign called the War on Drugs, this started the US on a spiral that would harm us all. Since the war on drugs would be created under President Richard Nixon, the federal drug budget has been raised from millions in the 1970’s to

Drugs have been present in American society since the colonial days when they would farm tobacco as a cash crop, but we have been “fighting” a drug war since 1974, or since Nixon declared war on drugs, that seems to be going on even when other issues come into light before it. Heroin is, an opium derivative, classified as one of the deadliest street drugs in America. For example, if a person were to take 10% percent pure heroin they could go into cardiac arrest and possible overdose. Moreover, It is not common knowledge that heroin shaped how America fights against drugs; the most common way being the laws that the Nixon’s presidency enforced. In fact, Nixon laid the groundwork and the other presidents ran with it causes the laws against drugs

The War on Drugs has become an epidemic today afflicting United States and the United Nations; which are swayed by global drug laws which preserve the criminal justice system. These new laws promote an ineffective policies on the war on drug. Therefore, communities are locked while the promotion of illicit drugs becomes the dominate framework to organized crimes. Today, the war on drugs continues to be an ongoing battle within our society. This paper will examine these issues focusing primarily on historical struggles controlling our society. Improvement must be lenient punishment policies based on the relevance and/or risk of these psychoactive drugs.

The War on Drugs, like the war on Terrorism, is a war that America may not be able to afford to win. For over forty years the United States has been fighting the War on Drugs and there is no end in sight. It has turned into a war that is about politics and economics rather than about drugs and criminals. The victims of this war are numerous; but perhaps they are not as numerous as those who benefit from the war itself.

America has long been fighting a war against drugs that has seen no end in sight, and the U.S.A isn’t the only country being affected by this War on Drugs. The US government needs to take a step back and re-examine it’s approach to the illegal drug trade. The small victories here and there, (a drug seizure or a captured drug-lord), that government-filtered news programs feed you, simply don’t compare to the social harm and collateral damage that comes from this War on Drugs. America’s policies on drug enforcement, have led to illegal drug cartels gaining immense wealth and power, overcrowded prison systems and violence and terrorism in Mexico/parts of the US. The cost in blood has become too high to ignore any longer. The simple fact of the matter is that it is not a winnable war and the expenses; monetary, emotionally and physically, resulting from American policies on illegal drugs, continue to be an extreme disadvantage to everybody. Maybe once our government understands this, it can direct its efforts towards what really matters; the health and security of its citizens and communities. Things need to change fast, for the current War on drugs can only continue its disturbing trends.