The International War On Drugs

Today the number are in the war on drug is a huge failure with devastated unintended consequences, it lead to mass incarceration in the us, to corruption, to political destabilization, and violence in latin america, asia, and africa. To systemic human right abuse across the world.”-Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

The American “War on Drugs” war created to keep an exorbitant amount of people behind bars, and in a subservient status. First, America has a storied history when it comes to marijuana use. However, within the last 50 years legislation pertaining to drug use and punishment has increased significantly. In the modern era, especially hard times have hit minority communities thanks to these drug laws. While being unfairly targeted by drug laws and law enforcement, minorities in America are having a difficult time trying to be productive members of society.

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.

Today the number are in the war on drug is a huge failure with devastated unintended consequences, it lead to mass incarceration in the us, to corruption, to political destabilization, and violence in latin america, asia, and africa. To systemic human right abuse across the world.”-Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

“Drug policy regarding the control of the traditional illicit substances (opiates, cocaine, cannabis) is currently moving through upbeat times in almost all Western countries. Prohibition on the basis of repressive law enforcement not only seems to fail on a large scale, but also to create vast additional costs, problems, and harm for drug consumers, who often find themselves in extreme social, economic, and health conditions” (Fischer 1995: 389).

As many African-Americans were rejoicing their long and strenuous journey, a new plan was afoot for them: the war on drugs. The war on drugs is unequivocally the biggest and most durable war this country has ever fought against its own citizens. Like any other wars the United-States has engaged in, the war on drugs is remarkably different; it was fought internally, and intended to target a specific group, people of color. Their communities, houses and churches were flooded with law enforcements, constantly checking for illegal possession of drugs. They were branded criminals and were continuously being thrown in jails or prisons, with harsh and lengthy sentences imposed on them. And once they were released, many are saddled with huge debts

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.

On June 17th, 1971, President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse to be “America’s Public Enemy #1” in a press conference in which he called for an “all out offensive” against this enemy, an initiative that would later be known as America’s War on Drugs. By giving this speech, thus starting “The War on Drugs,” President Nixon created what would eventually become one of the most catastrophic failures in United States political history. Analysis of the historical events surrounding Nixon’s declaration reveal ulterior motives behind the initiative, providing context to the reasons for its failure, which were based short term in its moral failure, and long term in its failure of efficiency and results. The War on Drugs has lasted for generations and continues to be responsible for policies that criminalize non-violent drug offenders at the expense of taxpayers, contributing to a devastating mass incarceration dilemma in the United States that perpetuates a disproportionate marginalization of low-class, particularly African American citizens.

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

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:

America has had a war on drugs for over a century, and the battle continues on today. For years now drugs have destroyed lives, homes, and caused violent crimes in the communities. The number of deaths due to over dose from heroin has increased since the year 2010. Bloomberg business article written by John Tozzi states that “More than 8,200 Americans—an average of 23 people each day—died of heroin overdoses in 2013. That's according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and it's the latest evidence that the nation's heroin problem is becoming more severe. The rate of overdose deaths in 2013, the CDC report states, is almost triple what it was in 2010.” That is a lot of numbers, yet even though the drug trade can be profitable

Society’s view of drugs has vastly changed based on the sociological imagination of the times. Sociological imagination basically means that we are able to view ourselves as a part of one large group rather than individuals. Human’s behavior and attitude have evolved based on the social forces that have adjusted around them. This changing of ideas has been clearly apparent in the Americas and is a prime example of the prohibition of alcohol from 1920 to 1933. The illegality of alcohol provided the Mafia with an opportunity to produce liquor and therefore it had considerable control over those who wanted their alcohol and service. The part that the Mafia played in the 1920's has been developed into the drug dealers and drug cartel of this

The United States has been fighting with drugs for decades, in 1973 President Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to “declare” the war on drugs, announcing the world that the United States is planning to fight drug addiction. Since then, the U.S. government has spent 51 billion dollars annually fighting the war on drugs but with negligent results. For a war without a clear enemy, it seems impossible to win. In the TV series The Wire, the city Western Baltimore are also facing drug abuse, and the Police Department is fighting the war on drugs by arresting street level drug dealers. Without any reliable plans and with the pressure from his supervisor, Major Colvin, a man tried hard to make his community better, created Hamsterdam,

Drug trafficking and drug abuse has long been a frustrating feature of United States and other country around the world. The United Nations Office of Drug Control and Crime Prevention points out that the fight against drug

According to Michelle Alexander, why and how has the “war on drugs” developed over the last 40 years? What are the main political and economic factors that led to the war on drugs, and what are the main political and economic factors that shaped it as it developed over the last four decades? Draw on material from the Foner textbook chapters 25 through 28 to supplement Alexander’s discussion of the political and economic context.