The United State War On Drugs

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.

The war on drugs is ineffective and outdated. It costs America to much money, and does little to stop users.

The Drug War has been a policy and a battle to stop drug flow into the U.S, cease drug production and to completely illuminate drugs entirely but results have shown otherwise. In 1971, President Richard Nixon first declared the Drug war and classified drugs as a number one public enemy shortly after drug use hit its peak in the 1960’s. The U.S previously had anti-drug laws but the laws were light and directed mainly to minorities. The following President Jimmy Carter believed in decriminalizing Marijuana and certain portions of Marijuana were legal to possess during his term but the legalization was shortly lived. A new attempted solution was a program Nancy Reagan, President

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.

Throughout the United States, the use and abuse of legal and illegal drugs is very common. As Rosenberg states in “In Drugs We Trust: Why Do Americans Make War on Some Drugs and Build Fortunes on Others?” if something is called a drug, people will “nod their heads, understanding what you mean: You’re deeply attached to it and you can’t live without it, even though you suspect that there’s something wrong with it” (pg.2). The legality of various drugs has changed over time. The definition of a drug, is any substance that has the ability to influence one’s behavior. This could be done by altering one’s mood, feelings, and/or mental state. Although many people believe the use of illegal drugs is more common, the use of legal drugs is actually more common. Legal drugs include drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. As Rosenberg states in the 17th and 18th century, coffee was considered a big drug problem, however now caffeine and coffee is legal. For, legal drugs can cause both social and economic problems just as much as illegal drugs, such as with alcohol and drunk driving. As a result of increased drug use, the United States has created a “War on Drugs,” where it spends billions of dollars to try to “stop” the use and abuse of illegal drugs. However, this “war” is not getting at the root of the problem, for the war does not deal with the root cause of the issue. Instead, this war focuses on dealing with the surface problems, such as the distribution and possession. It does not

The United States has been actively engaged in a ‘war’ for nearly 25 years. At the heart of this struggle is the fundamental question: Is this a battle the United States can win? Many sources, such as whitehouse.gov, make the claim that drug laws are working Instead, it has created a military police force, reinforced a violent black market, discouraged safe drug usage, and done little to actually reduce drug use. In order to reduce these problems as much as possible, the United States has to drastically change its position on drug laws. The United States Federal Government should decriminalize the use of hard drugs for adults because it will reduce drug related violence, promote safe drug usage, increase tax revenue, and make

The United States has been fighting the war on drugs for over thirty-five years and the war still continues. The United States spends $50 billion per year to eradicate drugs from this county (Sharp, 1994). According to the DEA (2015), estimates we capture are less than ten percent of all illicit drugs. In the 1920’s America had the prohibition of alcohol, and this effort demonstrated that after a market is established for a product that is easily made, the government cannot stop people from getting it (Blair, 2012). The government cannot stop it because of supply and demand; if someone wants something, someone is going to find a way to make it for profit. The government can, on some level, cover the boarders to stop drugs from coming into the United States, but the production of drugs is happening in their own backyard. The United States is also saying that certain “drugs” are okay to use (Alcohol, Tobacco), and make billions of dollars off these products per year. The United States knows these two legal substances cause high amounts of death per year, yet they remain legal, because the United States is profiting off of these substances.

The war on drugs has been a well-intentioned failure. The world’s desire was to keep people away from dangerous substances and to eliminate the violent practices of the drug producers and distributors. Instead of the war on drugs achieving its objectives of eliminating violent crime and reducing a number of people were taking drugs, the war has mainly just resulted in a dramatic increase prison population with little effect on the supply side of this illegal industry. Statistics collected by the justice department suggest that the US government is not focusing on its main goal of eliminating the production of illegal drugs. According to Table 346 of the Statistical Abstract of the United States, in 2009 the US government had a total arrest rate of 416.0 people per 100,000 in the general population for drug abuse violations. The arrest rate for possessing illegal drugs was 339.1, yet the arrest rate for selling and manufacturing drugs was only 76.9. In data collected for 1990, 2000, and 2005 the same type of situation happened where the amount of people arrested for possessing drugs were significantly higher than the amount of people arrested for selling and manufacturing drugs. Governments around the world have lost billions of the taxes payer’s dollars on yearly fighting a war that has dragged on for almost five decades with no end in sight. The best alternative to finally bring an end to this war in the Americas would be to legalize drugs across the American continent.

This article is filled with interesting takes on the drug war and really has opened my eyes to how blind we the people are. The deep explanations and facts from the article “The War on Drugs Is Not Working” makes this a very useful source. The core purpose of this source is to prove to the American people that that the drug war is failing in what it was created to do. The war is suppressing our freedoms and has not eliminated the threat of drugs but has only increased drug use and made the environment we live in much more dangerous. Doug Bandow reaches the purpose of this article by explaining how the drug war is impacting America physically, hurting us emotionally and is eating away at our

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.

The War on Drugs has been an ongoing affect ever since the Civil War introduced the drug morphine to the world. In the years since people have been coming up with drugs more lethal than morphine such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and so on and so forth. The War on Drugs is dangerous and leads to many deaths throughout the years. America has set up agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other drug task force teams throughout the United States. Even though we may not be able to catch all the drug dealers the United States drug teams has put a tiny dent into this ongoing black market run by cartels and even the smaller drug dealers. In this essay, we will see the effect it has on the United States, the way

Since forty years ago, when Nixon first signed the law, the taxpayers have been forced to finance the governments spending on the drug war. In total, the drug war has costed 1 trillion US dollars. While the governments have been preoccupied lavishing on the taxpayers money, their spending has not had any results. In 1980, there were 50.000 people in jail for drug-related offenses, now there is more than 250.000. The incarceration-cost is high, the numbers varies between 30.000 and 60.000 US dollars per year per inmate. Instead of, through the prohibition on drugs, wiping out the drug usage, it has not had any positive results. The drug market, which has a value of over 300 billion US dollars (annually), is instead dominated by criminal gangs.

Since the 1960s, State and federal law enforcement have become more focused into putting an end to drug use. Each year, crimes related to drug use has increased, making the government spend tens of billions of dollars arresting, convicting, and jailing drug users. Because of this ongoing problem, the government can’t help but to wonder “will this ever end?” and “Should we stop fighting?” With these questions being raised about a problem so conflicted, The Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branch have different views and opinions regarding the Drug War’s Standpoint.

The War on Drugs is a current conflict that has been going on for many decades. It is a movement organized by the United States Government in attempts to reduce the amount of illegal drug trafficking in the country. The War on Drugs enforced strict drug policies that are intended to reduce both the production, distribution, and consumption of illegal drugs. The term was first used by President Richard Nixon, during a press conference concerning the nationwide drug abuse issue, in which Nixon announces to the Congress that drug abuse was, “public enemy number one”. Illegal drugs are certainly dangerous; addiction and death are two but many factors as a result of drugs. However, even though the War on Drugs might sounds justifiable, in truth, it is actually making the drug issue worst in the country.