...Shakib Hossain Causal Argument English 191 February 2015 Why the War on Drugs Failed “For every prohibition you create, you also create an underground”. These words by famous musician Jello Biafra may sound prejudiced, but it is the truth we all live and have lived by since the prohibition era. The war on drugs has become a significant issue in today’s society, but people are not completely sure why the war on drugs has failed. In reference to Jello Biafra, the war on drugs is a type of a prohibition, but the real question is how big of an underground has this war created that it has ultimately failed. The start of the war on drugs can officially be dated as far back as 1971 when Richard Nixon declared drug abuse as “public enemy number one”, and he increased the size and presence of federal drug control agencies (Drug Policy Alliance, 2014). Later, during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the number of people incarcerated for drug abuse shot up sky high due to his zero tolerance policy, and the unpredicted rise of illicit drug use. When we say the war on drugs has failed, we usually consider that the use of illicit drugs could not be reduced and is on the rise. However, it is also because it is costing more and more lives every day in addition to all the resources used coming out of the taxpayers’ pockets. In short, the war on drugs has failed because the government enforced punishment instead of prevention, which led to creating a black market that increased crime and corruption...
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...America's War on Drugs: Policy and Problems In this paper I will evaluate America's War on Drugs. More specifically, I will outline our nation's general drug history and look critically at how Congress has influenced our current ineffective drug policy. Through this analysis I hope to show that drug prohibition policies in the United States, for the most part, have failed. Additionally, I will highlight and evaluate the influences acting on individual legislators' decisions to continue support for these ineffective policies as a more general demonstration of Congress' role in the formation of our nation's drug policy strategy. Finally, I will conclude this analysis by outlining the changes I feel necessary for future progress to be made. Primary among these changes are a general promotion of drug education and the elimination of our current system's many de-legitimating hypocrisies. However, before the specific outcomes of Congressional influence and policy impact can be evaluated it becomes important to first review the general history and current situation of drugs today. Our present drug laws were first enacted at the beginning of the century. At the time, recreational use of narcotics was not a major social issue. The first regulatory legislation was for the purpose of standardizing the manufacturing and purity of pharmaceutical products. Shortly after, the first criminal laws were enacted which addressed opium products and cocaine. Although some states had prohibited...
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...America is at war. We have been fighting drug abuse for almost a century. Four Presidents have personally waged war on drugs. Unfortunately, it is a war that we are losing. Drug abusers continue to fill our courts, hospitals, and prisons. The drug trade causes violent crime that ravages our neighborhoods. Children of drug abusers are neglected, abused, and even abandoned. The only beneficiaries of this war are organized crime members and drug dealers. The United States has been engaged in a “war” for nearly 25 years. A war in which there is a great deal of confusion as to why we are engaged in it, and if we are in the war for the right reasons. The resolution of the war is curtailed by varying opinions and subjective statistical proof. The war which has been a continuing struggle, is the “war on drugs” At the heart of this war is a fundamental question: Is this a battle the United States can win? It is likely everyone will agree drugs are harmful, they have serious medical side-effects. Drugs are addictive; can ruin a family, a job, a life. I agree that drugs have very negative side effects, but is the solution to fight a very costly and ineffective battle to eradicate drugs entirely? Is this even a possibility? I am not so sure, and this paper will show that the war on drugs has likely caused much more harm than good. Further, it will explain why not all drugs are the same, explore some options, and look at the future of the United States, and of the world ...
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...Mexico's Drug War There is a saying in Mexico that states “Mejor vivir como un rey por cinco años que vivir como laborador por cincuenta” which translates to “better to live as a king for five years than as an Ox for fifty.” This is particularly a famous saying between the poor youth because their opportunities are so limited they believe it is better to be part of the “narcos” and be a “narco king” for a short period than to live a long time as a laborer, worker, or slave. Consequently, throughout the years, drug cartels (the most famous being Sinaloa) have developed across Mexico with the intent of making money by selling drugs; this has caused many encounters with the law, corruption, and death. In addition, Fund for Peace (FFP), a research and educational institution, defines a failed state as a state or country whose politics, authority and economic system is weakened to the point that it is no longer in charge. Although this term has received criticism, it is a term given to define a state that has lost control over its territory, is unable to provide basic public services, and whose government is unlawful at time of making a decision consented by large groups. Mexico is currently under “warning” of becoming a failed state, primarily because of the strong roots that have grown within authorities and the government. It takes a stable country to help a failed state recover from its crisis; a prime example is the current relationship between Mexico and the U.S...
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...Problems of Drug Trafficking and Immigration in Mexico and United States Immigration and drug trafficking are a menace in the entire world. In dealing with issues concerning immigration and abuse of drugs, it is vital to note that these two phenomena go hand in hand. Drug trafficking refers to a worldwide unlawful trade that involves the crop growing, manufacturing, circulation and selling of substances that have issues with drug prevention regulations. On the other hand, immigration refers to the settling in a foreign nation state permanently. Drug traffickers deal with drugs such as cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and opiates. The illegal immigrants find it hard to survive in a new environment due to financial constraints. Hence, these immigrants engage in illegal activities for example abuse of drugs and substances. Similarly, they engage in entering into other countries illegal that is a crime activity too (Bankston). Due to poverty and poor governance in Mexico, it has led to the rapidly settling of individuals in the United States and Canada. This process of settling is normally illegal since it does not follow the right channels of attaining documents from the required authorities that allow a foreigner to live in their country. The illegal immigration in the Central America to the Northern continent has led to the development of a mechanism known as North American Free Trade Agreement. With it is acronym as NAFTA, enacted in 1994 by United States, Mexico, and Canada. The...
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...101 -070 The War on Drugs The “War on Drugs” is a term commonly applied to a campaign of prohibition, military aid and military intervention, with the intention of reducing and eliminating the illegal drug trade. The War on Drugs was officially declared in 1971 by President Richard Nixon and is still very prominent in our society today. The War on Drugs has been studied since its inception and copious amounts of data have been collected from it. The War on Drugs has a long history; since it has been enacted the government has utilized large sums of money funding it, made illicit drug use rise in percentage overall, and created an artificial and thriving black market. There is an ongoing debate on whether the War on Drugs is effective and organizations like the DPA (Drug Policy Alliance) are fighting to change it. However, the Obama administration is continuing the War on Drugs and has changed the name to the “National Drug Control Policy.” The first U.S law that restricted the distribution and use of certain drugs was the “Harrison Narcotics Tax Act” of 1914. This act regulated and taxed the production, importation, and distribution of opiates and Cocaine products. This Act pushed a more restrictive handling of certain drugs that would inevitably lead to the creation of more drug policies and the current drug war. On June 18th 1971, ongoing policies, laws, and counter culture built up and President Richard Nixon declared a “War on Drugs” stating that the drug problem in the...
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...What are the benefits of decriminalizing any drug? “A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole,” – said Frank Zappa, the American composer and rock musician and I absolutely agree with him. The dawn of the twenty first century has ushered in a new age of optimism and wonder. Despite the proclamations of television, all is not in well in our part of the world. Our societies have waged a war on drugs, but this war is far from being won. Being fought against our own citizens and citizens abroad, an international effort to eradicate drug production and use has undoubtedly failed leaving in its wake social unrest and political chaos. Assault, property crime, homicidal tendencies, racial and economic marginalization, murder, corruption and many other undesirable things are burning through society fanned by the drug war's cold and inhuman policies. In addition to these problems there are the initial problems that drug users incur on themselves and society; the same ones the drug war was supposed to eliminate. Prohibition is an old idea that is not practically attainable in a democratic society that values individual rights. – short generalization+quotation For one, experiments with the prohibition of alcohol failed miserably and cost many people their lives. If the justification behind the drug war is human health and wellbeing, as governments would have us believe, then refraining...
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...Legalizing All Drugs DeVry University ENGL135 Advanced Composition June 7, 2011 Legalizing All Drugs Legalizing drugs has been a controversial topic to the American public. An issue such as this conjures up moral and religious beliefs, beliefs that differ from logical reasoning. Our government’s “War on Drugs” is being fought against her citizens, an effort to eliminate both drug distribution and usage. The government’s policies to eradicate drugs have failed only leaving a trail of political chaos and social unrest. Although the policy’s intentions are pure, it is causing undesirable effects that are rampant through society from the policies of prohibition: murder, corruption, assault, racial and economic marginalization, just a few examples of the effects fueled by the cold and inhuman policies of prohibition. The idea of prohibition is an old one and it is not practical to apply in our democratic government that is based on individual rights. The prohibition of alcohol during the roaring 20’s is the perfect example that proves prohibition is a failed policy that cost many people their lives. The legalization of all illegal drugs, will minimize if not eliminate violence related to drugs, will ensure safe regulation through the standards of pharmaceutical companies, and will save money in so many ways. Violence related to both the sale and use of drugs will minimize if not diminish if they are legalized. How are drugs and violence related? Drugs and violence...
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...During economic hardship, many “sensitive” topics, such as tobacco, drugs and alcohol are always on the table for debate; since they influence and impact our personal lives, people’s beliefs and the economy. As the United States of America continues on its present path of accumulating a deficit, many political opinions and justification will be voiced to clarify the excessive funds allocated to aid various tobacco, drugs and alcohol programs/budgets. These programs includes, but not limited to: education and awareness; local support groups; rehabilitation centers to medical finance assistance for care and medication. The programs listed above can easily be justified by local, state and/or national government bodies, but how about monies that are being missed used and/or irrelevant in helping society, which I like to, refer them as “scam expenses”. Tobacco products in the United States have influence two major problems in today’s economy. First, in recent years, numerous state governments have enacted higher tax rates on cigarettes. The governments overall explanation of higher tariff of tobacco products would hopefully lead to a decrease smoking rates. However, some disagree and different publications note the increase in taxes was solely for the purpose of increasing revenue. Overall state tax revenue from tobacco sales have dwindled in recent years in states like New York, which presently has the highest state tax on cigarettes in the United States. At first glance, people...
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...Anthony Soares Professor Minnis English 1A November 9, 2013 The Decriminalization of Drugs 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 it is necessary to place these undesirables into prison in an effort to reform their ways. This trend of mass incarceration gained momentum in the early 70’s during the Nixon Administration with his “War on Drugs”, but in reality over the past 4 decades we have only seen the increase of drug addiction, overdose and any hardly any progress as a result. So where do we go from here? Well many liberals would whole-heartedly suggest that we legalize all controlled substances for recreational use, but that is a pipe dream reserved for a utopian society in a novel. Therefore I suggest a similar yet more conservative approach to this problem: the decriminalization of drugs. Instead of legalizing, which involves taxation and regulation of controlled substances;...
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...Importation of Drugs The War on Drugs has failed. If it were a business, it would have been shut down a long time ago. This is not what success looks like. The idea of eradicating drugs form the world by waging a war on those who use them is basically flawed. It does not reduce drug taking. The standard response is that we must continue on our course. Maybe if a few more people are arrested, or seize more shipments then the Government has achieved a victory. This is NOT true. It is like playing a game of Russian roulette. The government attacks one major supplier allowing for another to build up. The cycle is never ending. Where there is a demand there will always be a supply. We are not stopping drug supply because it moves. We could never get the resources to shut down the entire hemisphere. It is a simple as the law of supply and demand. No matter how many more billions of dollars are spent, or lives lost, history has proven that as long as there is a demand for drugs that there will be a supply for them. If alcoholism is supposed to be considered a public health issue then why is drug addiction considered a national security threat? The United States tends to declare war on things that it considers harmful or bad; for example the War on Cancer, The War on Drugs, War on Poverty, etc. Yes, you may be able to reduce poverty, prevent most terrorist attacks, cure many types of cancer, and even reduce crime rates but there is no clear end to any of these wars. The problem...
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...Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” - Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States. He was President from 1981 to 1989. He played a major role in ending the Cold war. He strengthened the military. To defeat the Communists he used force where as many former presidents had used appeasement. One of his speeches helped influence the destruction of the Berlin Wall. Through his domestic affairs he stimulated the economy. He enacted many tax and budget cuts. Unemployment also dropped. Both Ronald and Nancy Reagan started an anti-drug campaign. This led Ronald Reagan to pass an act with tight enforcement on drug laws that backfired. The...
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...United States Drug Policy on Mexico and Colombia Drugs are not new to this Earth. Mankind has grown and consumed drugs for millennia. Marijuana, or more appropriately Cannabis, is indigenous to Central and South Asia, and has been consumed widely since 3000 B.C.E. (ElSohly 8). In more recent times (1938), Albert Hoffman synthesized Lysergic acid diethylamide, more commonly known as LSD, while searching for treatments for psychiatric diseases (Hoffman). Initially, many drugs were used in religious/spiritual functions. In several instances, the strong fibers of the Cannabis plant were used for building, much like jute, and the narcotic aspects of the plants were not even explored (ElSohly 8). However, today, drugs are frequently used recreationally, and as a result are highly profitable commodities. It is common knowledge that across the world, the vast majority of drugs are illegal or are restricted in some way. Almost nightly, proponents for the legalization of drugs, decriminalization of certain drugs, and the continued ban on drugs debate their positions through the media. This debate is a hot button issue that is almost entirely centered upon the views and policies of the world’s largest drug consumer, the United States of America (CIA Factbook). Governments and the media very often focus on drug consumption trends and drug flow into the United States, while largely ignoring Latin American perspectives and impacts on Latin America. Though drug production and drug use are major...
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...refined drug networks. Today, Mexico is the main provider of heroin to the U.S. market, and the major overseas dealer of methamphetamine and marijuana. Officials approximate that the drug trade makes up 3 to 4 percent of Mexico's $1.2 trillion annual GDP, making as much as $30 billion, and offers employment to about half a million people. Mexico's drug cartels have fought and at times made peace with each other over the years. . The biggest drug cartels in Mexico today include the Zetas, Sinaloa Cartel, Juárez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, Beltran Leyva, and the Knights Templar. The Sinaloa, are older, more reputable organizations, while others, like the Knights Templar, have emerged more recently. (Council on Foreign Relations, 2014) http://www.cfr.org/mexico/mexicos-drug-war/p13689 The Mexican Drug War, began in December 2006, propelled by then-President Felipe Calderon, The war on drugs has been active for over eight years. The conflict between drug cartels as well as law enforced has had dire consequences on Mexico. Over 60,000 people have been murdered between 2006 and 2012, and the death toll rises every day. In early October, 43 Mexican students disappeared from Iguala, a town in Mexico. These students are yet to be found, investigators are confident that drug cartels were involved in their disappearance and freshly dug graves have been found. (Business insider, 2014) In 2008, the Sinaloa, the largest drug cartel in Mexico and the BLO broke their alliance and war between...
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...As public attitudes towards drugs begin to change, and the failure that is prohibition slowly dies, the populace is demanding a better drug policy from the state. The status quo of developed nations’ drug policies is prohibition, which has had minimal success to date. It continues to unfairly punish those who choose to use narcotics, and only harming themselves. In 2008, the United Nations estimated that globally, approximately 200 million people took illicit drugs at least once in the past year. The use of illicit drugs has proven to be nearly impossible to control, and the state would be better off allocating its drug enforcement resources to other sectors, such as drug treatment. Portugal portrays an accurate depiction of the effectiveness of a decriminalized state focusing on harm reduction. The state’s drug policy should be a total legalization of all drugs, with an emphasis on harm reduction, public health, and strict regulations. Prohibition has caused more harm than good for minorities and developing nations. For over a century, prohibition was believed to be the only effective method of controlling drug usage; this is no longer the case. Thus, the main objectives of prohibition are pointless to begin with. The current prohibition laws have created vast economic disparities for millions of minorities. The skewed enforcement of drug laws on minorities allows for discretionary arrest, making victimization is all too easy. Tougher drug laws are the reason why 29% of black...
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