Persuasive Essay On The War On Drugs

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It is time to finally end the “War on Drugs” which has been raging in the US for more than forty years now, and has systematically stripped away American liberties while creating innumerable social casualties. Decriminalizing personal drug use will effectively end this war and giving people back their freedom to choose; legalizing and regulating certain substances like marijuana would is provide ample moneys from taxation. The United States should begin to develop new strategies, based in part on verified policies already being successfully utilized in foreign countries, to finally end this farce of a war that has wreaked havoc on our society, fostered organized crime, and turned otherwise law abiding citizens into criminals. The “War on Drugs” has …show more content…

Back in 2000 they were facing similar, if not worse drug related issues than the U.S. Their prison system was overflowing with low level drug offenders, addicts were scared to seek help for fear of facing criminal charges, and people were generally feeling fed up with the whole situation. Portugal’s elected officials determined that something desperately needed to be done about it, so they decided to turn the issue over to a group of specialist who diligently sought a solution. By 2001 Portugal had enacted a bold new law that effectively decriminalized (not legalized) all personal drug use, and instead of drug users going to prison, they are now being offered treatment programs. This is in line with what the World Health Organization has suggested in a recent report, Countries should work toward decriminalization of behaviours such as drug use/ injecting, sex work, same-sex activity and nonconforming gender identities, and toward elimination of the unjust application of civil law and regulations against people who use/inject drugs, sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender people (World Health Organization,

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