It has been one hundred years since the U.S. joined the war on drugs and drug use has only been increasing. Increasing at an alarming rate. According to the National Institute of Drug Use “[i]n 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans… had used an illicit drug in the past month.” (Nationwide, 2015). Drug use and addiction affect many americans. The approach that America has been taking to fight drug use involves criminalizing addicts and outcasting them from society. In order to reduce drug use and the number of addicts in the U.S, the government must completely change its idea of what addiction is and its policy on dealing with it.
The article states that the War on Drugs can claim few victories because drugs are still easy to obtain throughout the United States. Merrill Singer, a professor at the University of Connecticut, brings about many points about the War on Drugs such as the victories of the War on Drugs, the secondary gains, the history, and what has happened on all levels in society. Drugs have been a huge part of American history, as far back can be traced, drugs are present. Drugs are available to everyone and every day the amount of illicit drug consumers increases. The policies and strategies that have been put in place to fight the war, have been proven ineffective (Singer, 1999).
Since the reign of Nixon in the presidential office the drug war practices have led to the conviction of millions of Americans – excessively poor people and people of color – while this drug war is continually failing in the reduction of drug use and drug related disease and overdose. The major problem with the war on drugs is the way authorities – like government officials – are handling the situations brought upon through the drug war. A solution to the war on drugs would be to create safer way to help drug users across America.
Drugs are more than just a problem, they destroy anything and everything to the person that is using them. It tears apart the person’s family and makes the family choose, if they want to save their kid or if they know he or she will not change so they give up on them. Family is not the only problem that drugs cause, there are so many more problems that affect more and more people. Drugs cause people to do desperate things and that means they will commit crimes like stealing and other serious ones too just to get there fix for the day. Drugs are everywhere and need stopped, they are not just a nationwide issue, they are present from the big cities all the way to the small towns. There needs to be a better and more resourceful option for drug
Despite an estimated $1 trillion spent by the United States on the “War on Drugs”, statistics from the US Department of Justice (2010) has confirmed that the usage of drugs has not changed over the past 10 years. Approximately $350 billion is spent per year on the “war on drugs”, only $7 billion is spent on prevention programs by the federal government. The war on drugs is more heavily focused on how to fight crime, instead of how to prevent it. Crime prevention methods may not be immediate, but it is the most efficient and effective long-term. Not only is the war on drugs costly, it is also ineffective at reducing or eliminating trade and usage. The “War on Drugs” campaign has been unsuccessful in preventing the illegal drug trade. As a result, the campaign has managed to marginalize and impoverish the participating societies, causing social and economic harm. By pointing out the failures of this campaign this paper will explain how alternatives can lead to a more successful outcome.
One of the biggest problems in the United States today is the widespread use of narcotics. Currently, the United States has a very stern policy regarding the use, distribution, and trafficking of drugs. However, it is clear that the current U.S. policy is failing, and the supply of illegal drugs as well as the demand is increasing. The U.S. government has focused for years on dealing with the demand aspect of this issue. Through government programs directed towards education and national awareness of the harm that drugs cause, the government has been attempting to severely reduce the demand for narcotics. In all actuality, the demand may be higher now than ever before. To prevent the supply of illegal drugs from increasing, the government has relied on strict boarder patrols along Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard, the cooperation of foreign governments, and several U.S. agencies designed to locate and aid in eliminating drugs. This policy on decreasing the supply is also failing. It is probably easier now for drug traffickers than ever before. It is clear that the current U.S. policy on drugs is failing and that a new policy is needed. In order to win the war on drugs, the U.S. needs to decrease the supply, because the demand will always be high as long as there is a supply to back it up.
Office of National Drug Control and the Present Threat
Over the last decade, Southwest border violence has elevated into a national security concern. Much of the violence appears to stem from the competing growth and distribution networks that many powerful Mexican drug cartels exercise today. The unfortunate byproduct of this criminality reaches many citizens of the Mexican border communities in the form of indiscriminate street gang shootings, stabbings, and hangings which equated to approximately 6,500 deaths in 2009 alone (AllGov, 2012). That same danger which now extends across the border regions of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California has the potential for alarming escalation. Yet, despite the violence, evermore-brazen behavior continues to grow, as does America’s appetite for drugs.
Drug abuse is a rampant problem in the United States because drugs can be abused in a variety of different ways by people. The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced. An overdose may result in a toxic state or death. People everyday are dying from consuming drugs that are harmful to their body. The drug epidemic is more important than people presume, many deaths can be prevented if more people spoke up about the topic and tried to help. America should deal with the drug epidemic that is taking over the country in several ways, one for example would be to increase the availability, affordability and access to drug treatment programs. Humans have the ability to help and prevent unneeded deaths, if citizens are able to stick together through the arduous
There is an ever-raging "War on Drugs" in our nation and communities. Per a 2010 National Survey released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs. That’s approximately one in every 10 Americans over the age of 12. But only 11 percent of those with an addiction receive treatment” (Defining the Addiction Treatment Gap 2-6). The issue of how to solve the addiction problem and the “War on Drugs” is a long-standing and highly debated issue. Drug addiction has become criminalized rather than a disease. This should be changed. Society should be assisting those who are addicted by helping organize and fund rehabilitation programs to help them become sober. I believe that our drug culture needs to change the way our society fights this “War on Drugs.” Our society
Drugs is a problem no matter where one goes in America. We see them in schools, colleges, homes, streets, everywhere. The actions taken against drug abusers are not cruel ones. We usually give them a second chance. This second chance is fine, but when the second time comes action must take place. To effectively get rid of this problem, parents need to effectively punish if they catch there kids. If the authorities catch the children, then parents need to come and take the punishment out after they get home. We need to stop these crimes and the only way to let someone know the extent of punishment they deserve is to punish one the first offense.