The War On Drugs Is A Huge Failure

Daisy Lok & Ryan Khalloqi
Mr. John Penewit
Language Arts
May 18, 2018
The War on Drugs
Drug abuse and addiction has been a problem in humanity even since prehistoric times – over 8,000 years ago. In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared drugs as public enemy number one. What he did sparked what is now known as the War on Drugs, a chain of events that would change humanity for the worse. The War on Drugs will surely lead to the downfall of the human race unless we do something about it – and that something includes knowing what the War on Drugs is, how it’s being fought, what proves it’s being fought wrongly, how it can be fought correctly, and what we can do. First and foremost, it is crucial to understand what the War on Drugs is.
The term

Helpfully, Switzerland recently experienced a public health crisis related to heroin use where HIV infection and street crime rates increased drastically (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, “Why The War on Drugs Is a Huge Failure”). Swiss authorities tried a new approach: harm reduction. Free heroin maintenance centers, where addicts would be treated and stabilized, were opened throughout the country. The centers provided free high-quality heroin, clean needles, access to safe injection rooms, showers, beds, and medical supervision. These centers allowed addicts to deal with problems in their lives, such as finding housing, and focus on getting better, instead of spending all their time and energy in financing their addiction. As a result of this new strategy, over 70% of all heroin addicts in Switzerland receive treatment, and deaths from heroin overdoses have dropped by 50%. Drug-related crime decreased greatly. Two-thirds of the addicts got regular jobs, and the country recovered. This method explores the aspect of harm reduction, as opposed to hard-line policy – a way that is not only way cheaper, but also actually works instead of creating more problems. Drug prohibition is irrationally expensive and ignores human rights, while creating misery in pursuit of an unattainable goal. Harm reduction, on the other hand, is far more humane and effective. It also addresses the problem of the incarceration of

But what can the regular person do to help resolve the problem? One helpful way to end the War on Drugs is to spread awareness of the situation at hand. The second technique seems obvious, but it is to stay away from drugs – when the demand of drugs decreases, the supply naturally will. One way to ensure one doesn’t abuse drugs is to not cave in to peer pressure. One thing the War on Drugs has made clear is that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety; the opposite of addiction is connection. Make sure you are in a good environment and surround yourself with those who are loving and