The war on drugs is not a war that can be fought on the beaches of Normandy or in the jungles of Vietnam. It is a war fought in the backyards of all Americans, every day. This is a war that cannot be won with the aid of nuclear weapons or the help of any other forms of artillery. The number of casualties, however, will be determined by whether or not the legalization of drugs occurs. Many will suffer the same outcome as a soldier killed in battle if drugs become legal. If marijuana and other drugs are legalized, obtaining drugs will be easier for people of all ages. With the increased use of drugs, there are bound to be more traffic accidents resulting from those who are under the influence of drugs. Also, if more people are lawfully able to use drugs, more people will buy them and the prices of them will go down making them much easier to buy. Drugs will be everywhere, even in the hands of America’s youth. Many drugs, even ones that are legal, cause health problems if they are used too often. Cigarettes and other tobacco products contain nicotine, an addictive substance that can cause illnesses such as lung cancer and other cancers to users. The legalization of narcotics that cause illnesses will mean that people who use the drugs are in danger of becoming sick and dying at an earlier age. If the narcotics fall into the hands of younger children, they will be at risk as well. Because their bodies are still developing, the narcotics will have a more devastating effect on them. The government spends a great amount of money on centers for the rehabilitation of those who are addicted to different types of drugs. If drugs are legalized, more and more people will become addicted and more rehabilitation centers will be needed for them. The more rehabilitation centers that are built, the more money our government spends which is less money that can be spent on more important things. Certain drugs are illegal for a reason. They damage the physical and psychological state of the user. If the legalization of drugs occurs, the American public may assume that the government condones the use of drugs. Those who once were addicts and those who may be curious about the drug will be able to buy them. The number of users will increase and so will the numb... ... middle of paper ... ... released, causing recidivism rates to increase as well. The only way to make sure that drug use in the neighborhoods of America does not get out of hand is for the communities to work together to do their best to prevent it. The schools and the parents should work together to teach children what is acceptable in their community and enforce the rules that are made to prohibit drug use (Glassner 223-226). Schools should also supply students with after school activities to keep them from boredom and promote a drug free life. Groups such as SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) should be offered and support groups for all students should also be provided in order to discourage drug use among teens. The legalization of drugs is an ever present threat to Americans of all ages. Legalization will cause more traffic accidents, increased drug use among teens as well as adults, and most importantly increased crime and death rates. Every American could be at risk of becoming a victim of a crime, a traffic accident, or problems resulting from a friend or family member that uses drugs. The legalization of drugs is a foe that must be fought with all the strength that Americans possess.
Drug use has been an ongoing problem in our country for decades. The use of drugs has been the topic of many political controversies throughout many years. There has been arguments that are for legalizing drugs and the benefits associated with legalization. Also, there are some who are opposed to legalizing drugs and fear that it will create more problems than solve them. Conservatives and liberals often have different opinions for controversial topics such as “the war on drugs,” but it is necessary to analyze both sides in order to gain a full understanding of their beliefs and to decide in a change in policy is in order.
So long as people continue to use illicit drugs, the drug trade and all the problems that go with it will continue. This fact has led to an enormous debate as to whether legalizing drug use will reduce the problem. Many think that, if drugs were legalized, this would take the profit out of the sales, and reduce the drug cartels’ ability to generate the revenues necessary to conduct their operations. Legalization of drugs also would enable the U.S. government to tax the sale of drugs, and to use those revenues for programs designed to help stop people from using them. That debate, however, is the subject of another civics presentation.
“The proponents of drug legalization argue that although drugs can cause health and social problems, these are not sufficient reasons for making them illegal”(Trevino & Richard, 2002, p.105). The other main question that drug users raise are that alcohol and cigarettes both cause extreme harm but they are legal! “A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that alcohol abuse and alcoholism generated about 60% of the estimated costs ($148 billion), while drug abuse and dependence accounted for the remaining 40% ($98 billion)”(Trevino & Richard, 2002, p.92). Statistics show that there are more issues with alcohol abuse than drug abuse, but drugs are considered much worse in our
The war on drugs in our culture is a continuous action that is swiftly lessening our society. This has been going on for roughly 10-15 years and has yet to slow down in any way. Drugs continue to be a problem for the obvious reason that certain people abuse them in a way that can lead to ultimate harm on such a person. These drugs do not just consist of street drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy), but prescription medications as well. Although there are some instances where drugs are being used by subjects excessively, there has been medical research to prove that some of these drugs have made a successful impact on certain disorders and diseases.
The argument over drug reform and the current prohibition has been going on for years. It seems to be an argument between a wise parent and a young teenager, but as generations change more and more of the parents seem to switch sides. While prohibitionists say the mainstream drugs like cocaine, heroin, LSD, and marijuana are harmful and immoral, legalizers argue the opposite (Rachels 223). While they are both valid and interesting arguments the drugs named above still remain illegal. Many organizations and respected citizens have come to America’s attention in their support for drug reform or complete legalization of certain drugs. These people range from normal citizens who support the recreational use of marijuana to judges and ex- law enforcement agents who say the war on drugs has been a failure. The drug issue in the United States of America has been going on for years with the counterculture of the sixties up until the more recent medicinal marijuana debates today, and it seems that it is not going to go away anytime soon.
I base my support of the decriminalization of all drugs on a principle of human rights, but the horror and frustration with which I voice this support is based on practicality. The most tangible effect of the unfortunately labeled "Drug War" in the United States is a prison population larger than Russia's and China's, and an inestimable death toll that rivals the number of American casualties from any given war, disease or catastrophe.
It is also very important for people to know about this topic because the issue is not only about drugs but also the growth of inequality between the rich and poor, black and white, upper class and lower class in this country. The war of drugs deals with issues about why they were passed through congress and if there were motives that deals connect directly to black communities. The issues where brought about in Dan Baum book entitled “Smoke and Mirrors” where John Erlichmann, the chief domestic affair advisor talk about how the Drug War fever has been escalated and manipulated from its modest beginnings at the start of the Nixon administration and clarifies the various interests which that escalation has served. He talks about the Drug War on “blacks” and “hippies” but politicians could not say that so had to say the War on “heroin” and “Marijuana”. He also said that “We knew drugs were not the health problem we were making it out to be, but there were political benefits to be gained." This shows that there is more to the war of drugs that the government is letting on.
Tooley Michael, “ Our Current Drug Legalization: Grounds for Reconsideration,” Newsletter of the Center for Values and Social Policy, vol8, no. 1, Spring 1994. Rpt.in Current Issues and Enduring Questions. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 1996. 385-89.
The war on drugs and the violence that comes with it has always brought around a hot debate about drug legalization. The amount of violence that is associated with drugs is a result from harsher drug laws and prohibition.
Many feel today we are loosing the war on drugs. People consider legalization unnecessary. They feel that it will increase the amount of drug use throughout the world. They state that in many cases, drug users who have quit quit because of trouble with the law. Legalization would eliminate the legal forces that discourage the users from using or selling drugs. They also say that by making drugs legal, the people who have never tried drugs for fear of getting caught by the law will have no reason to be afraid anymore and will become users (Potter 1998).
The “War on Drugs” is the name given to the battle of prohibition that the United States has been fighting for over forty years. And it has been America’s longest war. The “war” was officially declared by President Richard Nixon in the 1970’s due to the abuse of illegitimate drugs. Nixon claimed it as “public enemy number one” and enacted laws to fight the importation of narcotics. The United States’ War on Drugs began in response to cocaine trafficking in the late 1980’s. As the war continues to go on, winning it hardly seems feasible. As stated by NewsHour, the National Office of Drug Control Policy spends approximately nineteen billion dollars a year trying to stop the drug trade. The expenses shoot up, indirectly, through crime, hospital stays and such. However, people spend approximately three times as much money buying drugs as the government spends fighting against them. How can this war be won when the government has to spend so much money combating in opposition to it??
The war on drugs is a good idea if people do not mind losing their job or even suffering, but who do shape the world we live in today. If paying for a war in another country is the only way to get the point across then it has to be done. People do not realize how society is greatly impacted by drugs because most of society is involved with them or help make them or even sell them. Sure war is costly and there are positives and negatives, but America has come to a point where everything that involves evil or the hurting of others is based on question and most likely gotten rid of, all America needs is to set an example not only as a powerful country, but a leader for all their countries to follow.
When the topic of war is brought up, many people think of well known wars like Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm. Unbeknownst to them, there is another war that has raged on long past any of these great wars, the drug war. Taking thousands of casualties and costing billions. In the last few decades, there has been more attention given to the drug wars due to the effects on society.
Leading to an increase in drug experimentation by the youth and an increase in crack houses, where most laced drugs are produced. There is a reason why these drugs are illegal and it 's because of their harmful effects and the damage they cause the human body. Drug users, are often recognized as people who commit crimes, murder, rape, and other violence including burglary. With drug laws, it creates a fear in people of getting in trouble with the law and is a major reason to not use drugs. The legalization of drugs would not lower crimes rates as there would be more and more addicts as well as large black markets for drugs. Although these drug users commit crimes to obtain these drugs, it is obvious to see they would still be committing these crimes to obtain the drug even if it is legalized. Either way, a crime is still being committed they just have an easier way to steal the drug from someone. Which means the crime rates would start to rise, leading to the population of prisoners increasing, which also leads to the government spending more money on organizing jail facilities to hold these prisoners. One state in particular where marijuana is now legal, has started to come to the realization that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to leaglize this drug. Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of Florida and President of SAM points out that,
In the end the war on drugs is not a war to be won or lost, it’s with in the people, rather if they want to do drugs or not. The importation of illicit substances into the United States is an impossibility. There’s over 2,000 miles of border along the Mexican border and the coastal areas, thousands of miles; there is no possible way to stop the importation of drugs into this country.