Drug Prohibition Research Paper

Is Prohibition (defined as a government decree against the exchange of a good or service) actually successful in reducing recreational drug consumption and drug-related violence? This is the question that will be analyzed in this paper. Drug enforcement officials frequently cite drug-related violence as a reason that drugs must be eliminated from our society. A contrary belief is that the system of drug prohibition actually causes most of the violence. Similar to alcohol prohibition in the 1920s and the rise of organized crime, drug prohibition inspires a dangerous underground market that manifests itself with violent crime throughout the U.S. and, in fact, the world. The illegal nature of drugs has significantly increased the price and the

profit of drugs. Additionally, the competition for drug markets has intensified, generally through violence. Whether it is on street corners in U.S. cities, the border of Mexico, or the Afghan poppy fields, drug trade-related violence persists despite the billions of drug war dollars dedicated annually to law enforcement and outlawing efforts. It is proposed that ending drug prohibition is the key to diminishing drug war violence in the U.S. and restoring order to destabilized regions affected abroad.
This paper joins the discussion of the real effects on drug prohibition.

Some of the most prominent economists already involved in the issue are Jeffrey Miron and Mark Thornton. One strand of the discussion comes from Jeffrey Miron 2004. He discusses the current battle with the regulation and legalization of drugs in the United States and provides an analysis of the problems associated with prohibition. Miron offers a balanced, sophisticated and in-depth analysis of the true costs, benefits, and consequences of strictly enforcing drug prohibition. He argues that the effects of prohibition on drug use have been modest at best and have numerous highly unfavorable detrimental side effects. Specifically, prohibition is shown to directly increase violence, even when it deters drug use. Miron's analysis leads to the alarming discovery that the more resources given to the war on drugs, the higher the homicide rate. He provides a cost-benefit analysis on several alternatives to the war on drugs. His conclusion is indisputable. He proclaims that any of the numerous and widely discussed alternatives are likely to be a substantial improvement over the current policy of total

prohibition.
Another strand comes from Mark Thornton 1991.

Thornton examines the understood belief that alcohol prohibition failed. The examples he uses apply to drug prohibition and any other government attempt to control and restrict consumer habits. Thornton first discusses the history of prohibition laws, mainly focusing on American implementation of prohibitionist policies. He follows up with the theoretical bases upon which prohibition advocates rely, and thoroughly exposes them as false. After investigating the history and theory of prohibition, Thornton exposes the effects of such policies on the potency of illicit drugs. He explains how prohibition unavoidably creates incentives for producers to increase the potency of drugs and alcohol products distributed through black

markets.
This paper reinforces the ideas presented by Miron along with many others. Over the last 40 years, it appears as though this message has not gotten across to the people in charge of running this country. And thus, the ultimate goal of this paper is to educate the common man and enlighten our country’s leaders that drug prohibition, along with a strict level of enforcement, are not only failing to accomplish their goals, but causing damaging side effects. Despite what prohibitionists and laymen believe, prohibition and the war on drugs directly leads to an increase in crime and violence linked with using, protecting and growing black markets.