America’s Drug War Essay - 3563 Words

The War on Drugs, like the war on Terrorism, is a war that America may not be able to afford to win. For over forty years the United States has been fighting the War on Drugs and there is no end in sight. It has turned into a war that is about politics and economics rather than about drugs and criminals. The victims of this war are numerous; but perhaps they are not as numerous as those who benefit from the war itself. History of U.S Drug Policy: While laws prohibiting the use of drugs, in one form or another, can be traced back to the 1870s, it was not until 1968, when Richard M. Nixon was elected President, that our current drug war was conceived. In 1970 Congress passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse and Control Act.(2) With an†¦show more content†¦Assistant to Egil Krogh was G. Gordon Liddy. Howard Hunt was a consultant on the drug problem to the president’s Domestic Council. Both of these men would gain fame a few years later as Watergate conspirators. Under these men, instead of being understood as a health and social problem, drug addiction was defined as a law and order problem. On July 1, 1973 the War on Drugs was solidified with the creation of the Drug Enforcement Administration.(15) The DEA, which was the result of merging the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs with various other law enforcement and intelligence gathering agencies, including the ODALE, was given the responsibility of enforcing the nation’s federal drug laws. It’s enormous sphere of influence is reflected in its Mission Statement which states among other things; â€Å"The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (15) The DEA was designed as an American agency with an international agenda. During the Ford and Carter administrations drug use began to rise. In 1979 illicit drug use in the United States peakedShow MoreRelatedAmericas War On Drugs1528 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica’s war on drugs has failed. After millions of dollars and untold man hours spent enforcing the prohibition of illegal drugs, there is little, if any, success to show for it. Illicit drugs are still available on most American street corners, drug usage rates have not decreased, and the scourge of drug related violence continues to spread like wildfire. Sadly, the war on drugs has also resulted in the incarceration of millions of Americans for petty possession offenses and has created a blackRead MoreEssay on Americas War on Drugs5842 Words   |  24 PagesRichard Nixon initiated the War on Drugs when American soldiers were coming home from the Vietnam War addicted to heroin. More than a decade later, President Ronald Reagan launches the South Florida Drug Task force, headed by then Vice-P resident George Bush, in response to the city of Miami’s demand for help. In 1981, Miami was the financial and import central for cocaine and marijuana, and the residents were fed up. Thanks to the task force, drug arrests went up by 27%, and drug seizures went up by 50%Read MoreWar on Drugs: Americas Fight against Drugs1278 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Americas War on Drugs: In the past 40 years, the American government has spent more than $2.5 trillion dollars on the war against drugs. The huge expenditure has been coupled by numerous the ad campaigns, clean-up on smuggling, and increase in illicit drug users and incarceration rates. Actually, the increase in illicit drug users currently stands at 19.9 million in the United States with huge supplies from Mexico. With the increase in both the expenditure and number of illegal drug users, thereRead MoreAmericas Unjust Drug War Essay1172 Words   |  5 PagesThe 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. 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The views of the dominate group have placed blame on society’s ills on the evilsRead MoreAmericas War on Drugs - The Prison Industrial Complex Essay911 Words   |  4 PagesAfter viewing the documentary: Americas War on Drugs - The Prison Industrial Complex, it is clear that the Criminal Justice System is in desperate need of reconstruction and repair with policies such as the mandatory minimum sentencing act which has proven to be unsuccessful and unjust in its efforts to deter criminals from committing illegal acts as seen with the increase of incarcerations of the American people and the devastating effect it has had on those in prison and the family members ofRead MoreThe Rockefeller Drug Laws: Americas War on Drugs: a War We Are Causing, a War We Can Solve1814 Words   |  8 Pagesthe Rockefeller Drug Laws were passed in 1973 under Governor Nelson Rockefeller, New York State has had the harshest sentencing for low-level, non-violent drug offenders of any other state in the nation. Under these laws, those convicted of drug offenses face the same penalties as those convicted of murder, and harsher penalties that those convicted of rape. (Sullum, 1) Though the laws were first enacted to curb the late-1960s-early-1970s psychedelic drug epidemic, New Yorks drug problem in factRead MoreDrugs and Alcohol in the Criminal Justice System1396 Words   |  6 PagesFrank Herton CJ411: Drugs and Alcohol in the Criminal Justice System Unit 2 Assignment May 1, 2012 Drug and alcohol abuse has been around as long as humans have been around. People have always had the desire to use substances to make them feel relaxed or stimulated. So because drugs and alcohol have always been existent, they have always been a part of our American culture through politics, media and advertising, and other American concepts. The time period of 1950-2000 was exceptionally activeRead MoreThe House I Live By Eugene Jarecki989 Words   |  4 Pagesa 1971 press conference, which the press immediately designates the â€Å"war on drugs†. The House I Live In is a superb film detailing Eugene Jarecki’s journey on an in-depth and all-encompassing view of the war on drugs, and the immense destruction left in its wake. It is necessary to gain a better understanding of how the war on drugs is significant to a 40-year class based destruction, failure of existing drug policies and drug elimination, and the ways fear plays a starring role in the genesis of