Argumentative Essay: The War On Drugs

In the essay “America’s Unjust Drug War” by Michael Huemer, Huemer discusses the facts and opinions around the subject on whether or not the recreational use of drugs should be banned by law. Huemer believes that the American government should not prohibit the use of drugs. He brings up the point on drugs and how they harm the users and the people in the user’s life; he proves that the prohibition on drugs in unjust. Huemer believes that drug prohibition is an injustice to Americans’ natural rights and questions why people can persucute those who do drugs.

The legal prohibition on most psychoactive drugs has been in place in this country for the better part of a century. This policy of prohibition, however, has never been based on reason or careful consideration, but on the paranoia of a small segment of society and the indifferent willingness of the majority to accept this vocal minority’s claims without question. Outlawing any use of a particular drug is a violation of the basic freedom of individuals to act as they please in their private lives. However, even if one does not accept this belief, an objective analysis of the United States’ history of prohibition clearly shows that attempts to enforce this policy have done far more harm than good,

Research Question: To what extent has the United States’ “War on Drugs” been successful in reducing illicit drug abuse in the country?

Spearheaded by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, the movement known as the “War on Drugs” sought to control the sale and use of psychoactive drugs as well as promote access to treatment for those who abuse and misuse these substances (Bagley, 1988; Elkins, 1990). Policies implemented prohibited the possession and distribution of narcotics (e.g. marijuana, cocaine, heroin); the punitive policies, which often resulted in hefty fines and prison sentences for violators, ultimately prompted the emergence of a black market, more potent and lethal drugs, synthetic drugs as well as led to the increase in organized crime and prison population (Bagley, 1988; Broden, 2013; Cussen & Block, 2000; Elkins, 1990; Friedman, 1991; Henderson, 1990; MacCoun, 1993; Powell, 2013). Despite the initial intention, there was rarely sufficient funding allocated towards achieving the latter goals—of promoting and advocating treatment for drug addicts (Bagley, 1988).

Each day it seems America slips further away from the true meaning of individual liberty. I’m sure you have been raised to think that you grew up in the land of the free, but I question what the true definition of freedom is. Now don’t get me wrong, I agree that other countries may not have as much freedom as we do in America but that’s not my argument. The problem is that “The land of the free” isn’t so free anymore. It seems we go against the constitution more often every year. The drug war is a great example of us loosening our grips on the constitution because of the precise fact that it takes away individual liberty. Using drugs is most certainly not anything I would advise, but if it was my choice to make for you then you wouldn’t truly

Throughout U.S governmental history, policies have been known to affect the way of life and every aspect. The topic it choose to research is about “The War on Drugs”, the impact policies have on society and if it does help the public or tend to extent social inequality. This topic is very important to me in the sense that, I look at the community I live and see how drugs have affected people lifes, broken up families and also destroyed the community itself. I wanted to know if the “war on drugs” stop our neighborhood from being flooded with drugs or it just over shadow the real problems that needs to be tackled.

The war on drugs has been a failure. The war on drugs has failed because the government spends millions of dollars on trying to stop people from using drugs but the government has not stopped them from using them. The government has spent 1 trillion since Nixon declared war on drugs and 51 billion dollars each year from incarcerating people. A total of 2.3 million people are in prison for drug related crimes. This is more than anywhere else in the planet. Drug use and overdoses are still the same. Many people say that if drugs were to be legalized, drug use would increase dramatically. This was not the case in Portugal. Portugal decided to decriminalize all drugs in 2001. Many people feared that this would collapse the country, but in fact the opposite happened. Prisons were not overrun anymore. It is safer for the government to decriminalize all drugs because this way all the drugs are not in the hands of the drug dealers, they are in the hands of the government. This is safer and better because now the government knows who is buying the drugs and how much that individual is using. The consumer also knows what he or she is consuming. This is not the case with the drug dealers where an individual does not know what he or she is getting. Many people say it is not fair for people to go to jail for nonviolent crimes such as

The first six years of my life, I would spend my father's visitations with my dad's

Drug has been a serious issue in our society and criminal justice institutes due to many problems associated, including the violence, negative health benefits, social disorganization, and other negative consequences. The police agencies have adopted a policy called “The War on Drugs”, as a response to the rising drug problems. The War on Drugs has popularized variety policies and practices that significantly increased the overall number of drug arrests, and other drug related offenses(The war on drug). In addition, The War on Drugs approach particularly targets the low-level drug offenses where many drug users have affected. Although, the basic intention behind the War on Drugs approach was to establish the fundamental goals, including to increase the safety of public by reducing drug-related crime and violence, to reduce health and social costs to the public of illegal drug use, and other public benefits(DGJS,2016). However, despite the good intention of the approach, the War on Drug tactics have consequently affected specifically to the minorities in our society. Therefore, many critics argue that law enforcement agencies routinely engage in racial profiling, arresting and charging a disproportionate number of individuals who are from visible minorities. Unfortunately, police agencies simply explain that they have not targeted the race, but they target the crime. As a result, this paper will examine the relationship between the racial profiling by police

Imagine a prison full of sick people, and what is their crime? The illness that they have. This is what is currently happening in the US because of the drug war. The US is imprisoning drug addicts instead of helping them recover. The drug war needs to reform its strategies and and laws to benefit America rather than tear it apart. The drug war has dragged on far to long on the same failing techniques. The drug war is having the same effect as prohibition in the early 20th century, and is costing us money, and the well being of our youth.

“ We realize that drug addiction is a sickness, but it is also a crime” according to Pam Bondi. As we all know drug abuse is a big problem that is not often discussed. The reason we do not discuss it because we tend to hide things that cause a mad image or problem in our society. But the issue is much bigger. The legalization of drugs would improve many things such as how the government would have control over its cost and sales, the decrease of crime rates and the way we treat the people in our community who seek help.

One Friday night, Dan decided to go out with his friends to a party. He was nice, and hardworking guy, but that night he made the decision that changed his life. He decided to inhale cocaine because all his friends were pressuring him to do it. After that day, he felt the need of inhaling more drugs. He would look around the house and inhale hairspray, nail polish remover, and anything calms him down. Months passed, he was addicted to inhaling drugs. One day, he felt nauseous and fainted. His worried family rushed him to the hospital. His blood flow was reduced, and if he was not rushed to the hospital, he would have been dead. Many people believe that drugs are for fun and will make them feel better. Nonetheless, drug addiction is pernicious because of death and family problems.

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,

For a start, Dan Baum talks about in his book, “Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and The Politics of Failure”, on how the War on Drugs is ineffective with many variables. Buam claims that the War on Drugs costs the administration more than the Commerce, Interior, and State departments joined. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, in over the past four decades, both federal and state governments have poured over $1 trillion the drug war and relied on taxpayers to foot the bill. In addition, The United States had roughly around 50,000 people behind bars for drug law violations. Currently, that number had multiplied ten times to half a million. Either way, drug war advocates

In my past 27 years on this earth I have come to see lots of friends die or end up in jail. I now live and grown up in a place that may be considered to some to be a not so bad community to live in, but yet I constantly see people die from the illegal use of a substance so powerful, that people die and remorsefully kill others over. With this constant disregard for human life, I have come to ask myself how this did this all started. Where on earth did this beloved substance come from, a substance that is valued over human life, and honestly what can I positively do to make a positive change. Because I know we don’t grow it or make them ourselves here. So where is it coming from, who is making, bringing it to the community or