The war on drugs is lost - Essay Example

The war on drugs is lost al affiliation I agree with Buckley that the war on drugs is lost. Buckley observes that it is not the use of illegal drugs but the abuse of such drugs that raises concern on illegal drugs. The percentage of individuals who have at one time experimented on illegal drugs is substantially greater than the number of individuals who are addicted to the drugs or whose lives have been affected by these drugs. It is notable that many individuals die in the war on drugs as opposed to those who die from the drugs themselves.

These deaths include those who die because of robberies by addicts who are desperate for money to purchase drugs and death because of turf wars between drug dealers. Prohibition of these drugs is a major source of crime because it inflates the prices and invites new criminals into the illegal trade and fosters adulteration. Moreover, prohibition ties up law enforcement officers, who would be available to pursue other serious crimes, to drug related cases. It is also noteworthy that treatment of drug addicts is more cost effective compared to incarceration and would eliminate the costs associated with charging and sentencing those found with illegal drugs (Buckley, Nadelmann, & Sweet, 1996).

Classical standards of criminalization are grounded on the utilitarian philosophy. These standards follow that individuals have the freedom of choice concerning their actions. The standards view individuals are rational beings who seek pleasure and avoid pain and in doing so weigh the consequences and the benefits of engaging in an activity. Because the costs associated with punishment outweigh the benefits of crime, it can be effective in the deterrence of crime if the punishment is proportionate to the crime.

The swiftness and certainty of punishment is, therefore, essential in the effectiveness of the form of punishment adopted. According to this view, criminalization of drugs is an effective deterrence to the use of illegal drugs because the punishment associated with drug crimes outweighs its benefits (Reid, 1976). Modern standards of criminalization, on the other hand, perceive criminal activities as a result of an individual’s rational calculation and freedom of choice. This view follows that individuals are affected by factors outside their control and employs scientific methods as well as empirical data in understanding crime.

Some of the explanations adopted by this view are biological, social and psychological explanations. Accordingly, drug abuse is the result of factors such as personality, the society the individual lives in, high population, alienation and poverty (Marsh, 2007). Legalization of illegal drugs would serve to eliminate the punishment associated with drug related crimes. With respect to the classical standard of criminalization, this would eliminate the consequences associated with illegal drugs.

As individuals are rational and seek pleasure while avoiding pain, legalization would mean that the benefits of using drugs would outweigh the consequences, therefore, making the use of drugs more desirable. This would in turn increase the use of illegal drugs in the society. In relation to the modern standards of criminalization, legalization would reduce the prices of drugs, therefore, significantly reducing the tendency for criminals to engage in the drug business due to diminished profits.

Additionally, legalization would significantly reduce drug related crimes as well as reduce costs associated with the enforcement of drug laws (Marsh, 2007). Reference list Buckley, W. F., Nadelmann, E., & Sweet R. (1996). The war on drugs is lost. National review Bristol Connecticut, 48, 34. Marsh, I (Ed.). (2007). Theories of crime. Routledge. Reid, S. T. (1976). Crime and criminology. Hinsdale, Ill,: Dryden press.