Narcotic Drugs and Crime in the USA - Essay Example

"Narcotic Drugs and Crime in the USA" is a great example of a paper on the health system. 
Narcotics are a terrible scourge that severely affects society. A great deal of crime occurs relating to narcotics, either by people who are seeking money for drugs or by people who are trafficking this product. Drugs take a severe toll on peoples' health and on the stability of their jobs and families. This is all part of the reason why the United States has been fighting a war on drugs and why the law has severe penalties for those who involve themselves with drugs (Scott, 89).

    Part of the problem with drugs is that they are addictive. The problems they cause can be chronic rather than a one-off. That makes them an especially difficult problem to eradicate and is part of the reason why the police and the justice system take such a hard line against them. Addition can be severe and send the wrong incentives to people—suggesting that they commit crimes rather than lead peaceable lives. Dopamine is often released during drug use and responsible for pleasurable feelings. People become addicted to this feeling and continue to use drugs. While many normal experiences can create these feelings, drugs are an artificial way of doing so. It is important for scientists to learn more about Dopamine because it appears to play such a large role in incentivizing human behavior. We need to learn more to determine how to prevent addictive and destructive behavior. The more we know the easier it will be to help sick people get better. At the moment additions are not well understood. We need to know more about all of these things above in order to affect public policy. Right now we put too many drug users in prisons when what they need are counseling and treatment. We need to find a way to more effectively fight this terrible scourge of drug addiction.

    Part of the answer lies in the justice system. In criminal law, there are a number of different classifications for illegal drugs. These classifications are responsible for differing sentences. There are eight schedules that range from “soft” drugs to “hard” ones. Schedule II for example includes marijuana. Schedule III includes LSD. Different schedules call for different prison sentences depending on the so-called severity of the offense (Alter, 38).

    It is not enough to simply catch someone using drugs and you can put them in prison. A number of things have to happen to make the conviction stick. This is where forensic evidence comes into play and where the forensic investigator makes their star turn. In order to get a conviction, a number of things must happen. For example, an analysis of the drug must be done. A person may be arrested for carrying a bag of oregano if the drug analysis is not done properly. This can also determine the purity of the drug and help explain its origins. That may well be useful in tracking down the drug trafficker. The lab will verify is the item taken by the police is indeed a controlled substance.

    The chain of custody relating to lab testing is very important in order to truly verify the drug and avoid contamination or tampering. The following article explains the process:

A typical chain of custody documents would begin its life during the collection of the sample for testing is done. This is when the test subject’s details are written as well as those of the collector with the respective times and dates. The complete list of contents that are included with the test specimen like packaging type, seals, and other relevant information are also included for verification upon transport and turnover to the respective testing facility. The said chain of custody form is added onto as the test specimen travels from person to person that gives complete accountability of a test sample. Another important detail that is to be written on them would be the type of test that is to be performed which could be simple alcohol and tobacco testing to the more serious drug screening processes (Meditest).

The preservation of evidence is also key. Many times this will involve refrigeration in a sterile environment. The last thing a lab technician would want is the contamination of their sample.

    Drugs continue to cause problems in the lives of millions of people every day. They are on our streets and in our homes. Only by focusing on bringing drug users and traffickers to justice by using forensic science can we begin to hope we will win this war.