The War on Drugs - Essay Example

r on Drugs is a combined effort at the prohibition and stoppage of drugs into the United States, involving various military operations, financial expenditures, and propaganda initiatives to change the social attitude regarding the acceptability of drug consumption. Such programs include the renowned Just Say No campaign, most familiar from the 1980s, which involved teaching children the dangers of drug use (Rogers & Blackstone, 2003). Further, as part of the international initiative to halt drug trafficking in the U.S., the military implemented Operation Just Cause which involved the 1989 invasion of Panama due to alleged reports that Panamas leadership was heavily responsible for drug movements into the United States (Rogers & Blackstone).

However, outside of the activities being conducted every year by the government to prevent drug use, it is important to identify that despite these high financial expenditures, drug use and drug-related problems continue to escalate in the U.S. One sociological professional argues that the War on Drugs campaign has provided illegal drugs with heavier, however unintended, marketing and promotion, allowing society to become far too knowledgeable about drug movements thus they are more apt to consume them (Henslin, 2003).

Engraining the existence of drugs, according to the author, into the social consciousness is what is believed to be the reason as to why drug use continues to climb domestically. Of course, Henslins viewpoint on the War on Drugs only represents a singular opinion, however statistics illustrate that drug convictions related to the movement and consumption of illegal substances has risen by nearly 20% since 2001 (Rogers & Blackstone). This should raise the question in the minds of the American populace as to whether these state and federal billions are being spent appropriately, as it appears that the War on Drugs is not making any significant impact on drug trafficking and consumption.

Further, it is estimated