The Politics of Sin: War on Drugs - Essay Example

s War on Drugs Drugs are a serious threat to the society and its people both physically and mentally thereby necessitating implementation of stringent measures on the part of the government. Drugs are shown to affect people of all ages, particularly young people in their productive years leading to grave health problems. When young and productive individuals are affected, it can not only mess up individuals’ productivity but also the productivity of a society and even nation. In addition, when individuals become an addict due to continuous use, it would not only spoil individuals’ lives, but would also affect their relatives, friends, other members of the society, and so would disturb the society as a whole. So, as drugs affect citizens’ physical health, moral behavior, and so on and thereby lead to number of social problems, government have been coming up with measures to control this drug menace. In that direction, President Richard Nixon came up with the War on Drugs initiative in the early 1970s with the intention to control drug use and impede drug trade internally and from external sources. Although this measure led to reduction in drug abuse, increase in arrest of drug traders, and so on, there is a contrasting view that this initiative has not yielded the expected results. That is, despite this campaign, drugs are flowing from Mexico and importantly drug abusers and traders are being punished instead of rehabilitating them. So, the discussion is about this War on Drugs campaign, its historical background, its implementation, problems, and the ways those problems can be solved. Less than 100 years ago, narcotic and hallucinogenic drugs were not only legal, but were sold openly in the United States. They were prescribed freely and were even used as food additives. Many doctors and pharmacists earned a lucrative living by “supplying opiates to drug addicts” (Meier 22). As the dangers of these drugs became more evident, laws became increasingly more restrictive regarding the sale and usage of these substances, until they had become outlawed or strictly regulated. By the mid 1950’s in the United States, the American Bar Association and the American Medical Association became critical of the use of punishment against addicts and suggested rehabilitation and the use of drug clinics as a better and more humane alternative to punishing them (Meier). Despite these recommendations, the political and social climate of the country was bent towards punitive measures. Penalties for drug related crimes increased in severity. The United States government under President Richard Nixon started its drug use and drug trade prevention strategy through an initiative called “War on Drugs” in 1971. Media popularized this term after Nixon gave a press conference, a day after his address to the Congress, during which he stated that drug abuse is America’s number one enemy. So, the War on Drugs is commonly used to refer to the government campaign to prohibit drug use and illegal drug trade, even by using armed forces or military. This campaign includes a number of drug related laws and policies, which are followed and implemented by the government authorities to obstruct manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of what the government, define as illegal and harmful drugs. The War on Drugs that was waged in America, beginning in the 1980’s to combat the perceived threat of drugs on this country, saw a substantial increase in arrests and incarcerations for non-violent drug offenses. In the mid 1980’s, those incarcerated for drug law violations were only 9% of the population in state prisons. However, propelled by the war on drugs “and the use of the CJS [criminal justice system] for offenders with substance use problems, this figure increased to approximately a quarter” (Taxman, Perdoni and Harrison 240). The 1990’s saw the drug offender population in federal prisons raise to 25% of those incarcerated. “In 2001, 55.5% of sentenced federal prisoners were drug offenders” (Taxman et al. 240). So, this same strategy is only modified with additional laws and powerful enforcement wings reflecting the modern times. In the United States, the drug menace is controlled or solved through various steps, from strict laws and monitoring to counseling sessions for the target group of youths. The laws are strict in the sense; every non-medicinal drug which has a threat element to humans is covered under the US laws, with the dangerous ones even eliciting stricter punishments. For example, under the Federal Trafficking Penalties issued by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the War on Drugs, any person using or trafficking cocaine, heroin, other Schedule I and II two substances will be punished in a three tier system of punishment. That is, the first offense can bring in imprisonment ranging from not less than 5 yrs, and not more than 40 yrs. If death or serious injury occurs during abuse or peddling, it can be not less than 20 years or more, along with heavy fines (“Federal Trafficking Penalties”). In the case of second offense, the imprisonment will be not less than 10 yrs, and not more than life. If death or serious injury occurs, life imprisonment will be judgment. Finally, if the offense continues more than two times, they will be given life imprisonment (“Federal Trafficking Penalties”). Despite such strict punishments and effective controlling measures initiated by the government as part of the War on Drugs, drug abuse and trade is not being eliminated totally. Although, there are number of personal and social problems that impedes total elimination, flow of drugs from Mexico and more of incarceration instead of rehabilitation are causing this problem. Mexico has become a transshipment point for the export of illicit drugs, especially to United States. The free trade agreement between the United States and Mexico has helped the drug lords to deal with the trade extensively, by exploiting the cross-border commerce. This problem can be solved or at least minimized, if authorities from both the countries coordinate and crack down on the drug lords as well as the peddlers. Authorities from the United States alone cannot plug the drug trade through the porous U.S-Mexican border. It needs optimal cooperation from the Mexican authorities. If that was possible, inflow of drugs can be maximally restricted thereby constricting the role of drug traders inside the United States. However, on the flip side, as Parenti (16) has pointed out NAFTA has facilitated narco-trafficking in the country, and the drug networks for their part have taken the free trade policies and unrestricted cross-border inspections to their advantage. The results of this War on Drugs campaign cannot be considered a success because it has not stopped the menace fully. That is, the above discussed punishment options are controlling the drug problem to an extent, but can not stop it completely due to various reasons. One of the key reasons is that arrested and incarcerated drug users and traders, who come into the open after serving their sentence, are again indulging in the same illegal activities. So, the main solution for this problem is rehabilitating and reforming the arrested and jailed inmates. This solution was backed by the words of Gil Kerlikowske, the current Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), who stated that “drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated” (“Major panel”). Because of this perspective, Kerlikowske even suggested not to use the term War on Drugs, as it takes a more aggressive tone instead of viewing it has a rehabilitative process. Although, there are no major barriers to this solution, the fact is that along with the authorities, the justice system need to play a more constructive role. The courts dealing with drug abuse and peddling cases, apart from clearing the cases in a quick manner, has to provide rehabilitation options for the non-violent drug users instead of incarceration. Works Cited “Federal Trafficking Penalties.” Drug Enforcement Administration, n. d. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. “Major panel: Drug war has failed, legalize pot.” Associated Press: CBS News, 2 June 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. Meier, Kenneth J. The Politics of Sin: Drugs, Alcohol, and Public Policy. New York: M.D. Sharpe, Inc, 1994. Parenti, Christian. Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence. New York: Nation Books, 2011. Taxman, Faye S, Matthew L. Perdoni and Lana D. Harrison. “Drug Treatment Services for Adult Offenders: The State of the State.” Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 32 (2006), 239-254. Read More