The Negative Effects of the War on Drugs
Short Thought Essay on Drugs
Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug used by teenagers. Adults, teens, and even children abuse drugs. The war on drugs does not do much to solve the problems of people abusing drugs. The war on drugs has been inefficient to the world.
History has proven that the war on drugs has been a defeat. In the last four decades, the government has spent over 2.5 trillion dollars to fight the war on drugs. In those years, the number of drug abusers has risen to 19.9 million Americans (Suddath, 2009). In 1983, the Los Angeles Police Department created a school lecture program called Drug Abuse Resistance Education, D.A.R.E, to teach children to avoid the uses of illegal drugs. Studies later showed that D.A.R.E does not have an effect on preventing children from becoming abusers of drugs. In 2002, the Bush administration had a goal to reduce all illegal drug use by 25%. The results showed that only marijuana abuse declined 6% while other drugs increased (Suddath, 2009). The declination of one drug leads to a rise in another, which officials tend to play a “never ending game of narcotic whack-a-mole” (Suddath, 2009). Although many efforts have been trialed, the war on drugs is still ongoing and never-ending.
In recent news, killings of Mexican journalists and news photographers have been caused by reports of drug cartels. According to the Los Angeles Times, about 30 reporters have gone missing or have been murdered since President Felipe Calderon unveiled a war against drugs and drug cartels in December 2006 (Wilkinson, 2010). Some newspapers have been forced to write what the drug cartels allow them to print or stop publishing the whole truth (Beaubien, 2010). Other newspapers only print from official police reports. News reporters “don’t like the silence. But it’s survival” (Wilkinson, 2010). If news reporters are being murdered or kidnapped by drug cartels, then the community is more afraid to inform authorities of drug
Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug used by teenagers. Adults, teens, and even children abuse drugs. The war on drugs does not do much to solve the problems of people abusing drugs. The war on drugs has been inefficient to the world.
History has proven that the war on drugs has been a defeat. In the last four decades, the government has spent over 2.5 trillion dollars to fight the war on drugs. In those years, the number of drug abusers has risen to 19.9 million Americans (Suddath, 2009). In 1983, the Los Angeles Police Department created a school lecture program called Drug Abuse Resistance Education, D.A.R.E, to teach children to avoid the uses of illegal drugs. Studies later showed that D.A.R.E does not have an effect on preventing children from becoming abusers of drugs. In 2002, the Bush administration had a goal to reduce all illegal drug use by 25%. The results showed that only marijuana abuse declined 6% while other drugs increased (Suddath, 2009). The declination of one drug leads to a rise in another, which officials tend to play a “never ending game of narcotic whack-a-mole” (Suddath, 2009). Although many efforts have been trialed, the war on drugs is still ongoing and never-ending.
In recent news, killings of Mexican journalists and news photographers have been caused by reports of drug cartels. According to the Los Angeles Times, about 30 reporters have gone missing or have been murdered since President Felipe Calderon unveiled a war against drugs and drug cartels in December 2006 (Wilkinson, 2010). Some newspapers have been forced to write what the drug cartels allow them to print or stop publishing the whole truth (Beaubien, 2010). Other newspapers only print from official police reports. News reporters “don’t like the silence. But it’s survival” (Wilkinson, 2010). If news reporters are being murdered or kidnapped by drug cartels, then the community is more afraid to inform authorities of drug