ipl-logo

Drug Decriminalization In America

683 Words3 Pages

Decriminalization in America Imagine a country where all drugs are legal. Most people imagine a place with addicts lining the streets, needles and baggies full of unknown substances littering the floor, and thousands of deaths due to overdosing. This is because of the stigma around drug use that has risen from the war on drugs, which has turned the use of drugs from being seen as a health issue into being treated as a crime. Instead of trying to help the people who are abusing these substances as an escape from their normal lives, the government decided to blame drugs for causing people to abuse them. But in reality drugs can’t force someone to try one, each and every addict started off as just a normal person experimenting, and sending …show more content…

I just believe the way our government has chosen to deal with the issue of drug use is likely not the best option, and now thousands of people are starting to realize this as well. Law enforcement has significantly ramped up in the last 40 years, as evidently shown by the large increase in spending towards law enforcement and the war on drugs. An estimated $1 trillion has been spent so far on attempting to rid the United States of drugs, which ultimately has been a major failure, as drug use is just as if not more widespread than it was before the war on drugs even began. Now think of all the things that money could have been put towards besides fighting drugs. If they had focused on combatting drug addiction rather than drugs themselves, then it would be much more likely that a decline in overall drug use would occur, as currently the cartels seem to have little struggle with flooding our country with drugs no matter how much we spend. Instead of attempting to stop the drugs from coming in, there could have been hundreds of centers that could’ve helped people with their issues and got them off drugs, because it is near impossible for an addict to stop on their own when they have built a physical need for that specific substance. Not only that, but the government could have also invested more into spreading awareness about avoiding overdoses and where to find help if they need it. Our country needs to realize that we can’t stop the flow of drugs into our country, and accept that it would be be more efficient to stop the issue at its roots, the people using these

Show More
Related

  • Ruth Dreifuss Heroin

    1951 Words  | 8 Pages

    Throughout the last few years a very dangerous drug has burst into mainstream attention, heroin. All throughout the country, there are numerous people suffering from addiction to the drug, and even dying. Heroin is a highly addictive drug that is relatively cheap and in many places, easy to find. In many big cities, it seems that almost everyone knows someone who has been on heroin, or a mutual acquaintance of a user. Numerous organizations have their opinions on how to stop the epidemic from spreading before it reaches an even vaster number of people.

    Read More

  • President Richard Nixon And The War On Drugs

    356 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1970, President Richard Nixon, in response to the drug use coupled with the hippie counterculture of the late 1960s, signed the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) which enacted a method of classifying drugs by categorizing them into five schedules, schedule one considered to be the most dangerous. Shortly following this act, in June of 1971, Nixon declared “The War On Drugs”, famously naming drugs and drug abuse “Public enemy number one”. (History.com, 2016). Following Nixon’s presidency, many presidents and administrations, including Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, have continued the support for The War on Drugs, but where are the results? It seems today that the abuse of drugs is worse than ever before.

    Read More

  • Drug Laws Satire

    104 Words  | 1 Pages

    I think some of the drug laws that are enforced are ridiculous, for instance in the move that we watched in class stated that people are receiving mandatory life sentences. In someone cases because of the drug laws a person can’t get below a 20year sentencing. I agree with you, the system is not fair at all. If you are caught with drugs, no matter the form or type the rules need to be the same for everyone. I think that goes back to the war on drugs, and how because this was not happening it became a drug war (destruction of human life).

    Read More

  • Alcohol Prohibition In The 1920's

    585 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is shocking to see that although we have already tried this approach we are trying it again. The similarities between the prohibition of alcohol and the war on drugs is something that can not be denied. Much like today, in the 1920’s you could see a raise in the population of people who went to prison, organise crime, and the amount of people who actually use the drugs. People lost their jobs because of alcohol just like people lose their jobs because of drugs. People found new ways to get alcohol just like today people found new ways to get their hands on drugs.

    Read More

  • Richard Nixon's Drug Crisis In The United States

    1458 Words  | 6 Pages

    My home state of Minnesota is currently dealing with what Richard Nixon states was “public enemy number one”, and this is a drug crisis, in particular an opioid crisis that has taken the lives of 395 Minnesotans just in 2016. What is the current government doing to help solve this problem? They declared it a national public health crisis but other than that they have pushed for stricter drug control like Nixon did back during his presidency. Nixon started the war on drugs to help him win his presidential campaign and it has been something that has had negative effects to Americans ever since. The War On Drugs has been a failure to the American people through its adverse effect on African American communities, its establishment of unjust mandatory

    Read More

  • Summary: The War On Drugs

    1054 Words  | 5 Pages

    It provides various statistics about drug users as well as a brief overview of the drug smuggling situation in Mexico. The article is clearly biased against America’s actions to prevent drug use. I plan to actively use this information to fully prove that steps we have taken in the past just aren’t working, the number of drug users keep rising as years pass. If we can show drug dealers that just because they were in a certain situation, doesn’t mean that can’t get out of it. We were all put on this world for a reason, and I can almost guarantee that there reason was not to distribute illegal

    Read More

  • War On Drugs Warzone

    1287 Words  | 6 Pages

    The War on Drugs’ Warzone On September 14, 1986 Ronald and Nancy Regan addressed the Nation to report on the “war on drugs”, America’s latest epidemic. Bragging of a drug law enforcement budget that was scheduled to triple in comparison 1981, of 10,000 drug criminals locked away, and $250 million of their assets seized at the time of his speech, what Regan had done, was share information about the spoils of their drug war. The President told of his plans for a series of new proposals that would toughen laws against drug criminals, encourage more research and treatment, and ensure that illegal drugs will not be tolerated in schools or in workplaces . Unlike a war against a country, calling one on drugs, an inanimate object, shouldn’t give America

    Read More

  • Impact Of War On Drugs On Society

    307 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many different opinions and attributes on drugs and there are many different policies out in our societies. The images and the reputation of drugs is pouring in every corner we look, from radios to many different popular movies and what that does is convey a sense of evil and brutality that reveals immediate and brutal retaliation. The war on drugs is something that has a huge impact on society, it’s something that is extremely important especially when it comes to communities, broken families, the impact that the drug itself has on people’s lives and the actual destroyed community itself. War on drugs is an issue that isn’t only about the drugs but also about the growth of inequality between the rich and the poor, the black and the

    Read More

  • Counterculture Of The 80's

    890 Words  | 4 Pages

    When people look at the 1980’s, the question often times asked is, “what was even going on”. Known for its characteristically bright neons, crazy hair dos, and high school coming of age films, this decade definitely made a mark on history. Oftentimes stereotyped with these aspects, the reality of the decade was revolt against the social, financial, and political turmoil of the 1960’s and 70’s. Predating this decade, the United States of America had seen many conflicts in all aspects of life and culture. Beginning in the 1960’s, a new age of counterculture was on the rise.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Xanax

    768 Words  | 4 Pages

    It’s so common that governments, in attempts to help, will only make the problems worse or cause new ones, while people are still trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction. It’s a hard call on weather or not it’s better to make drugs like Xanax harder to get, since it will turn adicts into dangerous criminals and in the process could kill them or others, and make it harder for people who need those drugs to live their daily lives. Although, a huge plus would be that reducing the availability of drugs could make it harder for new people to become addicted. It seems to me in this case there is no correct answer, and every idea that I can think of or that the government has tried will end in some form of friendly fire. In my opinion, the best course to take in order to help lessen the number of addictions is to one, increase education on the effects of drugs, and two, have a way of making sure people proscribed the drugs will use them safely.

    Read More

  • Essay On Decriminalisation Of Drugs

    1629 Words  | 7 Pages

    However, there are many that argue that the decriminalization of possession of drugs would redirect focus of the law enforcement system of any country to put more effort into arresting dealers and big time criminals, instead of arresting minor criminals for mere possession, and thus be more effective. It also has more focus on the drug user instead of drug lords which is a more humane approach as compared to the others. Decriminalisation then includes diversion programmes instead of incarceration. Decriminalisation also removes the stigma attached to a criminal conviction for the use of

    Read More

  • Prescription Drug Advertising Essay

    1624 Words  | 7 Pages

    Imagine going to the doctors and having them prescribe you every medication there is trying to relieve one 's symptoms of gas, bloating, diarrhea, arthritis, wrinkles, headaches, chemotherapy,diabetes,erectile dysfunction, depression, fibromyalgia and pain. The United States and New Zealand are the only two countries in the world that allow direct to consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs. DTC has been legal in the United States since 1985; however, the advertising really took off in 1997 when the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the requirement that drug companies had to provide a detailed list of the drug’s side effects on the infomercials. These advertisements related to prescription drugs fill the air waves 24/7 and are targeted at the baby boomers that are now our older population. We have become tainted as a society to look for a quick fix to whatever ails us.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of DEA

    176 Words  | 1 Pages

    The DEA needs to take higher risks in shutting down younger dealers, because that is usually how minors get drugs. Without serious enforcement and serious penalties, nobody would really be willing to give into the authorities. The impact that this topic holds on me, is that many of my peers have already begun to abuse illicit drugs, and that eventually may end up coming to me. Drug addiction happens all over the world as long as there is some sort of supply in that area. You may look at someone and say, “They can’t be an addict”, but the stereotypes we have created for ourselves don’t always happen to be true.

    Read More

  • Substance Abuse Case Study

    1463 Words  | 6 Pages

    The federal and state government is doing better in treating the addicted person. When this author says “better” the author means better than it was ten years ago; however, more needs to be done in providing more access to treatment for individuals with this disease. With than being said the government (state, local, and federal), needs to spend more time educating the public in the disease and how the addict cannot just stop using. Society continues to criminalize addiction and the addicts themselves. Then when they go to prison they are branded for life.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On The War On Drugs

    865 Words  | 4 Pages

    The U.S. leads all nations in opioid usage. Another 8 million use cocaine in the U.S. this number is 3rd overall across all nations. These statistics have lead me and many others to believe the war on drugs is anything besides a success. Opposing views claim, that the war on drugs has been rather successful.

    Read More

More about Drug Decriminalization In America

Open Document