Matthew Cooke's How To End The War On Drugs

During the late 1960 to early 1970, New York city struggling with the Drug laws, and so many pressures and negative affect around the whole city. The country filled with gloomy air and everyone looks depressed, it is a really tough time. In the 1971s, American president Richard Nixon announced that drug abuse as the number one enemy in the United states, he started a war on drugs, there was unprecedented in history and this policy still continues today. The drug war was a huge failure, bringing an unexpected and devastating effect. In the United States, nearly 90 percent of treatment-seeking patients who began using heroin in the previous decade were white, this is a big change from racial representation prior to the 1980s.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the use of illegal drugs was growing; which undertook a war on drugs. As of June 2001, there were a total of 697 drug court programs, serving around 226,000 offenders and another 427 programs being planned (Office of Justice Programs, 2001). The drug court can be seen as a social movement to crack down on drugs. Although the drug court model continues to evolve, there are some key components. Some of these key components are, a non adversarial approach that emphasizes teamwork; eligible participants are defined early and promptly placed in the drug court program; and abstinence is monitored by frequent alcohol and drug testing, and so on.

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

In his article, “Toward a Policy on Drugs,” Elliot Currie discusses “the magnitude and severity of our drug crisis” (para. 21), and how “no other country has anything resembling the American drug problem” (para. 21). The best way to describe America’s drug problem is that it is a hole continuously digs itself deeper. America’s drug issues were likely comparable to other country’s at one point in time, but today it can be blamed on the “street cultures” (para. 21) that continue to use and spread the use of illegal drugs. These street cultures transcend the common stereotype of drug users, such as low income communities in cities or welfare recipients, and can be found in every economic class and location. They are groups of people who have

1900’s and it was directed by black men. The Chinese immigrants directed the anti-opium laws in the 1870’s, while Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans directed the anti-marijuana laws in the 1910’s and 20’s. Drugs started getting evaluated for medical safety and efficacy in the 1960’s, due to the fact that drugs were becoming the symbols of youthful rebellion and even political dissent (Muriskin & Roberts, 2009 P.110). The war in drugs got declared by President Nixon, in June 1971.

The song “Candles in the Sun” performed by R&B artist Miguel, discussed about the social issue on drug usages. Miguel referred to “babies on crack” as an ironic statement, to exemplify how younger generations were being exposed to drugs at an early age. Many younger generations who were being exposed to drugs, often have health issues or even die at a young age. Therefore, Miguel stated “may we all live long”, to addressed how the social issue on the usage of drugs can impact a person well being. Drug usages at an early age impacts on American culture by bringing negativity into America’s society and to the rising cause of death, causing other people lives rather then themselves too.

Consent, Coercion and Autonomy in the Treatment of Substance Abuse and Addiction Brianna J. Westover Delaware Technical and Community College Historical Implications Addict. The word itself carries with it an enormous stigma. Just over 100 years ago in 1914, the Harrison Act banned the use of opiates and cocaine. Four years later, alcohol prohibition followed, and in 1934, the Marijuana Stamp Act was enacted, prohibiting that substance as well. (American Civil Liberties Union, 2015)

It is a colossal failure. It nearly destroyed a generation of people. As the War on Drugs near 50 years, we know it was a massive failure. I am talking about the failed American Drug War and its negative effects on African-Americans. Let us never forget the moment when President Nixon’s former domestic policy chief John Ehrlichman revealed in an interview with Harper’s Magazine in 1994 that was published last year that, “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people”.

As of September 26, 2015, there is a total of 93,821 inmates in prison for drug offenses, which is equivalent to 48.4 percent of the prison population. The use of illegal narcotics has been an issue within the country for decades; however, is incarceration the way to solve this problem? I think not. During the late 1960’s, poverty was a substantial issue within urban cities and secluded rural areas. On the other hand, recreational drug usage promoted by fashionable young, white Americans as a symbol of social upheaval and youthful rebellion coincided with the deprivation within many of these areas.

According to many surveys across the nation, currently, just over two-thirds of the American public believe the government should emphasize a lesser amount on criminal convictions for re-elections and more focus on offering treatment for people who abuse illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Additionally, a significant proportion of Americans feel that those convicted of possessing small amounts of cannabis should not receive jail time, and there are some states had scrapped the idea of mandatory sentences for non-violent drug offenders altogether because of budgetary woes. More importantly, individual states approach towards drug use are beginning to shift from a criminal issue towards and health problem that requires rehabilitation instead of sending more drug offenders to over populated prisons.