The war on drugs is a colossal failure. A recent article on CNN reports that, despite an increased amount of drug seizures, prices of all illicit substances continue to decrease while purity continues to increase. In the article, Ethan Nadelmann, director of the Drug Policy Alliance, makes this claim: "The punitive prohibitionist approach to global drug control has proven remarkably costly, ineffective and counterproductive... it has generated extraordinary levels of violence, crime, and corruption while failing to reduce the availability of psychoactive drugs."
Eloquently put, if I do say so myself. I completely agree with Mr. Nadelmann. The war on drugs is a deep blemish on our country that is desperately in need of the balms of better alternatives. It is my firm belief that any and all illegal substances should be legalized and decriminalized. I can think of a plethora of reasons as to why this would be beneficial, but I'll focus on three main points to narrow my focus.
1) Eliminate the criminal drug market: If drugs were made legal, readily available, and taxable by the government it could potentially eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, unregulated drug trade. When substances are restricted their demand increases, the only people who profit from this are the illegal dealer. If the government could regulate the distribution and pricing of these drugs then the criminal market would not be able to compete. Drug users would no longer have to turn to shady, back-alley dealers to get their fix. Addicts would no longer need to turn to petty crimes to afford their habit. A simple trip to a drug store would replace a trip to the drug dealer and ultimately lead to a reduction in crime, which brings me to my next point...
2) Reduce prison overcrowding and free-up the courts: Prisons are overcrowded with drug offenders and the courts could get better use of their time dealing with more important issues. As of 2011, there were 1,341,804 imprisoned drug offenders and 3,971,319 adults on probation. The legalization of drugs would immediately reduce the strain on prisons and courts. Any previous drug offenders would be released and make more room for real criminals. The reduced burden would also mean reduced costs of prison operations and court costs, which would be a welcome boon to any tax paying citizen. This would also eliminate the potential of prisons creating hardened criminals out of hard drug users, which often is the case when non-violent people are placed in the violent prison system.
3) Focus on the treatment of addicts: Imprisoning non-violent drug addicts and abusers does nothing but perpetuate crime. Drug addiction is not criminal activity, it is a health condition that can be successfully treated through rehabilitation. If addicts were given a chance to enter health programs then the very root of the nation's drug problem could begin to get treated. Less imprisonment means less addicts. Portugal, for example, has managed to reduce drug addiction by half by offering drug offenders social and mental health services.
While not everyone will agree with my views on legalization, I think a majority can at least come to an agreement that the war on drugs has been a failure. There are better options than the system we currently have in place, no amount of forceful seizures or restrictions will ever stop the sale and distribution of illicit substances. If ever there was a point to reconsider one of our many "wars," that time should, and could, be now.
Analysis of "War Never Changes" by Devin Medlock
ReplyDeleteIn his article, "War Never Changes," not only does Mr. Medlock make a clever Fallout reference, but he makes a very valid point on the war against illegal drugs. Are we wasting time, money, and effort on this endeavor? Sadly, it would seem so. Legalizing all illicit substances is a very progressive idea and as we have seen out of America, not often does she participate in progress and if she does, it is a painstakingly arduous effort. A perfect example is the Affordable Care Act and we have all seen just what measures America will take to resist.
Personally, I happen to agree with the idea, however, there are some things to consider. Medlock mentions Portugal and their success with it. This could work for America, but where resistance and complication will come from is where it always comes from: the question of it working on a significantly larger scale. Portugal is only slightly larger, in terms of real estate, than Maine. As far as population is concerned, Portugal is about 10.5 million strong. The most populated city in America is New York with its roughly 8.1 million people, so there is some perspective for you. This kind of thing would not be easy for America, but what we are doing now is not working, so what have we to lose at this point?
An article from Time goes in depth with what success Portugal is having with the implementation of this idea. It is not a simple matter of legalizing drugs. Instead of jail time for drug crimes, Portugal offered health and rehabilitation services, which turned out to be less expensive than incarceration. After decriminalizing, drug use among teens decreased and those seeking treatment dramatically increased in only five years. Another interesting point is the increase in effectiveness of their police efforts. Without having to deal with possession and small-time dealers, it would seem Portuguese law enforcement are able to focus on the big dealers and their big drug shipments.
The article also mentions a few efforts by law makers in moving toward something that will work with America's culture and size. Senators Jim Webb and Arlen Specter have proposed a commission to deal with prison and drug policy reform, seemingly with Portugal's ideas in mind. We have also seen some progress with Colorado's practices. However, as with anything in America, it is going to take a long time. Our grandchildren might see some kind of drug reform...maybe...