Matthew Bumb

Period 4
4/24/13
Drug Trafficking: A Battle age! "n
#ew $roblem! in our world toda% are a! undeniabl% wide!$read a! the
internationall% recogni&ed king of !muggling o$eration!: drug trafficking' (n fact) the
*+"D, re$ort! that about 23- million.about /0 of the earth1! adult $o$ulation.had
u!ed illegal !ub!tance! in the %ear 2-1-' The ha2oc the!e !ub!tance! wage on their
$ractitioner! i! ra$id and often irre2er!ible' Although trafficking ma% create re2enue for
the di!tributing countrie!) the con! far outweigh the $ro!' The economic) !ocietal) and
$olitical re2erberation! of illegal drug trafficking make fighting it a worth% cau!e'
The ma3orit% of income from the !ale of illegal !ub!tance! !uch a! cannabi!)
o$ioid! and heroin will !ta% in4countr%) $ro2iding a large !ource of re2enue to the
$roducing nation' Thi!) howe2er) i! infinite!imal com$ared to the damage cau!ed to
!urrounding nation!' (n the mo!t recent e!timate conducted b% the *5 go2ernment) 6173
billion wa! lo!t in health) crime) and lo!t $roducti2it% co!t!' 8hen the e9$en!e! u!ed to
combat crime u!uall% accom$an%ing drug trafficking i! factored in) the co!t boom! to a
!taggering 22/ billion dollar! !$ent annuall%' (n the current !tate of the world econom%)
thi! drain of economic re!ource!.in no wa% e9clu!i2e to the *nited 5tate!.can be
catacl%!mic to une:ui$$ed nation!'
5ocietal co!t! are com$o!ed of e2en longer4term con!e:uence!) and ma% be the
mo!t im$actful of the three' Police officer!) (+T;P"< and border agent! all face in3ur%
=or e2en death> at the hand! of de!$erate u!er!) dealer! and !muggler!' <o!! of life b%
o2erdo!e and !ub!tance4cau!ed di!ea!e! i! e2en greater) with number! a! high a! one in
four' "2ercrowded 3ail! are another $oint worth mention: (n 2--7) the D;A alone made
1'/ million arre!t! for drug4related crime!.both $o!!e!!ion and trafficking' The!e
ad2ance!) ( fear) are not enough' The +ational ,enter on Addiction and Drug Abu!e at
,olumbia *ni2er!it% re$ort that a! few a! 3'?0 of incarcerated 3u2enile! actuall%
recei2ed !ub!tance abu!e treatment !ince their introduction into the 3u!tice !%!tem'
Political co!t! of the drug trafficking i!!ue include the ri!k! in2ol2ed with fighting
it on a $olitical le2el' (ncorrect deci!ion! made from a $o!ition of $ower augment drug
$roblem!) and run the deci!ion4maker the ri!k of being 2oted out of office' Drug !candal!
.e2en if rumored.in cabinet! can ruin go2ernment credibilit%) and lower the
in2e!tment rate! other countrie! will de2ote to the !u!$ected nation' 8e!t Africa1! cartel)
who!e net worth i! currentl% greater than the region1! national income) found them!el2e!
$o!ition! in the un!table go2ernment and graduall% loo!ened illicit !ub!tance re!triction!'
The!e !ub2er!i2e $olitical tactic! ha2e !ince de2a!tated !urrounding countrie!.8e!t
Africa1! cannabi! and cocaine market i! one of the mo!t lucrati2e in the world'
At the forefront of man% !ummit!) conference!) and meeting! between
!u$er$ower! !tand! the war on drug!' Thi! i! not without rea!on@ although it ma% !eem
like an u$hill battle) !to$$ing drug trafficking will) ( belie2e) $re2ent man% wor!e) future
crime!' The !ocial) economic) and $olitical co!t! are incenti2e to !to$ the flow) and !tart
the reco2er%'