Ending the Drug War

What is drug war?

The War On Drugs is an attempt to prevent people from using some substances that
some government officials believe are "bad for them". It does not affect all harmful
substances (for instance, alcohol is excluded), and it does not restrict itself to
substances which are mostly harmful. (For instance, there are well documented
medical reasons for people to use marijuana, and indeed, the objection that got
marijuana in as a controlled substance was raised by people who grew cotton - which
makes weaker, heavier, fabric than hemp.).War on drugs is a series of actions tending
toward a prohibition of illegal drug trade. The War on Drugs is a phrase used to refer
to a government-led initiative that aims to stop illegal drug use, distribution and
trade by dramatically increasing prison sentences for both drug dealers and
users. The movement started in the 1970s and is still evolving today. Over the
years, people have had mixed reactions to the campaign, ranging from full-on
support to claims that it has racist and political objectives. War on Drugs Drug
addiction is a problem faced by many people of the world today. The War on drugs
campaign was started in order to define and further reduce the illegal drug trade and fight
against drug dealers. The campaign was conducted with the help of participating
countries facing many controversies which are still argued to this day. The laws put in
place were intended to reduce the level of not only drug consumption but drug addicts.
Drugs will always be a part of our culture so we are obligated to help the ones who seek
help and guide others to do the right thing. Drugs can be classified in many ways: by the
way they are dispensed, by their substance from which they are derived, by the form they
take, and by the way they are administered. They can also be classified by their names.
All drugs have three names which include their chemical name, a generic name, and a
brand name. Once a drug enters your body it is absorbed into the bloodstream, from the
bloodstream it is distributed to various tissues and organs. As the drug is broken down
and used by the body it then goes through chemical changes that produce metabolites
which have no effect on the body, finally they are eliminated. So now that we know how
drugs are classified we are going to look at the illegal types of drugs that we are fighting
today. The different types of drugs include anabolic steroids, barbiturates, hallucinogenic
drugs, narcotics, sedatives, and stimulants. These drugs are more common when you
discuss dependency. Drug dependency is a psychological and sometimes physical state
formed by a compulsion to use a drug to experience psychological or physical effects
which may take several forms including tolerance, habituation, and addiction. The War on
Drugs dates back all the way to 1906 when the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed
which targeted toxic drugs and was expanded to address misleading drug labels in 1912.
The Philippine Drug War refers to the drug policy of the Philippine government under
President Rodrigo Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, 2016. According to
former Philippine National Police Chief  Ronald dela Rosa, the policy is aimed at "the
neutralization of illegal drug personalities nationwide”. Duterte has urged members of
the public to kill suspected criminals and drug addicts.

Positive effect of War on Drugs

 There are people who believe that the war on drugs has helped and implemented
good things in their communities and the overall society. Deterrence and
lessening of drug related crimes: since the production of, selling of, and
consumption of drugs is highly prohibited the number of drug-related crimes
would decrease over time Drug-Free Communities: if all the drugs, drug
abusers, dealers, and manufacturers are behind bars there will be no one else
there to bring drugs into the area.
 Deter or lessen drug-related crimes.
When drug addicts will not have easy access to illegal substances, they will not
experience the highs or hallucinations that will drive them to commit crimes. They
wouldn’t need to steal either so they can buy drugs. Put simply, without the
pushers there will be little to no users.
 Lesser Illegal Drugs.
With the drive to have a drug-free world, countries like the United States and
Mexico have collaborated to combat drug trafficking and transnational crimes.
The government also became more serious and driven to eradicate illegal drugs
that the War on Drugs made it possible for the government to strengthen its fight
like spending money on spraying herbicides to destroy illegal plants such as
Cannabis.
 Deter Drug Dealers.
With the increase punishment and charges for criminals in drug-related cases,
supporters of the War on Drugs say that it serves as a deterrent to these dealers
and potential criminals. This is also because this campaign have brought about
mandatory minimums, that is, a convicted criminal of drug trafficking will be
spending an amount of time in prison and this is not a flexible law. With lesser
drugs sold on the streets, the number of drug-dependent individuals will also be
reduced since there will be lack of drug supply.
 Culprits will be penalized
Included in the policies of war on drugs is the penalty that will be afforded to
manufacturers, distributors and users of illegal drugs. The level of punishment
that will be imposed depends on the gravity of the crime. Knowing that there are
consequences to be paid will make people think twice before embroiling in any
stage of the illegal drug trade.
 Helps create a place that is drug free
A drug-free area or community may seem impossible given the present situation,
 but it is achievable as long as everyone does their share in the fight against
drugs. War on drugs should not only involve the government and local
authorities, but also friends and family of drug users or sellers.

Negative effects of War on Drugs

 There is a growing number of people who do not see the benefit of a war on
drugs, especially with addiction affecting all races and classes, family members
and friends. It is no longer a far away problem, it is something that directly affects
us whether we are the one addicted or know someone who is. The more time
that passes the more people learn and understand addiction. Addiction used to
have a negative stigma associated with it and at the time when drugs were first
criminalized they were direct racial targets and because of the war, using drugs
made you a criminal. When in fact, someone who abuses and is addicted to
substances needs help and treatment just as any other ill person. Substance
addiction is now looked at more commonly as an illness that people suffer from
instead of a choice they make to be criminals.
 Widespread corruption
Watch any drug-related movies and you’ll see that the people who introduced
and imposed the war on drugs are the same people who could be peddling the
illegal substances. Political analyst also see a projected increase in corruption
within the government because of the funds that will be allocated to control drug
abuse. What are the odds that these funds will be used for personal gain?
 Provides a smokescreen to hide the real problem behind drug abuse
A majority of the population that are easily lured into drug dealing are those
within and below the poverty line. People who have no hope of achieving very
much because of their circumstances would resort to drug dealing where
knowledge and skills are not required in their resume. They also see it as a way
to make something of themselves, and to have the resources to fund their own
drug habits. Would it not be better when the billions allocated for anti-drug
campaigns are used to help improve the lives of these individual? For the last 40
 years, an estimated $1 trillion was funneled to the war on drugs. Taxpayers are
paying big for a war that is showing no signs of being victorious any time soon. In
fact, the flow of drugs into the United States are increasing year after year.
Perhaps everyone would turn out to be good citizens if they are provided with all
the basic necessities to help them achieve their dreams. Viewed this way, the
war on drugs is nothing more than a nasty and vindictive smoke screen.

 Increases risk on the lives of policeman and military

Missions against drug lords is no joke, considering that they too have their own
army that has no care about the lives that will be lost during a shootout or drug
bust operation. What do policemen have against assassins and mercenaries?
Not to belittle the skills and capacity of law enforcement, but a mission against
drug pushers and manufacturers are increasingly worse. The safety risks on the
lives of many policemen are also very high. Friends and family of these brave
men and women would be very unhappy if something happened to them.
 Disparity on sentencing
Opponents complain that sentencing in drug-related crimes have major flaws.
There is a huge problem in the sentencing between possessions or trafficking of
powder cocaine and crack. For example, those convicted for possession of 5
grams of crack and those in possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine
basically have the same punishment – minimum mandatory sentence of being
incarcerated in a federal prison for 5 years. Judging from the differences of the
drugs in question, sentencing is definitely unfair.
 Never-ending chain reaction
One man incarcerated for drug abuse or drug-related crimes is likely to have
children who are growing up without a father. Statistics show how this can have a
bad effect on the little ones. If they are in the same situation as their father before
them, they could end up drug users or sellers as well, whichever comes first. So
the cycle just goes on and on. It will be a never-ending ride of history repeating
itself.
 Economic Productivity Decline.
With many incarcerated people from drug-related crimes in the United States,
including young member of society, this means that almost the same number of
people is the equivalent of individuals taken away from their jobs and
businesses, not to mention, their families. This also means that the young people
being jailed are deprived of their rights for education and later on for job
opportunities. When these individuals are released, they will not be equipped
with knowledge and skills that can lead to economic decline when it comes to
production.

The War on Drugs will remain a debatable issue because of its flaws and the
people who are not in favor of it. However, this campaign, if thoroughly studied
 and perhaps amended, the pros will outweigh the cons and the advocacy for a
drug-free world is achievable.