Himani Chikkam

Introduction: HR 9312, in short, tries to provide enhanced capabilities to combat

transnational criminal cartels by targeting finances and increasing criminal penalties. If we
pass this bill, incarceration rates will go up, and this may be harmful. We should not ratify
this HR 9312.

First Point: The U.S. has tried to combat drug cartels before but it has been ineffective and
even harmful.

Evidence: CNBC UPenn NBC News

CNBC stated that a professor of economics (Christopher Coyne) at George Mason
University believes that the goal of the “War on Drugs” is to eradicate everything associated
with drug use and issues. However, the fact remains that,according to UPenn, many
bystanders believe that the war on drugs has not paid off. The “War on Drugs” was
originally launched by President Nixon in 1971, however, an executive director (Kassandra
Frederique) at the Drug Policy Alliance thinks that the drug war is, in short, a failed policy.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the
percentage of people 12 years old or older rose to 13% in 2019, almost reaching its peak
from 40 years ago, even though the United States has spent more than a trillion dollars
funding the War on Drugs.

A panelist from UPenn (Helena Hansen) has been studying racialized aspects of the U.S.
drug policy for an entire decade, and it was noted that the earlier “War on Drugs”
criminalized drug use for Black and Latino communities. Black, Brown and even Asian
people have had images of being addicted and dangerous circulated by the press for over
100 years. These racialized images have built political support for criminalizing drug
policies.

Impacts:
The War on Drugs simply has not paid off, despite the trillion-plus dollars that the United
States has spent combating drugs. This is supported by both NBC and UPenn. Colored
people have been thought to be addicted and dangerous by politicians and the press in the
past, which has built support for these ineffective drug policies.

Counterargument:
Representatives on the opposing side may argue that the reason colored people are viewed
as addicted, is because there are more colored people who are addicted, therefore it is a
“justified observation”. However, according to UPenn, white patients with an opioid use
disorder are about 4 times as likely to get opiods than black patients. This means that
because of the stereotype and discrimination, both sides are suffering.
Second Point: More imprisonment does not lead to reduced drug problems.

Evidence: Pew Charitable Trust Harvard Political Review

The Pew Charitable Trust examined public records in 2014 from state law enforcement,
corrections, and health agencies. The examination showed that there was no significant
relationship between state drug imprisonment rates and state drug problems (reported drug
use, drug overdose deaths, and drug arrests).

The Harvard Political Review states that America’s recidivism (reoffence) crisis is very
alarming. If prison is supposed to be “teaching lessons” to law offenders, it is quite
disturbing that many criminals end up back in jail. The high recidivism rates demonstrate the
rather concerning fact that our prison system is ineffective.

Impacts:
Increasing imprisonment does not necessarily lead to a reduction in drug problems. This is
supported by The Pew Charitable Trust, which shows that incarcerating drug offenders can
lead to more drug-related problems. These problems include higher rates of reoffence,
reinforced by the Harvard Political Review. Instead of focusing solely on punishment, a
more effective approach to drug-related issues is to invest in prevention and treatment
programs.

Counterargument:
Representatives on the opposing side may argue that increasing imprisonment discourages
potential drug convicts from engaging in drug-related offenses. However, the Harvard
Political Review states that harsh punishments may not deter potential offenders but could
increase the likelihood of re-offence once released. This is why a more effective way to
reduce drug-related problems would be to invest in treatment and prevention programs.

Conclusion:
To summarize, CNBC states that the United States has tried to combat drug cartels in the
past, however, it has evidently been unsuccessful. If we use H.R. 9312 to crack down on
drug cartels, we may waste an immense amount of money. The Pew Charitable Trust
expresses that arresting drug offenders actually leads to more drug-related problems.
Instead of increasing imprisonment, we should use that money to invest in rehabilitation and
treatment programs. I want to make it abundantly clear that I am not saying that we
shouldn’t take action against drug cartels. I am saying that we should find other means to
do it.