Discussion on The Issue of The War on Drugs

The "war on drugs" has taken the nation by storm. The strict regulation of drugs, and harsh punishments given to drug dealers and manufacturers, seem to have created a national panic; the story is confirmed by television polls asking television viewers what they think the nation's number one problem is. (Bruce Bullington, Alan A. Block)Drugs can be very dangerous, and america has had quite a rocky relationship with the psychoactive properties of some substances. It was alcohol in the 20s, Marihuana in the 30s, and then cocaine and heroin in the 70s and 80s. In 1971, President Richard Nixon declares that: “Public enemy number one, is drug abuse. ” Since then, the U. S. has launched military action against drugs and their use, both domestically and in other countries. The “war on drugs” as coined by Nixon, was aimed at stopping america’s drug problem, but with the huge rise in opioid deaths, this raises the question as to whether this campaign was flawed, and harmed society or if it just didn’t go far enough in stopping drug abuse and trade.

This is a very complex issue, seeing as how every substance is different, and it affects everyone differently, but despite this, it’s commonly boiled down to, a black and white moral question: “Are drugs good or bad for society?”, and both sides have compelling reasoning. The most common reason cited for the war on drugs, is that these are dangerous substances. Drugs, whether illicit, prescription, or even over the counter, can be extremely dangerous and even fatal in some cases. “In 2016 opioids were involved in 42,249 overdose deaths. ”(CDC). Illegal opioids, like heroin, and legal opioids, like Oxycodone, are leading to deaths in america, and a high number of them. No matter how you look at it, drugs can be extremely dangerous, and are responsible for a lot of death in the U. S. The second most common reasoning for the war on drugs, is that drugs incite violence and crime. “In 2002, 29% of convicted inmates reported they had used illegal drugs at the time of the offense” (Bureau of Justice Statistics). It’s to be assumed that the number of crimes committed while under the influence of some substance is higher than this, as this only counts those convicted, who admitted to it. It also doesn’t account for prescription drugs or legal drugs, like alcohol. Taking all of that into account, the percentage of crimes committed under the influence would certainly be a lot higher. Not only do drugs have a correlation with harming others, but also with the user harming themself. “Drugs were present in 62. 4% of suicide deaths”(SAMHSA, 2014). Not only were drugs being used during crimes, but drug and alcohol use significantly affects the risk of suicide, especially in people age 10-25. Drug use can affect judgement and this can lead to making poor decisions. In the case of people with mental illnesses, drugs can make them worse.

Lastly, drugs can have serious social consequences. Drug use can affect decision making, and drug addiction can lead to poor decision making, even when sober. Drug addiction costs more money, and can put you in dangerous situations. It can affect romantic and familial relationships, as well as making it harder to hold a job, or maintain custody of a child. Despite all these consequences to drug use and addiction, the other side of the issue still has compelling arguments. A lot of drugs can be used in medicinal fields or therapeutic ones. One example of this is the drug MDMA. “Preliminary studies have shown that MDMA in conjunction with psychotherapy can help people overcome PTSD”(MAPS). The effects of MDMA allow for a closer bond between the therapist and client. They also help the client be more honest and open, and potentially give a more positive ‘reframing’ of the traumatic experience. This works better than anxiety meds, too, as it treats the underlying problem, not just its symptoms. The war on drugs prohibits the use of illicit substances, which can be dangerous for some users. Some drugs, like Opioids, can cause intense withdrawal symptoms, when stopped. These withdrawals can potentially be fatal. The Mayo Clinic recommends gradually lowering your dose, called “tapering”. They promote this as the safest way to quit opioids. The complete prohibition of these drugs makes it harder for people to safely stop taking them. People instead, either die trying or just relapse, and fall back into addiction. The vilification of drugs, not only took them away from civilians, but also researchers. This makes it a lot harder research existing, but illicit substances. MAPS’ study of MDMA is a very slow process, simply because legislation has made it quite difficult for them to obtain and subsequently test the efficacy of MDMA psychotherapy. This has made it difficult for researchers to accurately ascertain information about the safety of certain drugs: valuable information, that could save lives. It is harder for researchers to get at, simply because of the legislation around the substances.

This vilification of drugs, their use, and abuse, makes life a lot harder for drug users and addicts. Not only, are there social and legal consequences to drug use, but it is harder for them to stop, or even seek help. With harsher consequences for possession and use, people will be afraid to talk about their problems, which defeats the purpose of removing the substances in the first place. While the issue of the war on drugs is far too complex to discuss in its entirety, in this essay, I broke down the major points from both sides. Boiled down to a simple good or bad, both sides have very compelling reasoning. The harm drugs can cause to the user or to others, the difficulties placed on ending a drug addiction. It isn’t as simple as one side is right, and the other is wrong.