War on drugs Essay Example

THE WAR ON DRUGS

We are on the Verge of Defeat in the War on Drugs

Many commentators and analyst generally agree that the international “war on drugs” led by the US has had far-fetching implications on various factions of the society. Apart from resulting in mass incarceration, the war has also helped create public health crises, violence fuelled by the black-market as well as corruption. The absence of effective drug control measures means that the problems of poverty, marginalisation, and inequality are likely to persist for a long time in the societies. The available evidence shows that the prohibitionist strategies that are at the core of the international war on drugs have not achieved much (Nunn, 2002, p.381). The current policies have terribly failed in lowering both addictions as well as the production of illicit drugs. In fact, most of the policies have only worsened the situation.

Recent surveys indicate that there has been a significant rise in the number of women imprisoned for drug-related offences. In the US, the many years of criminalizing as well as the use and possession of simple drugs have seen the number of people arrested for drug possession per year surpass that of individuals arrested for violent crimes (Nunn, 2002, p.381). These arrests have seen a significant rise in injustices at different stages of the criminal justice system. The injustices include inequality of the cash bail system, very aggressive charges by prosecutors and policing tactics that shape community interactions. Racial disparities are still evident at every stage of the of the criminal justice system, with poor Americans being unable to challenge the unfair system (Nunn, 2002, p.381). This together with the persistent drug use and addiction problems clearly shows that we are on the verge of losing the war against drugs. As such, it is imperative that we consider adopting strategies that are rational, evidence-informed and rights-based.

References

Nunn, K.B., 2002. Race, crime and the pool of surplus criminality: or why the war on drugs was a war on blacks. J. Gender Race & Just., 6, p.381.