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October 7, 2008
by Nicholas V. Raquet
Drug prohibition has been a part of American policy since the early 1900's. On December 17th, 1914 the Harrison Narcotics Act was approved, which outlawed the possession, manufacture, and sale of opiates and cocaine (druglibrary.org, n.d.). Since this act was passed, many other drugs have been illegalized. In June of 1971 former president Richard Nixon officially initialized the "War on Drugs", a massive prohibition effort which has since become a major crusade to end illicit drug use in the United States and throughout the world. However, things have not gone as the government has planned or would like. Not only have drug prohibition and the "War on Drugs" failed in their intended objectives; they have also had many negative effects. Performance of the War on Drugs Federal, state, and local officials have made every effort to stop the drug trade in the United States. Between the years of 1986 and 2007, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) alone has made 623,454 drug-related arrests and has seized over 16 million pounds of narcotics, and more than 136 million doses of hallucinogens (United States Department of Justice [USDOJ], n.d.). Nationwide, the number of state and local drug arrests reported by the FBI in 2006 alone was an amazing 1,889,800 (USDOJ, n.d.). Furthermore, in 2003 alone government officials across the country seized 2,952,797 pounds of illicit drugs (USDOJ, n.d.). Yet despite the amazing numbers of arrests and seizures, drug availability remains high. It is estimated that only 13% of heroin shipments and at most 40% of cocaine shipments are seized each year (Zill & Bergman, 1998). According the Department of Justice's own report, 25% of all high school students say that they had an opportunity to procure drugs at least once in 2005 on school grounds alone and that no change in that availability was reported between 2003 and 2005. Furthermore, the report itself states that we may assume that this survey would not include information from truants and dropouts, amongst whom drug use may be even more prevalent (USDOJ, n.d.) Among adults, 46% admitted to drug use at least once in their lifetimes, and 14% admitted to drug use within the last year (USDOJ, n.d.). In both of these surveys, it may also be reasonable to assume that some did not report use due to fears of being identified as a drug user. Drug Prohibition and Violent Crime Research has clearly shown that drug prohibition is a significant cause of violent crime. It is a well known fact that some desperate drug addicts may resort to violent crimes to feed their habits, but what about the violent crime that occurs due to the trade itself? In a wide-sweeping report on current drug policy by the New York County Lawyer's Association (NYCLA) in 1996, it is stated that "…much of the violent crime can be said to be 'drug prohibition-related' insofar as it results from the high costs, huge profits and great stakes involved in the world of drug commerce…" (ch. 4, para. 3). It is clear that the very illegality of drugs and the enforcement of drug prohibition are what supports large, violent criminal organizations and provides them with funds and power. (NYCLA, 1996) As was earlier stated, the very enforcement of drug prohibition is a cause of violent crime in several ways. It is thought that the government's current focus on fighting drug crimes may be diverting law enforcement from prosecuting actual violent crimes (NYCLA, 1996). Also, persons incarcerated for what are technically nonviolent drug crimes are influenced by the often violent nature of prison culture and then bring this violence with them back to their neighborhoods (NYCLA, 1996). Drug Prohibition and Drug Criminals As earlier stated, the very nature of drug prohibition and the "War on Drugs" creates dangerous and powerful criminals. Since demand for drugs remains high despite their illegality, black markets rise to meet the demands that legal entities cannot fill. The illegal drug trade is an extremely profitable business for its controllers. A report in 1998 from the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) estimated the annual value of the illicit drug trade worldwide to be roughly 400 billion dollars. It is no wonder then, that despite massive seizures and arrests, there seem to always be more criminals and more drugs to take the place of those removed. With the massive profit margins available in the drug trade, it is little wonder that there is always someone available to do the dirty work. A report by Oriana Zill and Lowell Bergman for PBS in 1998 estimated that:
The production of drugs is very low-cost, and the profits are extremely high; this is what keeps the drug industry afloat (Zill & Bergman, 1998). The Health Risks of Drug Prohibition America's policy towards drugs is also dangerous to the health of those who choose to ignore its laws. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly 7,000 of the 36,790 new cases of AIDS in the year 2006 were caused by intravenous drug use. Many addicts are afraid to turn to government programs for help due to fears of incarceration, being classified as a "user", or even removal of their children (NYCLA, 1996). Even though many lives could be saved by harm reduction programs, the government still focuses on severe punishment instead. Another major health concern related to the prohibition of narcotics, is the often inconsistent and dangerous quality of the products. According to a report criticizing current drug policy by professors Tibor Machan and Mark Thornton of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, producers of black market products are forced by the illegality of their trade to produce poor quality, dangerous products because "the most powerful weapon of these black marketeers is not the gun, but the ability to stay at least one step ahead of law enforcement". (ch. 2, para. 4) There is of course no governing agency ensuring the quality of narcotics being sold to users, and as a result drug users are often sold fake or even deadly product. Furthermore, we must consider the effects of drug prohibition on the 'health' of our society. In order to send a message to would-be drug criminals, the federal courts have imposed strict mandatory-minimum sentencing laws on drug crimes. According to a chart found on the Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) site, possession of as little as five grams of crack cocaine carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison without parole. Fifty grams of the same substance carries a minimum sentence of 10 years without parole, and both of those sentences are instantly doubled if the offender has a single prior felony conviction (FAMM, n.d.). Of course, crack cocaine is an extremely harmful substance, but a guaranteed five years of prison time without parole for possession of five grams is a sentence which must surely drive a wedge into many families. People who possess cocaine in any form are breaking the law, but the mandatory sentences which enforce these laws are overly strict for nonviolent offenses. Furthermore, the way that drug laws are enforced in relation to other crimes appears to be inconsistent at best. According to the Report and Recommendations of the Drug Policy Task Force written by the NYCLA:
Though drug prohibition officials have seized incredible amounts of drugs and drug offenders, our current stance on illicit drug use may be causing more harm than it is preventing. It is possible that sweeping drug policy reform is needed. Many European countries have changed their focus to a more harm-reduction oriented approach to this seemingly unstoppable problem. Perhaps something is to be learned from all of the obviously unfruitful attempts at stopping drug use in the United States, and the possibly more effective policies of the aforementioned European countries. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Basic Statistics: HIV/AIDS. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/basic.htm#exposure. Druglibrary.org. (n.d.). Harrison Narcotics Tax Act, 1914. Retrieved August 5, 2008, from http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/history/e1910/harrisonact.htm. Families Against Mandatory Minimums. (2008, June 24). Federal Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences Chart. Retrieved August 20, 2008 from http://www.famm.org/Repository/Files/841--Fed_Drug_MMs_chart%5B1%5D.pdf. Machan, T. R., & Thornton, M. (1991), Legalizing Drugs Would Have Many Benefits. Retrieved August 20, 2008 from Axia Library Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. New York County Lawyer's Association. (1996, October). Report and Recommendations of the Drug Policy Taskforce. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from http://www.drugtext.org/library/reports/nycla/nycla.htm. United Nations International Drug Control Programme. (1998). Economic and Social Consequences of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from http://www.unodc.org/pdf/technical_series_1998-01-01_1.pdf. United States Department of Justice. (n.d.). DEA, Stats and Facts. Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/statistics.html#arrests. United States Department of Justice. (n.d.). Drugs and Crime Facts: Drug Law Violations. Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dcf/enforce.htm. United States Department of Justice. (n.d.). Drug and Crime Facts: Drug Use in the General Population. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dcf/du.htm. Zill, O., & Bergman, L. (1998). Do the Math: Why the Illegal Drug Business is Thriving. Retrieved August 10, 2008 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/special/math.html.
©2008 Nicholas V. Raquet. Reprinted with permission. Nicholas V. Raquet is currently enrolled in the Associate of Medical Administration program at Axia college of the University of Phoenix. He is a member of the International High IQ Society. Enrich
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