War On Drugs And America - 2460 Words

War On Drugs Fifteen billion dollars. The possibilities of things to do with fifteen billion dollars are endless. Some may use this towards college. Others towards health care facilities. Some may even use this hefty amount to renovate homes and still be left with a fortune to spare. All in all, the average American would use this currency toward benefit life in some way or another. The U.S Federal government wished the same when they used these fifteen billion dollars towards the â€Å"War on Drugs† in 2010 alone and continue to use more but the question still remains; does this amount, which goes towards campaigns against narcotics at the rate of $500 per second, actually benefit lives? Over the last four decades, money, time, and effort has been poured out towards this cause yet numerous complications still stand in account of drug related cases. Americans discovered the wonder drug, opium, in mid-18th to late 19th century. Birth was given to a new kind of danger and addiction that escalated at a fast rate. The southeast population that moved to the United States during the California Gold Rush not only came for the opportunity and hope of striking gold but along with this hope introduced opium as a long living problem. The drug was primarily named, â€Å"God’s Own Medicine† as it treated the president of the time, William Henry Harrison, perfected menstrual problems for women, and was used in the American Civil War as a means of relieving the pain of soldiers. The smoking ofShow MoreRelatedThe Drug War Of America1407 Words   |  6 PagesThe drug war in America has shaped our society into what we know it as today, the war has so far been a failure where hundreds of millions of dollars, workforce, and policies have only served to maintain the same rates of usage as those in the 1970’s. When the drugs hi t America, they hit hard. Overwhelmed by drugs showing up in almost every town, America decided to declare war. Drugs first surfaced in the late 1880’s with Opium. Opium at the time was the most in demand drug choice. Opium comes fromRead MoreThe War On Drugs And America Essay1573 Words   |  7 PagesThe war on Drugs played a heavy role in minority American society. It affected policing and most importantly the American minority people. The war on drugs started by President Nixon and up until President Bush was a disaster that affected America with high incarceration and high recidivism rates for low level and non-violent drug offenses that mainly targeted minorities in America. The war on drugs was a massive American failure that mainly affected minorities. President Obama and his drug reformRead MoreWar on Drugs in America Essay991 Words   |  4 PagesHuemer: â€Å"America’s Unjust Drug War† In the essay â€Å"America’s Unjust Drug War† by Michael Huemer, Huemer discusses the facts and opinions around the subject on whether or not the recreational use of drugs should be banned by law. Huemer believes that the American government should not prohibit the use of drugs. He brings up the point on drugs and how they harm the users and the people in the user’s life; he proves that the prohibition on drugs in unjust. Huemer believes that drug prohibition is an injusticeRead MoreThe War On Drugs And Its Effects On America1065 Words   |  5 Pagesdeclared drug abuse public enemy number one, initiating an unprecedented global campaign, the War on Drugs. Today, the War on Drugs is a huge failure, with devastating unintended consequences. It led to corruption, violence, and mass incarceration. It negatively affected the lives of millions of people. All of this while we waste billions of dollars every year only to create and fuel powerful drug cartels. This glo bal conflict has to end. The core strategy of the War on Drugs is to eradicate drugs andRead MoreAmerica s War On Drugs Essay1299 Words   |  6 Pagesserved time in prison for his connection in the Watergate scandal, the Drug War was â€Å"intended to disempower the anti-war and black rights movements in the 1970s.† It’s no secret that drug use in the United States has been a problem. Many Americans have struggled with addiction to some of the worse drugs. Many lives have been affected in some of the most terrible ways. It can be easily said that due to America’s history with drugs that former president Richard Nixon noticed the problem and felt thereRead More America And The War On Drugs Essay1216 Words   |  5 Pagescountries with problems. Why does America care about what is happening in other countries like Columbia, when they have their own problems with drugs? The Untied States of America has a rather large drug trafficking problem but compared to Columbia it is fairly small. To help Columbia solve their problem the U.S. senate has decided to send troops over there and take control. This new involvement will have many consequences in and what can you make for instance the cost of a war, the loss and gain of jobsRead MoreAmerica s War On Drugs1306 Words   |  6 Pagesas eugenics. One of the primary focuses of America s War on Drugs has always been the controversial drug Marijuana. In the early twentieth century, Henry Anslinger became the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics where he remained between 1930-62. Anslinger’s campaign was driven primarily by racism. He convinced the public to believe Blacks were negative influences in society and negatively associated African Americans with the drug. Anslinger made heavily racist remarks such asRead MoreAmerica s War On Drugs1539 Words   |  7 Pages On June 17th, 1971, President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse to be â€Å"America’s Public Enemy #1† in a press conference in which he called for an â€Å"all out offensive† against this enemy, an initiative that would later be known as America’s War on Drugs. By giving this speech, thus starting â€Å"The War on Drugs,† President Nixon created what would eventually become one of the most catastrophic fa ilures in United States political history. Analysis of the historical events surrounding Nixon’s declarationRead MoreAmerica s War On Drugs2885 Words   |  12 PagesRunning head: AMERICA’S WAR ON DRUGS 1 America’s War on Drugs: A Battle against Drugs or a display of Racial Intolerance? Sharon Curry-Robinson, Duval County Court Bailiff Florida Gulf Coast University â€Æ' America’s War on Drugs 3 Abstract It was surprising to learn that, while the United States makes up just five percent of the world population, over twenty-five percent of the world’s detainees are from the United States. Yes, at a projected figure of moreRead MoreAmerica s War On Drugs2030 Words   |  9 PagesThe â€Å"War on Drugs† has been a hot topic for several decades in the United States. The argument for the success of this campaign usually varies depending on one’s political affiliation. The government handled the ongoing campaign differently with each new administration taking command, most of them having no little success. The fact of the matter is that the ideal of a â€Å"drug free civilization† is far from reality. The world is coming to terms that the various drug-fighting programs across the world