The War on Drugs: Soldiers Fighting Against the War
By Joanna E. Cain, BSN, BA, RN
An estimated 3% of the global population, 185 million people, from almost every country and lifestyle consumes illicit drugs. In an attempt to stop this, The U.S. federal government spent over $19 billion dollars in 2003 on the War on Drugs. This calculates to about $600 per second. Since 2003, the budget for this war has been increased by over a billion dollars. Americans are left with the question: Is the War on Drugs working?
History of the War
The Food and Drugs Act of 1906 was the first federal law enacted to influence recreational substances and drugs. The act was to ensure that the products being sold had honest labels and met certain standards. Prior to this time, "patent medicines" and "snake oil" contained addictive narcotics and were widely sold to unsuspecting consumers. This resulted in the unintentional addiction of many Americans. In 1914, the Harrison Narcotics Control Act regulated the sale of opium, heroin, and cocaine by imposing very hefty taxes on these products. The 18th amendment to the constitution was ratified in 1920 making the manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcohol illegal, resulting in a nationwide prohibition of alcohol. In 1933, the 21st amendment was ratified ending prohibition as enacted by the 18th amendment. Marijuana was a legal substance up to this time and used in the United States. The government in 1937 taxed it. The Drug Abuse Control Amendment created the Bureau of Drug Abuse Control as passed in 1965 under President Johnson. From 1965 forward, drug use among 12-17 year olds increased and the national homicide rate escalated.
The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act was born under President Nixon in 1970 and began the War on Drugs, as we know it today. The Control Act divided substances into "schedules" and outlawed many substances, including marijuana. In 1973, the Drug Enforcement Agency formed under Nixon in an attempt to organize the various federal drug law enforcement agencies already in existence. Nancy Reagan launched the "Just Say No" campaign in 1986. The Office of National Drug Control Policy was established in 1988 with William Bennett as the leader. California voted to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 with other states following suit.
Key Soldiers in the War
Many Americans do not believe in the War on Drugs and feel that after 35 years the United States has not made any gains in curtailing illegal drug use. These Americans typically fall into one or more groups as described below.
Anti-Prohibitionists
Anti-prohibitionists do not believe in prohibiting drugs in the United States. This faction believes that the manufacturing, selling, buying, and using of drugs does not stop with prohibition. This group believes that America's current drug laws contribute to the black market just as they did during the alcohol prohibition of 1920. Prohibition focuses on punishment and accounts for the fact that drug offenders make up more than half of U.S. prison inmates. Anti-prohibitionists believe that prohibition raises the rate of crimes committed in an attempt to obtain illicit drugs. Putting drug dealers in jail boosts the price of drugs making them more lucrative to sell.
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