Illegal Drug Prohibition: A Failed War
The general public is made aware of the world of illegal drugs when a spectacular incident makes the news. A large cache of cocaine or marijuana is found, a drug related killing, a public fight over the need for safe injection sites, police involved with criminals in the distribution of drugs, terrorism funded by drug sales, or drugs sold on school property. What hardly ever makes the news is the number of high profile people judges doctors, university professors and students, advertising executives and professional theatre people who take illegal drugs. The truth is that illegal drugs are intimately part of the lives of a sizeable minority of all countries in the world. These people are not addicts but use drugs recreationally for relaxation or to get a temporary high. Students are induced to try drugs by other students just to see what it feels like. This sizeable minority of our population is not remotely interested in legalizing cocaine and marijuana and other drugs as they do not want to go through the administrative effort to get their fix and then of course, the whole community could be alerted to their habit.
It is ironic that ¾ of Americans think that the war on drugs is a dismal failure, yet politicians are deathly afraid of losing support by supporting a law which makes sense i.e. allowing “control by decriminalization” Nobody is in favour of allowing hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine to be sold on demand to the public in stores which cater to customers of alcohol or cigarettes. For Canadians it would be necessary to change the laws in tandem with the Americans as otherwise it would affect negatively our cross-border travel and trade.
The Reagan era from 1981-1989 saw the introduction of his crusade for a “War on Drugs” The trade of drugs has existed as long as the drugs themselves were produced. The history of the illegal drug trade is closely tied to the era of drug prohibition. The United Nations reports that the illegal drug trade is worth 400 billion, about the same amount as the United States defense budget. When you add the 400 billion to the global trade of legal drugs, it totals an amount higher than the money spent on food in the same period. In the 2005 United Nations World Drug Report, the value of illegal drugs was 13 billion at the production level, 94 billion at the wholesale level (distribution) and 400 billion on the retail level (street) These figures make it very clear that the farmers (cocaine and marijuana and heroin) are not the main beneficiaries of the great wealth generated by illegal drugs. In 2005 the United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that in the 12 months previous 800,000 adolescents aged 12-17 sold illegal drugs and a survey by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control reported that nation-wide 25.4% of students had been offered, sold or given illegal drugs by someone on school property.
The illicit drug trade in the United Kingdom is estimated at 8 billion pounds, 33% of the tobacco market and 41 % of that for alcohol. In the late 1990`s in the U.S. the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimated that 5% of murders were drug related. Present drug policy contributes to the increase of violence in our communities. It does so by permitting and indeed causing the drug business to remain a lucrative source of economic opportunity for street dealers, drug kingpins and all those willing to engage in the often violent and illicit black market trade. If you are in the drug business you must protect your territory even by murder.
The U.S. is the world’s largest consumer of cocaine and the the Americans produce cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucigens and methamphetamine.
There are 195 countries in the U.N. and 138 countries who are one way or the other through their citizens in the drug trade. The illegality of injectable drugs leads to a scarcity of needles, so needles are reused, causing HIV infections. Usually these drugs are produced under less than antiseptic conditions, and with no government supervision they are usually of poor quality. The U.S. efforts at drug prohibition started with a budget of 350 million in 1971 and in 2006 reached 30 billion. In 1999 close to 60,000 prisoners (3.3% of the total incarcerated ) convicted of violating marijuana laws were behind bars .The U.S.” war on drugs” has added considerably to the political instability in South America. People in relatively poor counties like Colombia, Peru, Brazil break their own laws to sell to the U.S. to make a living ,which allows criminal elements to influence the government with bribes and coercion in the countryside.
A study done in Canada shows that injection drug users who are incarcerated are less likely by a wide margin to kick their habit than those who remain in the community.
It is clear that the “War on Drugs” is a complete sham. What is not understandable is why this charade is allowed to continue and steps are not taken to change the laws, which produce very rich criminals and a sub-culture of drug users. What is holding back change? Interests! Whose interests?
Well, let’s start with the people involved in the criminal activity. If the sale of drugs was legalized and put under government control, the price to the consumer would drop dramatically. Criminal activity would cease because all the formerly illegal drugs would be sold at a price to make some profit for the government but all the middle men would be eliminated. No more criminal activity to protect. No more elected officials to pay off .
The police are against the legalization of drugs. Who knows how many fewer officers would be needed? In the U.K. it has been estimated that well over half of all acquisitive crime is drug related and the market value of goods stolen to buy drugs could be between 2-2.5 billion pounds. In a 2004 survey of inmates in state and federal prisons, 32% of federal prisoners and 26% of state prisoners said they committed the crime while under the influence of drugs. Crime and violence are very much drug associated and the police jobs depend on that fact.
The fundamental religious groups are vehemently against any changes in the laws. It is precisely this group the legislators fear the most in an election In the U.S. they play a major role.
The last groups against legalization are a big question mark How many adults use addictive drugs recreationally and how many students try them for a lark? In any case they would have no interest in legalization.
How to handle the legalization of addictive drugs? The drug business is global enterprise. The handling of addictive drugs should be handled similarly. A conference of all nations interested should be called as drugs are supplied from around the world. To get agreement would be difficult but necessary. There would be a need for a doctor trained to write prescriptions for addictive drugs, sort of a combination internist and psychiatrist Just as in the ethical drug business suppliers could only sell to licensed dealers and these dealers would supply pharmacies. The system would work as prescriptions are filled to-day in pharmacies. Farmers who produce coca, opium and marijuana would also be licensed and would sell only to recognized dealers
Mankind has taken drugs since the beginning of recorded time for recreation and health. That will never change and just as we accept cigarettes and alcohol so we must adjust our laws as these new drug entities become popular. The alternative is corruption, violence and crime that will insiduously pervade our most sacred institutions.
