The Drug Policy in the Us Essay

Drug Abuse in America

(Approximately one page)

Looking at drug abuse in America, what are the most important predictive factors in drug abuse? Why does it matter and how does it inform American understanding of drug related issues in society? How does crack or methamphetamines impact the physiological, psychological, and social conditions of abusers? How would your response impact policy?

Drug abuse in the United States is rampant and the country has been involved in a War on Drugs for several generations. Today in the United States, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 55% of federal prisoners and 21% of state-level prisoners are incarcerated on the basis of drug-related offenses which represents an incarcerated population greater than the population of Wyoming; the federal government is spending over twenty-two billion dollars alone on a so-called war that 76% of the population view as a failure (Head, Key Facts About the War on Drugs, N.d.). It can be said that the county's primary response to dealing with the problem of drugs and addiction has been to criminalize the problem.

However, there are many sociological factors that seem to perpetuate the drug trade with poverty leading the way amongst these factors; even more than the addictive properties of the drugs themselves. Carl Hart, a neuropsychopharmacologist at Columbia, writes "even at the peak [of] widespread use," he writes, "only 10-20% of crack cocaine users became addicted (Sullum, 2013)." The evidence surrounding drug usage is significant because it seems public policy and the War on Drugs may not be the most effective way to combat the problem. If the substances themselves are not as addictive as previously thought, and the sociological factors are even more important, than criminalizing drug use could actually be counterproductive when more rehabilitation options are available and have been proven more effective.

Head, T. (N.d.). Key Facts About the War on Drugs. Retrieved from Civil Liberties: http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/p/War-on-Drugs-Facts.htm

Sullum, J. (2013, November 4). Everything You've Heard About Crack And Meth Is Wrong. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsullum/2013/11/04/everything-youve-heard-about-crack-and-meth-is-wrong/

Question Two: (Approximately half Page)

It could be argued that the history of drug policies has been one that reflects moral entrepreneurship, moral panics, and drug scares. How do common sense, politics, and issues of discrimination overlap historically? What has been their impact on drugs in America and abroad. And, based upon your response, What can we expect of future drug wars and who will benefit and who will loose?

Drug policy has seldom been drafted based on actual scientific evidence. Rather it has largely driven by public fear and politics. Instead of treating the underlying causes, the penal system simply incarcerates…