persuasive essay about war against drugs

Essay on War Against Drugs

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100 Words Essay on War Against Drugs

What is the war against drugs.

The War Against Drugs refers to the global campaign initiated to reduce the illegal drug trade and consumption. Governments have taken a tough stance against the production, distribution, and use of illegal drugs to protect their citizens from the harmful effects of drug abuse.

Scope of the War Against Drugs

Success and challenges.

The War Against Drugs has been successful in reducing drug trafficking and abuse in some countries. This has been achieved by strict law enforcement, effective drug prevention programs, and international cooperation. However, the problem of drug trafficking and abuse still exists, and it continues to be a major challenge for law enforcement agencies, governments, and communities around the world.

250 Words Essay on War Against Drugs

War against drugs: a futile battle.

The “War Against Drugs” is a worldwide campaign led by the United States government to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of illegal drugs. It began in the 1970s and has since been a topic of intense debate.

A Disastrous Approach

Failed policies.

The focus on harsh drug laws and punitive measures has done little to reduce drug use or trafficking. In fact, it has driven the drug trade underground, making it more dangerous and profitable for criminal organizations. The “War Against Drugs” has also failed to address the root causes of drug abuse, such as poverty, mental health issues, and lack of opportunities.

Alternative Approaches

Instead of relying on criminalization and punishment, a more effective approach would be to focus on harm reduction, public health measures, and evidence-based treatment programs. Decriminalization of drugs has been shown to reduce crime, improve public health, and free up resources that can be invested in treatment and prevention programs. Expanding access to affordable and quality healthcare, including mental health services, can also help address the underlying issues that contribute to drug abuse.

The ongoing “War Against Drugs” has been a colossal waste of resources and has caused immense harm to individuals and communities, particularly marginalized groups. Embracing a more compassionate and evidence-based approach, one that prioritizes public health, harm reduction, and treatment, is essential for addressing drug-related issues effectively and humanely.

500 Words Essay on War Against Drugs

War against drugs: a global perspective.

The War on Drugs is a worldwide campaign that began in the early 20th century. It includes various government actions aimed at stopping the illegal drug trade, reducing drug use, and punishing people involved in drug-related activities.

The History of the War on Drugs

The War on Drugs started in the United States in the early 1900s, when the government banned drugs like opium, cocaine, and heroin. In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse “public enemy number one” and launched a massive campaign against drug trafficking. This led to more arrests, harsher sentences, and increased funding for law enforcement. The War on Drugs has since spread to many other countries, and it has had a significant impact on global society.

The Impact of the War on Drugs

The future of the war on drugs.

The War on Drugs has been a costly and controversial policy. In recent years, there has been a growing debate about the effectiveness of the War on Drugs and the need for reform. Some countries, such as Portugal and Uruguay, have decriminalized the possession and use of small amounts of drugs. Other countries are considering legalizing and regulating the sale of certain drugs. The future of the War on Drugs is uncertain, but it is clear that the current approach is not sustainable.

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War On Drugs Essay

Table of contents

Introduction, war on drugs essay - essay 1 (200 words), war on drugs essay - essay 2 (300 words), war on drugs essay - essay 3 (400 words), war on drugs essay - essay 4 (500 words), war on drugs essay - essay 5 (600 words), ethical considerations:, societal consequences:, potential paths forward:, case studies and success stories:, conclusion and future outlook:.

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• Reconsideration of Drug Laws: Many states have begun to reevaluate and reform drug laws, moving towards decriminalization and a more humane approach to addiction. For instance, policies that favor treatment over incarceration for non-violent drug offenses are becoming more common. Additionally, legalizing marijuana in several states significantly shifts the national attitude toward narcotics regulation.
• Opioid Crisis: The opioid epidemic has exposed the complexities of addiction and the limitations of a punitive approach. It has prompted a more compassionate perspective, recognizing addiction as a medical rather than a criminal issue. Efforts to expand access to treatment and support those struggling with addiction have become central to the contemporary approach.
• Mass Incarceration and Racial Disparities: The legacy of the war on drugs continues to affect the criminal justice system, contributing to mass incarceration and glaring racial disparities. Activists and policymakers increasingly call for comprehensive criminal justice reform, acknowledging the systemic biases impacting marginalized communities.
• International Implications: The war on drugs has also had global ramifications, affecting U.S. foreign policy and relationships with countries involved in drug production and trafficking. Efforts to eradicate drug production have often led to violence and instability in regions like Latin America, leading to a reevaluation of international drug control strategies.
• Economic Considerations: The financial burden of the war on drugs continues to be a concern, with some arguing that resources would be better invested in education, healthcare, and social services. The debate over how to allocate funds reflects broader questions about societal priorities and the role of government in addressing complex social issues.
• Emphasizing Treatment and Prevention: There is a growing consensus that addiction should be treated as a health issue rather than a criminal one. This includes expanding access to evidence-based treatment programs, investing in prevention and education, and supporting harm reduction strategies like needle exchange programs.
• Criminal Justice Reform: Reducing the penalties for non-violent drug offenses and focusing on rehabilitation over incarceration is part of a broader movement toward criminal justice reform. This includes addressing racial disparities in arrests and sentencing and considering restorative justice practices.
• Legalization and Regulation: Some argue for the legalization and regulation of certain drugs, such as marijuana, to reduce the power of criminal organizations and create a safer environment for users. The regulation allows for control over the quality and safety of substances and can generate tax revenue for public services.
• Addressing Underlying Causes: Recognizing that drug addiction is often linked to broader social and economic factors, there is a call for comprehensive social policies that address poverty, lack of education, mental health issues, and other underlying causes of addiction.
• Community-Based Approaches: Engaging communities in developing and implementing drug policies can foster a more tailored and effective approach. This involves working closely with local organizations, healthcare providers, and community leaders to develop strategies that reflect the specific needs and values of the community.
• Data-Driven Policies: Implementing evidence-based policies guided by scientific research and evaluation ensures that the strategies are effective and aligned with public health goals. Ongoing monitoring and assessment allow for the continuous improvement of policies and programs.
• Human Rights Considerations: Adopting a human rights framework that recognizes the dignity and autonomy of individuals can guide a more compassionate and fair approach. This includes considering the rights of users, families, and communities affected by drug policies.
• Public Engagement: Open dialogue and public engagement in drug policy formulation ensure that a diverse population's views and experiences are considered. This includes engaging with people who use narcotics, families, healthcare providers, law enforcement, and other stakeholders.
• Human Rights: The criminalization of drug use often leads to human rights abuses, such as disproportionate sentencing, denial of medical care, and infringement of personal freedoms.
• Racial and Social Inequality: The drug war has disproportionately affected minority communities, leading to racial bias and systematic discrimination accusations.
• Medical Perspective: Viewing addiction solely as a criminal rather than a health problem raises ethical questions about the appropriate treatment and compassion for individuals struggling with substance abuse.
• Mass Incarceration: The U.S. prison population has ballooned, with a significant percentage incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses. This has social and economic implications, including family disruption, community destabilization, and financial strain on the penal system.
• Impact on Communities: Particularly in marginalized communities, the drug war has contributed to cycles of poverty, violence, and lack of opportunity.
• Public Health Concerns: The focus on criminalization over treatment has hindered public health efforts to manage addiction, leading to increased overdose deaths and spread of diseases like HIV through shared injection equipment.
• Holistic Approach: Adopting a multifaceted approach that combines law enforcement with public health, education, social support, and community engagement can create a more balanced and humane strategy.
• Legalization and Decriminalization: Considering the decriminalization or even legalization of certain drugs may reduce the power of criminal organizations and allow for more focused public health interventions.
• Investing in Communities: Redirecting resources from punitive measures to community development, education, and healthcare can address underlying causes of drug addiction and create healthier communities.
• International Collaboration: A more compassionate and cooperative international policy can promote global stability and reduce the harms associated with drug production and trafficking.
• Portugal's Drug Decriminalization: Portugal's decriminalization of all drugs in 2001 and focus on treatment over punishment provides a compelling example of an alternative approach.
• Local Community Programs: Grassroots initiatives that emphasize community engagement, harm reduction, and support for individuals with substance use disorders offer promising models for change.
• Policy Reforms in the U.S. States: Several U.S. states have already begun to enact reforms, such as marijuana legalization and sentencing changes, demonstrating potential paths forward within the American context.
• Embracing Complexity: Recognizing the complexity of the drug issue requires a nuanced approach that transcends simple punitive measures.
• Ethical Leadership: The ethical implications of the war on drugs call for responsible leadership considering the humanity and dignity of all affected individuals.
• Public Engagement: Continued public dialogue and democratic engagement are vital for crafting policies that reflect a diverse society's values, needs, and aspirations.

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The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women Analytical Essay

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Introduction

The war on drugs as the war against black women, works cited.

The war on drugs is often associated with controversy. Issues of gender and race have been raised on numerous occasions in the war against drugs. The war on drugs was declared in the United States over three decades ago, and individuals of color have been greatly affected by this war.

The policies that have been put in place in the war on drugs have exhibited a discriminatory element. In particular, black women and individuals from the minority groups have been targeted in this war. In this case, such individuals are predisposed to harassment from the state officials.

It can be noted that black women have been made to bear the brunt of police cruelties in the name of war on drugs. Considering the plight of black women in the war on drugs, this paper discusses the concept of war on drugs as the war against black women.

The period between 1986 and 1991 was a critical time for the African American community as a whole. At this time, the community was facing a high amount of oppression making them take out their frustration on the use of drugs. Essentially, top of the list of substance abusers were the black females who recorded twice the number of drug offences compared to their male counterparts. Despite the high number of black women incarcerated for drug abuse, authorities do not place emphasis on this issue.

Criminologists often focus on male oriented cases ignoring the plight of the female community. Feminists specialized in criminology have thus dubbed the exclusion of black female drug offenders as discriminatory policies. This has given rise the campaign that accuse criminologist on the war on drugs as the war against black women (Bush-Baskette, p. 5).

The legislations on drugs have been known to affect the black women more than any other group. It has been established that the black women form the rapidly expanding population that is arrested on drug related offences.

Notably, from the late 1980s, the number of black women who have been arrested on drug related offences increased by 800%. This was double the rate of women from other racial groups. In New York, the percentage of black women arrested on drug offences was over 90% while they make barely a third of the women population in the state (Bush-Baskette, p. 43).

The early form of the war on drugs constituted of the arrest of low level drug users and dealers, as opposed to high-ranking people in the trade. This removed the attention from the drug lords who control the dynamics of the industry across the globe.

Another issue regarding the control of drug use was the misrepresentation and improper recording of the people arrested. Fabricated statistics saw the Increase in the number of blacks arrested for the use of drugs and the decrease in the arrest of whites. This triggered a national out raw which advocated for the equal treatment of all races regarding the eradication of drugs.

Women may get involved in drug dealings due to similar reasons as the male culprits. Nonetheless, there are certain gender-specific aspects that should be considered. It can be observed that black women are faced with various forms of oppressions and thus find it difficult to support their families.

In this case, they are forced to engage in street crimes for survival. Most of these women become involved with males who are drug traffickers and find themselves using the prohibited drugs. These women are often threatened with violence and abusive relationship if they refuse to cooperate with their male partners in drug activities (Bush-Baskette, p. 14).

Though the drug trade is said to be profitable, it can be observed that women do not accrue the benefits associated with this trade is equal measure to their male counterparts. Indeed it has been established that women are likely to spend more time in prison on drug related crimes compared to the male dealers. This is because women are likely not able to reveal their male accomplices to earn shorter sentence. On the other hand, males are known to reveal their female counterparts in the trade when required to do so (Chesney-Lind, p. 37).

Heroin was mostly abused by blacks as opposed to whites faring differently from marijuana which was consumed equality by both blacks and whites. The term the war on drugs as the war on women is used to display the level of disregard the society has for the welfare of the black women.

Women associated with drug use recorded fewer cases of the application of force and violence during their consumption or purchase. Poverty and unemployment are the leading factors for the reason of drug on both male and female cases (Stevens and Wexler, p. 28).

The state of Florida recorded drug peddling as the single most recurring primary offence in the years of 1993-1994. Drug peddling was the main offence reported in the criminal files and records. These records only represent the cases concerning drug use, as opposed to drug use accompanied with lesser charges (Nelson, p. 184).

An analysis of the statistics of the incarcerated women lists black women who take the lead representing 51% of the population. Black males take the second slot recording 49% of the country’s population. In the third position are white women who record a competitive 43%. White males take the last slot recording 38% representing the lowest group in reference to the consumption of drugs (Gartner and Kruttschnitt, p. 29).

The police and state authorities are often accused of racial profiling when it comes to war on drugs. This is because there are significant racial disparities observed in arresting, convicting, and incarcerating black women. Arrest, conviction, and incarceration depend on the discretion of the law enforcers in their war on drugs. It is assumed that black women are vessels for prohibited drugs. In this case, the black women are often perceived by the law enforcers as couriers in the drug trade (Stevens and Wexler, p. 19).

Consequently, these women are targeted by the state and federal officers for strip search aimed at identifying drugs. Therefore, black women have been stereotypes as possible drug dealers. It has been established that black women are most likely to be subjected to X-rays after being frisked than white women. On the contrary, the chance of finding black women with contraband products is half compared to white women who stand a high chance of carrying contraband products (Bush-Baskette, p. 45).

Black women are often exposed to regular and offensive strips and searches by the law enforcement agents in the war against drugs. The war on drugs has gone to the extreme. Enhanced surveillance and policing of the reproduction of black women has been reported in the fight against drugs.

Essentially, discriminatory testing of black women who are pregnant to establish drug use is carried out by state officials. Also, there is enhanced surveillance and policing of poor women of African descent under the guise of monitoring child abuse and neglect. This can be argued as being part of a wider scheme in the protracted war on drugs (Bush-Baskette, p. 32).

It is estimated that about two hundred women in over thirty states have faced prosecution on drug related crimes. In some instances, child or fetal abuse is associated with the use of drugs when the woman is pregnant.

In South Carolina State, there is legislation that women who use drugs during while pregnant can be charged with child abuse. In this case, such women are reported to the state authorities by their doctors. Instead of offering rehabilitation services to such women, they are arrested and prosecuted based on child abuse laws (Bush-Baskette, p. 51).

In conclusion, the fight against drugs has come a long way for the time of its rise in the ten years ago. The U.S. has the greatest number of consumers owing to a number of factors. This rate has been on the rise due to the political, social and economic factors experienced today.

Top of the list are black women who are notorious for the frequent consumption of the substance. This is not ideal because a large number of the same culprits are single mothers. It is thus ideal for authorities to place more emphasis on black women so as to tackle the bulk of the problem.

Bush-Baskette, Stephanie. Misguided Justice: The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women . Bloomington, IN: Universe, Inc, 2010. Print.

Chesney-Lind, Meda. Girls, Women, and Crime: Selected Readings . London [u.a.: SAGE, 2004. Print.

Gartner, Rosemary, and Candace Kruttschnitt. Marking Time in the Golden State: Women’s Imprisonment in California . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print.

Nelson, Jennifer. Women of Color and the Reproductive Rights Movement . New York [u.a.: New York Univ. Press, 2003. Print.

Stevens, Sally J. and Harry K. Wexler. Women and Substance Abuse: Gender Transparency . New York: Routledge, 1998. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2019, June 27). The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-war-on-drugs/

"The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women." IvyPanda , 27 June 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/the-war-on-drugs/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women'. 27 June.

IvyPanda . 2019. "The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women." June 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-war-on-drugs/.

1. IvyPanda . "The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women." June 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-war-on-drugs/.

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IvyPanda . "The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women." June 27, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-war-on-drugs/.

Home — Essay Samples — Law, Crime & Punishment — War on Drugs — My Views On The War On Drugs In The Philippines

My Views on The War on Drugs in The Philippines

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