Transcript The War on Drugs - Pequannock Township High School

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Drugs long been considered public safety problem
in the U.S.
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Beginning in early 1900s federal gov’t began
efforts to criminalize use of certain drugs that were
found to be harmful or addictive
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Through highly addictive drugs like heroin &
cocaine remained a problem up through 1950s,
problem had little impact on mainstream America
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During 1960s, era of protest and social rebellion,
use of marijuana and LSD became fashionable
among youth & symbol of counterculture lifestyle
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By end of decade experimentation led to addiction
and problems for thousands of Americans and
soldiers returning from Vietnam
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Eventually studies began to show abuse of illegal
drugs was linked to other criminal activity and
could lead to health risks
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Caught attention of law enforcement & politicians
eager to crack down on “culture of lawlessness”
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President Nixon elected in 1968 & in 1973
consolidated federal offices and programs to
create Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
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Decision often seen as beginning to “war on
drugs”-eliminate activities surrounding illegal
controlled substances
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Rationale: limiting
access to drugs- by
making it illegal to
buy or sell- was
best way to stop
health and crime
problems
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Int’l crime orgs from Central/ S. America began
flooding U.S market w/ new, powerful drugs- new
culture of violence
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1980s: drug related crime skyrocketed when crack
began appearing in U.S cities
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Easy to produce & highly addictive
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Lead to increases in street gangs and organized
foreign criminal drug orgs (cartels)
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Urban homicides & drug-related gun violence
drew media attention and paralyzed
communities in fear
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1986: Congress passed Anti-Drug Abuse Act$1.7 billion to fight illegal drugs & est
minimum sentences for drug possession
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Harsher sentence for possession of crack
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Crack epidemic wreaked havoc on mostly poor,
working class citizens
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Increase in powder cocaine by middle/upper class
symbolized excess of 1980s & message it sent to
youth seen as a major national problem
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1984, Nancy Regan, launched “Just Say No” public
service campaign
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Designed to encourage kids to stay away from
drugs
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Celebrities joined effort
through TV specials & ads
with strong anti-drug
message
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“Partnership for a Drug-Free
America” also launched
series of hard-hitting TV ads
showing dangers of drug
abuse
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Most famous: sizzling egg
with “This is your brain on
drugs” caption
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub_a2t0ZfTs
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyXFN4ocN_o
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Drug use among youth dropped slightly in 1980s
but gains erased with intro of new drugs
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1990s emergence of “club drugs” (MDMA/Ecstasy)
brought war on drugs to suburbia
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Home based labs used to produce
methamphetamines (crystal meth) began popping
up in residential neighborhoods
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Chemical process used to
make meth involves
readily available
ingredients- dangerous
impact on communities
even more strongly felt
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Abuse of powerful
prescription pain meds
(Vicodin, OxyContin) have
created new industry of
illegal drug trafficking
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Most of illegal drugs consumed in U.S. are grown
and produced elsewhere & smuggled in country by
land, sea & air
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Mexican land border and costal border along
southern U.S are most common points of entry for
drugs
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Drug orgs in Mexico and C. America engage in
increasingly violent tactics- prompting U.S to give
billions in aid to help countries of the region fight
against cartels
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2011: 22.5 million Americans 12 or older (9% of
population) reported using illegal drugs
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Meth and cocaine dropped but marijuana and
prescription pills increased
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Cost of enforcing and prosecuting/imprisoning
those who break law costs U.S about $40 billion a
year
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U.S imprisons 1 out of every 100 adults-world’s
highest rate of incarceration
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Largest % of prison population have been
convicted of using/selling drugs
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Housing inmates is expensive
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2011 Supreme Court ruled that California prisons so
crowded that incarceration there amounts to
“cruel and unusual punishment” in violation of 8th
Amendment
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Marijuana most widely used illegal drug
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Nearly ½ of all nonviolent drug arrests are
marijuana-related
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20 states and DC allow sale and use of small
amounts of medical marijuana to adults with
doctor’s prescription
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.p
hp?resourceID=000881
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Cancer patients and chronic pain sufferers report
quick and effective relief from marijuana w/o side
effects of more potent painkillers
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However, federal authorities can still prosecute
anyone who grows, sells or possesses if it is legal in
their state
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2012 Gallup poll- Americans almost equally divided
on questions of legalization of marijuana
PRO
CON
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Marijuana is safer than alcohol
and medically useful.
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Marijuana is a harmful, toxic
substance
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Jailing people for possessing
small quantities ruins lives and
wastes law enforcement
resources that should be
targeting violent criminals
instead.
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The drug reduces alertness and
causes learning and memory
problems.
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Legalizing it would increase use as
well as treatment and rehab needs
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Users would be more prone to
traffic accidents and less
productive at work and school
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Legalizing marijuana would
make individuals and
communities safer.
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http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/10/08/govchris-christie-barbara-buono-set-to-meet-indebate/
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http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/0
4/altered-states-reflecting-on-state-medicalmarijuana-laws/?_r=0
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The question: is this fair?
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Specifically: is this fair to people who go
through the appropriate and legal channels
to obtain their marijuana? To people who are
severely ill?
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http://web.law.duke.edu/voices/gonzales#