Consequences of the Drug War
Not only have we not seen a decrease in the number of those using drugs as a result of the drug war, there have been a number of unintended and problematic consequences as a result of the “War on Drugs”. One of the biggest and most discussed issues when it comes to the drug war is the cost that has been put on tax payers over time to fund this. Not only were funds needed to substantially increase federal drug control agencies, the biggest burden that has been placed on the taxpayers has been the funds needed to continue to run. According to the Drug Policy Alliance (2015), “federal and state governments have poured nearly 1 trillion dollars into spending on the drug war. The United States is spending nearly 50 …show more content…
The drug war has created a number of problems in many communities and families as well. From an individual standpoint if one is arrested and convicted for a drug crime it can follow them for the rest of their life, and many lives have been ruined even for the pettiest of drug crimes. For example, as a result of the Higher Education Act which was passed by Congress in 1988, financial aid will be denied to any individual who has been convicted of a felony of misdemeanor drug crime (Newman, 2013). Laws have also been passed that will have anyone convicted of a drug crime removed from public housing, and in some states those convicted of a drug crime are unable to get food stamps for themselves of their families. Many neighborhoods across the country have developed crime problems as a result of drug prohibition. According to Newman (2013), “most ‘drug related violence’ stems not from drug use but drug prohibition”. We saw similar things take place when alcohol was illegal. When drugs become worth as much as they are because they are illegal, it can lead people to commit violent acts to protect their interests. While there may have been a problem with drugs when these policies were implemented, it has clearly not been the
Not only have we not seen a decrease in the number of those using drugs as a result of the drug war, there have been a number of unintended and problematic consequences as a result of the “War on Drugs”. One of the biggest and most discussed issues when it comes to the drug war is the cost that has been put on tax payers over time to fund this. Not only were funds needed to substantially increase federal drug control agencies, the biggest burden that has been placed on the taxpayers has been the funds needed to continue to run. According to the Drug Policy Alliance (2015), “federal and state governments have poured nearly 1 trillion dollars into spending on the drug war. The United States is spending nearly 50 …show more content…
The drug war has created a number of problems in many communities and families as well. From an individual standpoint if one is arrested and convicted for a drug crime it can follow them for the rest of their life, and many lives have been ruined even for the pettiest of drug crimes. For example, as a result of the Higher Education Act which was passed by Congress in 1988, financial aid will be denied to any individual who has been convicted of a felony of misdemeanor drug crime (Newman, 2013). Laws have also been passed that will have anyone convicted of a drug crime removed from public housing, and in some states those convicted of a drug crime are unable to get food stamps for themselves of their families. Many neighborhoods across the country have developed crime problems as a result of drug prohibition. According to Newman (2013), “most ‘drug related violence’ stems not from drug use but drug prohibition”. We saw similar things take place when alcohol was illegal. When drugs become worth as much as they are because they are illegal, it can lead people to commit violent acts to protect their interests. While there may have been a problem with drugs when these policies were implemented, it has clearly not been the