“America's public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive.” – Former President Richard Nixon.
The impact a short speech can have on a cultured society is surprising where a man’s thoughts drastically changed people’s lives on a larger scale than any political policy or agenda in the past 40 years. Just 6 short months after his speech Nixon managed to sign his policy into law in January of 1972. He started a literal “War on Drugs”. This marks the start of the rise in government expenditure, incarceration rates, organised crime and a disrespect for the law these are adverse effects that the government did not expect. This war on drugs has caused …show more content…
In Portugal addicts are given support by the government through a committee of social workers and treatment by doctors this has shown a 50 percent drop in the number of heroin addicts in just ten years. Sadly America is less progressive, many politicians promote unreasonably harsh drug laws solely for political gain. The drug user ends up receiving the short end of the stick as more than 80 percent of drug arrests are for possession this destroys the lives of casual users, addicts and their …show more content…
Instead of solving the problem America seems to be enforcing policy which ends up criminalising people despite this being the “War on Drugs” it seems more like “The War on People” especially when over 50 percent of people in prison are only there for simple possession a crime that harms no one but the user.
The American government sees prohibition as the answer this is not the first time during 1920 prohibition of alcohol was introduced this fuelled the rise of consumption of alcohol; Organised crime, higher costs of government and less respect for the law. The exact same ideas apply to all illegal drugs today, people involved in organised crime profit much more than most hardworking, tax paying, honest, business
The impact a short speech can have on a cultured society is surprising where a man’s thoughts drastically changed people’s lives on a larger scale than any political policy or agenda in the past 40 years. Just 6 short months after his speech Nixon managed to sign his policy into law in January of 1972. He started a literal “War on Drugs”. This marks the start of the rise in government expenditure, incarceration rates, organised crime and a disrespect for the law these are adverse effects that the government did not expect. This war on drugs has caused …show more content…
In Portugal addicts are given support by the government through a committee of social workers and treatment by doctors this has shown a 50 percent drop in the number of heroin addicts in just ten years. Sadly America is less progressive, many politicians promote unreasonably harsh drug laws solely for political gain. The drug user ends up receiving the short end of the stick as more than 80 percent of drug arrests are for possession this destroys the lives of casual users, addicts and their …show more content…
Instead of solving the problem America seems to be enforcing policy which ends up criminalising people despite this being the “War on Drugs” it seems more like “The War on People” especially when over 50 percent of people in prison are only there for simple possession a crime that harms no one but the user.
The American government sees prohibition as the answer this is not the first time during 1920 prohibition of alcohol was introduced this fuelled the rise of consumption of alcohol; Organised crime, higher costs of government and less respect for the law. The exact same ideas apply to all illegal drugs today, people involved in organised crime profit much more than most hardworking, tax paying, honest, business