Americas war on drug had been a huge failure. I believe no matter if drugs are legal or illegal people will still use them, just as people make a decision to consume alcohol or to smoke cigarettes or to chew tobacco or drink soda loaded with caffeine.Another big problem with drug prohibition is a very large underground economy that profit from the sale and distribution of illegal drugs - these people/networks pay no taxes and are generally a menace to society!!
On a national level - information on the DEA
Staff - over 10,000
Budget - over $2.4 billion annually
other government agencies are also involved with enforcing drug laws and have very high annual budgets.
For the 2008 calender year the following information is important -
Federal Government-over $19 billion spent on The War on Drugs
States-over $30 billion spent on The War on Drugs
Total- Nationally we spent over $50 billion tax payer dollars on a failed U.S Drug Policy. Government has grown as a result of the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, tax dollars spent has increased annually and we as Americans has lost many personal rights to privacy as well as search and seizure rights.
Drug arrests for 2008-over 1.9 million - over 800,000 of those are for cannabis related charges.
Since December 1995 , The U.S. Prison population has grown an average of 43,266 inmates per year and 25% for drug violations.
Drug abuse is a problem for those involved in it and for their families and friends. Drug abuse is better dealt with as a moral and medical problem than a criminal problem.
Congress should repeal the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, shut down the DEA, and let the states set their own policies with regard to illegal drugs. They would do well to treat some illegal drugs the way most states now treat the sale of alcohol.
With such a policy, Congress would acknowledge that our current drug policies have indeed failed. It would restore authority to the states, as the Founders envisioned. It would save taxpayer's money, and give the states the power to experiment with drug policies and perhaps devise more successful rules.
Revoke of prohibition would take the large profits out of the drug business and destroy the drug kingpins who terrorize parts of our cities. It would reduce crime even more dramatically than did the repeal of alcohol prohibition. This would free the federal,state, and local authorities more time to concentrate on terrorism and robbery, burglary, and other violent crimes.
If you wish to further your knowledge on The Failed War on Drugs, please check out the following organizations:
Sources:
Law Enforcement against Prohibitionhttp://www.askleap.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment