War on Drugs, Past, Present and the Future

Topic Choice: #7

In recent years, prominent politicians and others have called for an end to the War on Drugs. Some say that the War on Drugs has, in fact, ended. What is the status of the anti-drug efforts of our federal government? Taking into account current social, political, and economic trends, consider whether the War on Drugs should be over and, if so, what should follow?

Why I Chose This Topic:

For the past decades, the battle between the government, and drug dealers (cartels) seems like a never-ending war. From generation to generation, this conflict has no end in sight. As I was reading the statistics of a drug-related crime, this caught my interest and this is the reason why I chose to do a research paper on this topic.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, “21% of sentenced people in state prisons and local jails are incarcerated for crimes committed to obtain drugs or money for drugs. Almost 40% of people locked up for property crimes and 14% of those incarcerated for violent crimes reported that they had committed their most serious offense for drug-related reasons. This means that 473,000 people are behind bars for seeking drugs if these figures hold for the entire prison and jail population.”

With these statistical numbers, it makes me wonder why the government is failing despite their effort to control and prevent rampant drug-related crimes. I am seeking answers through this research paper on what does the government needs to do and how can they prevent a drug-related crime?

Are we going to see the days where our communities are free from drug- crimes or is this just a dream that will never come true?

Reference:

Sawyer, W. (2017, June 28). BJS report: Drug abuse and addiction at the root of 21% of crimes. Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2017/06/28/drugs/