There are many reasons drugs are unlawful. There is a fear of crime increasing. Certain drugs such as cocaine are very likely to cause violent behavior because of changes that take place in the neurotransmitter systems of the brain. Many violent crimes involve drugs and alcohol. “Up to 80 percent of violent crimes involve alcohol and drugs” (Blotner and Lynch). Roberta Blotner is the president of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Gerald W. Lynch is director of CUNY’s substance-abuse prevention programs. The authors wrote this article with the intent to inform the public about drug legalization and why it would not eliminate crime, only decrease it. Poor people are most likely to commit crimes for drugs because they cannot afford them, while more wealthy users aren’t conflicted with this problem.
The reason for this is because wealthier users have money to spare while less better off users may not have their ideal financial situation, causing them to want to get the drugs some other way. Drugs can cause bad effects on people, including many long and short term side effects caused by using hard drugs. Approximately 20 people die of drug overdoses as well as drug-related homicides every day. This number is significantly lower than those who die of tobacco or alcohol everyday. Exposure to drugs makes addiction inevitably prone to develop. “12 to 17-year-olds who use marijuana are 85 percent times more likely to use cocaine than those who abstain…” (McCollum). Bill McCollum, a Florida Republican, is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Crime and vice chairman of the Banking and Financial Services Committee. He states that marijuana is a gateway drug that will eventually lead to use of harder substances for most young users.
Exposure of drugs to children before of after birth affects the child’s development severely. Children exposed to hard drugs are very likely to develop physical and mental problems or setbacks. Characteristics of children that are prenatally exposed to drugs include delayed language development, neurological problems, impaired social skills, affective disorders, poor concentration, and difficulty in play. Using drugs can lead to many diseases or infection. If you are using drugs that need to be injected, sharing needles will increase your risk of getting serious diseases. Sharing needles is likely to cause diseases because whether you are piercing under the skin or directly into the bloodstream, some blood goes into the needle and syringe. This means that if the person who used the needle before you had a disease such as HIV or Hepatitis C, you will contract it. It will also increase your risk of serious infection. The money from drug distribution could become a major issue.
People with income inadequate to meet their needs are likely to be tempted to start selling illegal drugs. Drug distribution is seen as fast money. “Illegal drugs net astronomical profits for which people are willing to kill” (Kane). Although the amount of money spent on drugs has decreased, it is still a huge profit market. “ According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy approximately $41 billion was spent in 1990, down from $54 billion in 1988” (Gazzaniga). Gazzaniga’s point for participating in this interview was to answer common questions pertaining to the possible consequences of legalizing drugs in America. He has a pro-legal viewpoint on this issue, and explains why the common concerns of drug decriminalization shouldn’t be concerns at all.
What is the real cost of the war on drugs? The war on drugs has spiked up an unbelievable amount of debt. Federal grants to state and local drug-enforcement programs are now nearly a billion dollars a year. “Federal efforts on international drug control cost more than $800 million annually. Federal efforts on drug interdiction are now at least $2.2 billion a year. The total federal drug control budget is in excess of $12.5 billion a year, according to the 1992 Bureau of Justice Statistics Sourcebook” (Gazzaniga). The war on drugs is, in reality, a trillion dollar failure. Americans spend billions of dollars pursuing drugs and billions imprisoning people that probably shouldn’t be in prison. “We have troops in Central America chasing drug dealers, we have Special Forces and Marines. Meanwhile, this war has killed a hundred thousand people in Mexico – and that doesn’t include 22,000 people missing” (Gazzaniga). Dr. Gazzaniga believes that this war is one that cannot be won.
He stated that studies show that educational pressures deter drug use better than fear of incarceration. Even with all the money dedicated to stopping the circulation of drugs, very little amount of money is actually used to help addicts recover. The money spent trying to cut off the supply of drugs has actually had very little effectiveness in doing so. A war that has cost almost one trillion dollars, has produced little to no effect on the supply of or demand for drugs in the United States, and has contributed to making America the world’s largest incarcerator. “Our war on drugs teaches that some people are ‘better dead than drugged.’ … Then, by not providing adequate detoxification and therapy programs, we systematically abuse addicted people who want to stop their drug use” (Kane). Kane wrote this article in hope of persuading his audience into changing their attitude about legalizing drugs, and how society sees people with drug abuse problems. The drug war abuses minorities with grossly higher rates of incarceration. America disproportionally imprisons minorities with the highest incarceration rate in the world.
Percentages are different throughout the country, but statistics indicate that America disproportionately imprisons minorities with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Most drug violation arrests aren’t for distributing. “In 1989, of the 1,247,000 people arrested for drug-related offenses, two-thirds of those arrests were for possession only, and most of those were for marijuana” (Dr. Gazzaniga). Many drug-related arrests result in incarceration. “In 1990 there were 930,000 inmates across America incarcerated in federal, state, and local prisons. Of these, 50,000 were in federal institutions, and of these, half were in prison for drug offenses” (Dr. Gazzaniga). Over 1 million citizens per year are imprisoned for drug-related crimes. “…Since 1985 drug arrests have gone up from 718,000 to 1,247,000 a year” (Gazzaniga). Dr. Gazzaniga says that 22% of prisoners in state prisons are in jail for drug offenses. He also believes that the inmates incarcerated are going to start to overcrowd the prisons, resulting in more needing to be built and funded for.
With the number increasing of arrests for drug related crimes, prisons are being overcrowded causing uncomfortable living. “40 states have been placed under court order to end prison overcrowding” (McCollum). McCollum, as well as Dr. Gazzaniga, have spoken on the problem of overcrowding in prisons. Both writers also tell about the huge financial cost this will bring. Policies born from the war on drugs have been designed to demoralize minority communities. “Almost 60% of the people in prison today are people of color, and 1 in 3 black men born today face the likelihood of imprisonment. Nationally, black men are six times as likely to be incarcerated as white men in federal and state prisons, and local jails” (Kane).
Why, as well as how, should the decriminalization of drugs be an option of consideration? Our attitudes towards legal drugs needs to change before we can start on illegal drugs. Americans need to start trying to see a natural way of things instead of taking drugs to solve a problem faster. “In order to deal with addictive drugs, our perceptions need to include the broader and disturbing reality of America’s use and abuse of medicinal drugs. Unfortunately, we and our doctors often turn to drugs before determining whether a change of behavior might be more appropriate. This ‘quick-fix’ mentality provides the context for America’s abuse of more menacing drugs” (Kane). Americans need to educate themselves more on addiction. Drug-Rehabilitation centers have proven methods for treating drug addicts and helping their families.
The highly effective 12-step programs for various addictions are based on spiritual healing, which is opposite to our present drug laws based on coercion and violence that can never heal. The 12 step program is a very successful program addicts go to in order to seek sobriety. Kane believes these programs should be more widely known about and understood. How can a person help a problem that they don’t understand? There would have to be set laws and procedures. The legalization of hard drugs does not mean that we don’t need law enforcement to help protect us from dangerous drug users. “Everyone who wants to operate cars, trains, and buses should be monitored for alcohol or other drug consumption that would impede his or her performance. We also require protection from abusive drug and alcohol users who constitute a menace to other citizens” (Kane). Kane believes that with the legalization of hard drugs, there are new precautions and laws that need to be set forward.
Many people are doubtful of legalization of hard drugs because they think this will pose a threat to their everyday life, with regulations set in place, there will be no more danger posed by drug users than there already is now. There need to be specific laws for minor’s consumption. “What we need to have are statutory abuse laws similar to statutory rape laws that protect minors. Anyone arrested for selling drugs to a minor would have no excuse based on ignorance of the purchaser’s age” (Kane). Young people need to be empowered to deal responsibly with tempting invitations to drug use. “Adults can help to protect children by showing them the fantasy and intent of captivating commercials. Responsible concern for honest advertising entails more than miniscule skull-and-bones warnings on cigarette packs” (Kane).
Kane believes that the youth needs to be enlightened about harmful advertisements of any kind, including tobacco and alcohol, not just drugs. He believes law does not remove our obligation to educate others about the dangers surrounding us. Everyone should be aware of the risks of any and all things they choose to consume. Legalizing drugs does not necessarily mean an increase in drug addicts or drug consumption. Many people believe that relaxing drug laws will lead to an increase in consumption, which will then lead to an unacceptable drugged up society. Studies on the decriminalization of marijuana show that it leads to little or no increase in consumption.
