War on Drugs There are many persons concerned about the drug problem we are facing today in America. The drug war that is been fought appears to be a losing battle. The United States has spent billions of dollars in an effort to keep drugs off our street, out of businesses, and out of our schools, and communities. The just say no movement led by the former first lady Nancy Reagan produced some results with high school students in that their marijuana use had declined. The overall drug use and abuse still exists even after ex- president Ronald Reagan pumped up the efforts in 1982 to fight the war on drugs which was followed and aggressively pursued by President Bush in 1989. In February 2001, D.A.R.E.
announced it had received a $13.7 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to design and implement a new curriculum to increase education about drug abuse. There are many organizations and volunteer community groups as well as the law enforcement agencies trying to crack down on illegal drugs and usage however, there has been no significant change on the amount of individuals using illegal substances. Organizations such as D.A.R.E. which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education receives enormous amounts of funding for trying to curb drug use in schools, but its simply not enough. In 2000, citing the lack of scientific proof of the programs effectiveness, the Department of Education announced that it would no longer allow schools to spend its money on D.A.R.E. After a 10 year follow up of 1,002 students they cited few differences between the groups in terms of actual drug use, drug attitudes or self-esteem.
Private Schools Public Education School
Private Schools The first position of chapter three is supportive of private schools. This position feels that private schools prevent the public schools from having a total monopoly over education by offering the community an alternative choice. This choice also produces competition with public schools for student enrollment. This position views public schools as something a student must accept ...
In addition a psychiatrist by the name of Richard Clayton from the University of Kentucky conducted a study that concluded D.A.R.E, the largest funded national anti-drug program in schools, doesnt have any affect on childrens behavior. Although it is clear that society is unhappy with the current efforts to stop illegal smuggling, distribution of these drugs, and drug usage no one seems to know what should be done. Crime continues to be a problem. Our neighborhoods and streets are not safe as crime in relation to drugs continues to infest our cities. Crimes such as burglary, petty theft, or any other small time are more than often committed by someone with a substance abuse problem. They take any thing that has value and sell it or give it to the pusher who always seems to have an endless supply of whatever kind of drug their on. Can we ever stop illegal drugs and their use? The federal government says that roughly 6 percent of the U.S.
population some 13 million people have used an illegal drug in the last month. Each year 52,000 Americans die due to drug use, which also causes tens of billions of dollars in damage to the U.S. economy. More and more people in America feel that if this country cannot stop illegal drugs, drugs should be legalized and controlled. Many believe that it will curb senseless violence that an addicted individual may create for him, or herself. While the drug policy reform makes progress worldwide the physicians and medical institutions here in the United States show a growing support for reform.
Whether or not reform is the answer for certain drugs like marijuana one things for sure it is not going to go away and will always be readily available. Are our border wars helping or hurting? The United States has spent the past 30 years fighting the so-called war on drugs. Americans have paid a heavy price financially, the drug enforcement budget is now $40 billion. The effectiveness of stopping illegal drugs coming into the U.S. has been a slap in the face for the people involved in this task. A review of drug- interdiction activities and procedures by the U.S. Border Patrol found that its offices stored and seized drugs in an insecure manner, including in open areas on the floor of some Border Patrol stations. That chain of custody rules for handling seized drugs were not consistently followed, and that the agency lacked any consistent policy on the pursuit of drug-smuggling suspects who abandon drugs and flee.
The Essay on Drug Enforcement Drugs Illegal Government
What we Prohibit We Cannot Control: Restriction Before Education? There is a definite problem regarding the laws that enforce drug use in the United States today. Think about this question. Why are some of the most injurious, addictive, and mind altering substances in the world -- tobacco and alcohol -- legal, while other drugs are illegal that potentially cause no harm and have very little abuse? ...
This investigation also found that more than 50 percent of immigrants arrested during these drug seizures were released and returned to Mexico. Usually with no further processing for drug or immigration violations. In addition they were not even fingerprinted. Furthermore, a retired INS supervisor in California was arrested for taking approximately $400,000 in bribes to approve permanent residency for immigrants. Another INS detention officer was arrested for smuggling 60,000 pounds of marijuana in more than 300 trips across the border while working for INS. These problems that continue to haunt our borders was addressed by The Border Corruption Task Force, formed in response to various criminal allegations, closed its investigations on August 21, saying that they found no credible evidence of widespread corruption. As part of the governments crusade against drugs, many strange penalties and practices have been implemented. As I shift to asset forfeiture laws, it should be noted that most forfeiture laws are technically civil laws rather than criminal laws.
What this means is that the charge is against the property, not the person. Property has no rights, and it is subject to civil forfeiture. Forfeiture laws have allowed the government to terrorize law-abiding citizens. In fact 80 percent of the people whose assets are seized by the federal government under drug laws are never formally charged with any crime! Imagine this. You make the mistake of buying an airplane ticket with cash, behavior that is deemed to fit a drug courier profile. So you are detained and searched. No drugs are found, but the agents seize the cash in your wallet, saying they have probable cause to believe that the money was intended to buy drugs.
The Essay on American Drug Laws Do They Help Or Hurt
American Drug Laws: Do They Help or Hurt? I believe the drug laws are in serious need of reform. We tend to forget that alcohol is a drug and that at one time it was prohibited without success. Also, I believe that a civil body of government rather than a criminal one should regulate drug use. It is a social problem, not a criminal one. As a largely victimless crime they should not have their ...
You are allowed to leave and are not charged with any crime, but the agents keep your property. To end this Henry J. Conyers, JR. will soon be introducing the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act. It puts the burden of proof back where it belongs on the government. In conclusion there has been no clear cut, or one single piece of evidence that the war on drugs is coming to an end.
The Surgeon General has criticized programs such as D.A.R.E. citing few differences between drug use, drug attitudes or self-esteem. Legalizing some illegal drugs such as marijuana might help in the war against drugs, but politicians would rather see more prisons being built for crimes, which dont fit the sentences that individuals are frequently receiving. Our borders are often bought out by Drug Cartels that will stop at nothing to get their drugs smuggled in. Drug Forfeiture laws are now being challenged, with the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act. This puts the burden of proof back on the government. Though I see no big difference in the war on drugs other than it remains steadily in our society, its my opinion that maybe the government should take a look at other countries such as Sweden whose drug use and abuse is not as serious as ours..
