The misguided war on drugs

A Costly Warfare

War against drugs and their distribution has been present world-wide since the very beginning of this epidemic. However, as it is the case with every actions governments are keen on taking, there are numerous flaws in the processes against drugs leading us into thinking how all the anti-drug activities could be organized better. This war on drugs is often fought by guns, spending money on supplying military with weapons “necessary” for stopping drug production abroad or in the country of our own. Yet, all that guns in hands of people do is bring bad things and death. Thus, many times, all that civilians experience once additional guns are added to their everyday life is death, more quarrels and more criminal activities. Therefore, there must be a more humane and effective way of dealing with the drug issue, since the ones so far have, obviously, failed.

The Actual Problem

If we take drug abuse into consideration, we must bear in mind that people use drugs on their own volition, knowing that it is bad for them. However, it is strange that, teenagers, for example, are allowed to drink coffee and alcoholic beverages, along with smoking cigarettes while, at the same time, they are forbidden to use drugs like marijuana. This system of hypocrisy in some countries serves little to keep people away from drugs. On the contrary, by making certain drugs available, it only provides a head start for a logical, next step, which is indulging into cocaine, heroine and other substances of this type, needed by those of addictive personality traits. Still, all drug addicts seem to cause little or no harm to others. They mainly destroy themselves. Then, why all the guns and violence against them, when the real problem lies somewhere else?

Countries fight drugs by giving people who live in drug dealing and drug production areas guns, by scaring young by grim information about drugs and by jailing those who are dealing, growing and transporting drugs. However, at the end of the day, strangely enough, the poor and people with skin color different than white, often get the blame. Again, this makes this matter even more confusing and hardly worth all the government's money invested in this issue.

Law facts

The sentences for drug possession are higher if you are found with a low quality drug like crack than if you are caught with, for example, cocaine.