The War on Drugs – Who lost?

Posted on by Opher

Our cities are full of druggies, our media is crammed with notices of young deaths, a segment of our youth are peddling drugs for easy money and parading around in flash gear and souped up cars, the crime rate soars as addicts seek money for a fix, the streets are littered with down an out homeless druggies and alkies, the prisons are packed to the gills with people on drug offences, our education system is undermined by stoned kids, huge amounts of money is flowing into the hands of dubious criminals to fund their activities, great swathes of our youth are having their education and prospects ruined, gangs flourish buoyed up on drug money, violent wars erupt, thousands are murdered down the line in producer countries, the drugs are full of poisons and impurities and cut with killer drugs, the quality and strength is dubious making it a shake of the dice each time, There are significant health risks from unknown drug strengths and impurities, a huge amount of police time is taken up with drug offences, double standards rule as upper class drug use is condoned, the problem is getting bigger by the day – isn’t it about time that the authorities admitted defeat? The war on drugs has been well and truly lost.

 

All the lies and propaganda over the decades only served to alienate youth. They saw it as lies and did not believe it. Who remembers stupid films like ‘Reefer Madness’? It created a youth rebellion.

 

If something is labelled dangerous then a group of kids have to prove they are up for it – they are big enough – they can handle it.

 

Prohibition only fuels use by promoting the allure and daring of it. It adds a mystique.

 

If only they had looked at drug use as a health issue and not a criminal one we would not have been in this mess.

 

I say decriminalise.

 

  1. Take profits out of the hands of criminals.
  2. Ensure the quality of drugs that are available.
  3. Give good health treatment to addicts.
  4. Take the mystique and ‘naughtiness’ out of the experience.
  5. Enable drugs to be taxed and use that money for health education and rehabilitation.
  6. Give accurate drugs information and not propaganda.
  7. Stop the puritanical imposition of prohibition.

 

Prohibition has increased drug use. When drugs are made legal then use actually goes down.

 

Drugs are not really the problem. Recreational drug use on a low level does not cause a great deal of harm. People are the problem. They cannot moderate their use. They take things to excess. They become addicted or use the drugs in poor settings – driving, operating machinery or trying to learn.

 

The Irony is that two of the most dangerous and addictive drugs are legal – nicotine and alcohol. Some other drugs have no place in any recreational scene. But criminalising their use is counterproductive.

 

I say decriminalise drug use and treat it as a health problem. The war on drugs is a total failure.

 

The war on drugs – who lost? We all did.

33 thoughts on “The War on Drugs – Who lost?”

  1. This Town is full of drug addicts, those that are from here, or chose to live here, but then we have drug addicts who are ex prisoners dumped here. You see t…..s in this Town driving around in expensive cars, where’s the money come from, those mugs that want the drugs. This Town is being spoilt by them, we don’t need any more. There are enough drugs available, its not all joy.

    1. Quite agree Anna. There are too many drugs out there and in the wrong hands. The point I was making was that the tactics used to styop it have utterly failed. Prohibition does not work.

  3. Brilliant post, Opher! I’m with you ALL the way.

    The biggest losers, however, are the folks who *need* some of these drugs and can’t get them (like a huge population of chronic pain patients) because of the bizarre laws around legal usage.

    I’d add this one to your list: Keep the politicians, the fear-mongering lobbyists and the DEA *away* from medication “reform” and let the MEDICAL professionals do what they alone have the education to do.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
    ADD/EFD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
    “It takes a village to transform a world!”

    1. Thanks Madelyn – I quite agree. The attitude towards drugs is totally ineffective – it’s time we changed.

  4. Opher, you make great points here! Prohibition is NOT the answer. It only makes drug use seem more exciting to those who want to experience it. It’ll be interesting to see how laws change over the next decade around the world, not just in North America. Sharing on Twitter!

  8. I didn’t use beçause it was alluring or dangerous. I used to escape, until it became an addiction and then I used to feel normal. It’s all very doom and gloom. I didn’t lose my war on drugs. I won and I continue to win each day.

    1. Well done. Addictions are so difficult to deal with. It takes a lot of willpower. I hope you got and are getting a lot of help.

      1. Im doing ok. The services in Scotland are shameful to say the least! I hope to use this blog site to express my difficulties with addiction and the services provided. Thanks <3

      2. There have been so many cuts to services haven’t there? Glad you are doing well though. It’s so hard. I’d love to hear more. Why not put up a guest post?

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