The War on Drugs: causes, effects, and sociological failures

War on Drugs

For roughly a century, the United States government has been using their resources to police the substances known as drugs. In the last few decades the regulation of certain substances has resulted in an all-out "war" on drugs. Today in the United States, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 55% of federal prisoners and 21% of state-level prisoners are incarcerated on the basis of drug-related offenses which represents an incarcerated population greater than the population of Wyoming; the federal government is spending over twenty-two billion dollars alone on a so-called war that 76% of the population view as a failure (Head). The "war" has been so unpopular that President Obama stopped referring to the criminalization of people for drug charges as the "war on drugs."

The controversy associated with the ongoing effects of the drug war, have been consistently mentioned throughout the public discourse since marijuana was initially banned in 1937 though the Marijuana Stamp Act. This was preceded by the prohibition on alcohol which was in effect from 1920 until 1933, which was also deemed a failure. The regulation of illicit substances finally culminated in 1968, when American soldiers began returning home from the Vietnam War addicted to heroin which eventually led President Richard Nixon to declare an all-out "War on Drugs."

The War on Drugs was accelerated throughout the next few decades with each new generation of political leadership. President Ronald Reagan launches the South Florida Drug Task force which was headed by then Vice-President George Bush, in response to the city of Miami's demand for help. In 1981, Miami was the financial and import central for cocaine and marijuana. As a result of the task force, drug arrests and drug seizures were at an all-time high which gave the public a sign that the war was being won. However, what the public didn't realize is that even with the record number of arrests, the presence of drugs in the country was still expanding exponentially. When the government would put one drug dealer behind bars, two more would pop up. Despite the "War on Drugs" best efforts, the drug problem in the United States has still steadily expanded.

Sociological Factors of the Drug Trade

The sociological factors that perpetuate the drug trade are arguably the most overlooked in terms of actually dealing with the problem. Instead of actually understanding the factors that led people to drugs, the government's leadership has been quick to criminalize drugs and incarcerate individuals associated with the drug trade. In fact, your average American is far more likely to spend a weekend in Paris, Moscow or even Beijing than two days or nights in one of America's slums (Mosle). The fact that the sociological factors are so misunderstood or ignored has resulted in legislative efforts that have proven over and over again to be ineffective. There have been many attempts however to paint a more complicated picture than many people care to see.

In the book "The Corner," the basis for the story is a result of author David Simon observing a single corner in Baltimore for about a year and then later spent more time working with people in the neighborhood. The crime-infested intersection of West Fayette and Monroe Streets is well-known -- and cautiously avoided -- by most of Baltimore. But this notorious corner's 24-hour open-air drug market provides the economic fuel for a dying neighborhood (Simon and Burns). The authors claim the book is more like a work of journalism than fiction due to the fact that they researched the book in the way that they did. They stood on "the corner" and observed what the people did while doing their best not to influence any of the events that would take place on the street as they watched. Books such as this provide some of the best insights into the sociological aspects of the "War on Drugs" that is often never even considered by those who are quick to criminalize.

HBO's the Corner

The success of the book also led to a mini-series that aired on HBO in 2000 and was very well received by audiences. The show won 3 primetime Emmys and the cast had another nine wins and ten nominations (IMDb). The show was based on the book and was adapted for television by David Simon and David Mills. The show portrays the family living out different scenarios that affect their daily lives and provides a vivid example of the drug life and a life of poverty. The challenges that the family faces gives the audience a glimpse of the reasons that the War on Drugs has failed and this is likely the reason that audiences found it so interesting.

Figure 1 - Sean Nelson who played DeAndre in HBO's the Corner (IMDb)

Conclusion

The War on Drugs has proven to be ineffective on a grand scale. Despite a record number of arrests, the highest incarceration rate in the world both in the total number as well as the percentage of the population in prison, and public spending that has risen year by year, the drug trade still plagues the population of the United States in record levels. Books and television shows, such as the Corner, provide illustrations that can give a level of insight as to why this is the case. It is not drugs alone, but also the drug culture and the level of poverty that stands at the heart of the problem. You cannot simply remove drugs from the equation. Even if you confiscate drugs then the street price rises and more drugs are imported. Even beyond that, you must treat the sociological problems that led people to drugs along with the physical dependency on drugs themselves to have any meaningful impact on the problem.

The ineffective War on Drugs has also caused a host of social changes. For every person that is incarcerated, there is usually some broken family that has to deal with their absence. When an individual is in jail there is really nothing they can do to support their families or children. This can make it very difficult to support children with a family member in jail. Furthermore, once a person is incarcerated then this shows on their permanent record and can prevent them from finding decent employment. Therefore, not only does the War on Drugs devastate families, but it can also ensure that criminals are subjected to a life of poverty. Instead of giving people the treatment they need to overcome their drug problem, they are criminalized and this can impact their social capacities for their entire lives.