The Cost of the War on Drugs and the Effectiveness of the Utilized Strategies
The drug problem is one of the most serious and urgent problems of the modern world. Over the past 50 years, the fight against drugs has turned into a real war of states against the various criminal gangs. The government has implemented a number of different strategies; and it took tremendous amount of both financial and socio-political resources. The governments of the developed countries conduct the research in various scientific fields such as chemistry, sociology, and criminal psychology in order to develop the most effective methods of combating drug trafficking. Despite these facts, the problem of drug trafficking remains unresolved not only in the US, but also around the world. The Mexican cartels and the Columbian cocaine traffickers represent the main danger in this war, as they receive hundreds of billions a year from the illegal supply and sale of various drugs. Some researchers believe that the state of affairs related to the world drug trade has not change for the last 10 years, but on the contrary, it has only worsened. The useful strategies do not give the desired result, as indicated by the statistics of consumption and distribution of drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, heroin, and methamphetamine. It turns out that any strategy undertaken in the war against drugs by the US and other countries are not sufficiently effective, but require large financial, social, and political costs.
The Main Problems and the Drug Strategies. Today, the experts estimate that about 80% of all drugs sold in the US come from abroad: cocaine and heroin come from the South American countries, while the synthetic drugs are from the Western Europe. However, the issue has its roots in the history of counterdrug in the British historical record. It is possible to specify the moment when drugs turned "from miracle to menace: a phase about six months long, starting at the end of 1915, and culminating in a few weeks during which concern turned to moral panic"; at that point, the possession of drugs was made a criminal offense. As of today, the United States is one of the most active participants in the war against drugs. Over the years, the US government has created various organizations not only on its territory, but also in other countries. Unfortunately, the "rates of illegal drug use in the United States are the same as, or higher than, Europe, despite America's much more punitive policies." In 1973, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been established in the United States. Besides DEA, the function to combat drug trafficking are assigned to all US intelligence agencies. The CIA, FBI, State Department, Customs, Coast Guard, the tax authorities, the police, etc. carry out such activities as evidenced in the history of drug strategies. Over the years, the DEA has opened several dozen missions in various countries of the world which employees together with local law enforcement agencies identify the ways of transportation and the main suppliers of drugs in the United States. "On October 22, 2007, the United States and Mexico issued a joint statement announcing a multi-year plan for $1.4 billion in U.S. assistance to Mexico and Central America to combat drug trafficking and other criminal organizations." The country's leadership pursues an active policy implementation and financing of programs to help anti-drug services of countries from which the US is the main flow of drugs. "The proposed Mérida Initiative would provide at least $950 million to combat drug and organized crime." Another area of anti-drug policy of the United States is the aim to reduce drug use through advocacy and outreach. The measures against the development of drug addiction in the United States include: a national anti-drug media campaign; drug courts; anonymous trust points and rehabilitation centers. Mexican and Colombian drug cartels represent one of the most serious problems in the war on drugs, as they supply the largest quantity of drugs in the US and other countries. "Mexico's cartels have existed for some time, but have become increasingly powerful in recent years with the demise of the Medellín and Cali cartels in Colombia." The Government of the United States, along with the Government of Mexico and Colombia, has created a number of different operations against the cultivation and transportation of cocaine and heroin. However, even the implemented measures are not sufficient, though according to Cook, the authorities have allocated tens of billions of dollars for the last 5 years. The great problem in the fight against drugs is the corruption of the officials and agents of the various services such as police. This problem is most common in the territory of Mexico, where the agents and police sometimes threaten with a severe punishment. "Some agents of Mexico's Federal Investigative Agency (AFI) are believed to work as enforcers for the Sinaloa cartel, and the Attorney General's Office (PGR) reported in December 2005 that one-fifth of its officers are under investigation for criminal activity." President Calderón begun the anti-cartel operations in 2006 included "ballistic checks of police weapons in places such as Tijuana where there is concern that police are also working for the cartels." The same problem also exists due to the high level of poverty in Mexico.
Efficiency and the Problems of Existing Policies. In spite of the fact that the US government along with other states has created a set of strategies to eliminate drug trafficking, the problem still remains unsolved. The problem becomes more complicated because "the cartels work together, but remain independent organizations." Moreover, if one considers the problem in detail, it becomes evident that the location of the crop cultivation is the only change. "Opium production moves from Pakistan to Afghanistan; coca from Peru to Colombia; and cannabis from Mexico to the United States, while overall global production remains relatively constant or even increases." From there it follows that there are new alternative strategies to combat drug trafficking. A vivid example of such alternative is the drugs legalization, but this strategy does not yet have a sufficient basis for implementation, i.e. "Demand-reduction efforts that rely on honest education and positive alternatives to drug use are helpful, but not when they devolve into unrealistic, "zero tolerance" policies." Some believe that the legalization of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and marijuana is immoral action. This opinion is based on the fact that the legalization of drugs will influence the increase rate of drug use. In fact, legalization is one of the most effective strategies in the fight against drugs. The only thing that caused for concern is the fact that the drug trade after the legalization can move at the disposal of large tobacco and alcohol companies. "Still, legalization is a far more pragmatic option than living with the corruption, violence, and organized crime of the current system."
In conclusion, most drug strategies are aimed at arresting and eliminating, thus, the main problem lies in those who use drugs. Every year, the authorities spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the fight against drugs, however, but the results of the struggle remain invisible. To date, there are some alternative strategies such as legalization and a variety of medical programs that may reduce the level of drug use and significantly affect the outcome of the war on drugs.
Bibliography
Cook, Colleen W. 2007. Mexico's Drug Cartels. [Washington, D.C.]: Congressional Research Service. http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL34215.pdf.
Gootenberg, Paul (ed.). 2002. Cocaine: Global Histories. Florence, US: Routledge. Accessed April 28, 2016. ProQuest ebrary.
