For long, the war on drugs has been fought through many fronts such as the criminalization of certain drugs, harsh penalties for drug possession and military confrontation. The military is being used to combat drug trafficking since it is now believed that drug trafficking has become a national security issue. This is because drug trafficking has caused widespread corruption, undermining of democracies and has sometimes been used to finance terrorism. Military action mainly targets capturing or killing of leaders of major drug cartels. Military operations have also helped in chasing, tracking and capturing of drug smugglers. Military success can be supported by the dramatic decline in violence and production of cocaine in countries like Colombia (U.S. Military Expands Its Drug War In Latin America).
Despite the relative success of armed forces in the war against drugs, there have been a lot of reservations about the use of the military in this endeavor. It has emerged that military action has radicalized drug cartels even more. With every military attack, the cartels go out to seek revenge and many innocents usually end up casualties in the process. Take for example the case of a Mexican marine who got killed during a raid against a drug kingpin. After his funeral, gunmen out for vengeance murdered the whole of his family in cold blood (Potter). The belief that military action has instead lead to more violence is what has led to increased demand for alternative ways to fight the war on drugs. Some of the ways suggested include decriminalization or legalization of some drugs and treatment options for drug addicts to reduce drug use (Conde).
As mentioned above the drug war has led to injuries and deaths of many people. Drug cartels in Mexico go on shooting sprees in public areas killing and maiming people indiscriminately. Law enforcement officers trying to clamp down drug trafficking have also met the same fate. The violence perpetrated by drug gangs in Mexico has been described as making al Qaeda look tame (Potter). However, there is a possibility that the violence can be reduced by controlling or completely eradicating the illegal flow of guns into Mexico from the United States. It is these guns that are used to attack and kill innocent civilians. Getting rid of the source of guns might lead to a considerable reduction in violence.
The drug war has also increased corruption among state officials and law enforcement officers. The Customs and Border Protection has step upped recruitment in an effort to restrict drug trafficking. However, the increase in recruitment also means a higher rate of infiltration by corrupt agents. Even though agents pass through an intensive background check, it has become extremely hard to find out areas of suspicion in applicants’ personal histories or establishing any connections between applicants and drug cartels across the border. The use of polygraphs, however, has yielded some success in capturing corrupt agents (Becker).
Drug trafficking has increased the rate of drug use in the United States. The number of drug-related deaths has increased tremendously. Due to the strict rules regarding the use of drugs, many nonviolent drug users have been arrested and convicted. This has also led to crowding of prisons. The concept of decriminalization of drugs has been a subject of debate of late. Decriminalization of certain drugs aims at reducing the conviction of minor drug users. However, this would lead to an increase of drug users and consequently an increased rate of drug-related deaths. This situation can be curbed by providing treatment options for drug addicts and conducting widespread campaigns sensitizing people about the adverse effects of drug addiction.
In order to win the war on drugs, a combination of decriminalization, smart legalization, and smart prohibition can be used. This means making certain drugs legal to obtain but under specific regulations. Smart prohibition will focus on penalizing unlawful behaviors associated with drug use such as theft and assault. One, however, will not be punished if their drug problem was not causing harm to anyone. Smart legalization, on the other hand, would control the sale of drugs by minimizing commercialization of legal drugs. This could be done through allowing the government control over drug sales or allowing nonprofit retailers to sell the drugs (Lopez).
Another means of tackling the drug menace could be through sensitizing the youth about the dangers of drug use. If this can be done successfully, it will reduce the number of drug users. A reduction of drug users leads to a decreased demand and reduced market base for drugs. Consequently, the cost of drugs reduces and drug trafficking becomes less lucrative.
The most surprising thing about the war on drugs is the brutality that accompanies it. The little disregard for human life is appalling. The violence has claimed the lives of adults and children alike. The story about the 43 students who were kidnapped and never found is as surprising as it is scary (Conde). It begs the question, what did all these students have to do with this?
A United Nations meeting held in mid-April 2016 came to a consensus that investing in health care, treatment of addiction and alternatives to incarceration would be more effective in fighting the war on drugs instead of relying on the traditional methods that have been used such as prohibition and criminalization of drugs. This change in approach is highly appropriate given that some countries, including Mexico, have announced plans to legalize medical marijuana and reduce the restrictions on the amount of drugs that can be possessed for personal use (The Editorial Board).
Works Cited
"U.S. Military Expands Its Drug War In Latin America". USA TODAY. N.p., 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/03/us-expands-drug-war-latin-america/1887481/
Becker, Andrew. "Will Corruption Cross The Line?". Mother Jones. N.p., 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/07/will-corruption-cross-line
Conde, Arturo. "In Mexico, Grieving Parents Call For End To Drug Wars, Legalization". NBC News. N.p., 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mexico-grieving-parents-call-end-drug-wars-legalization-n562421
Lopez, German. "America Can End Its War On Drugs. Here's How.". Vox. N.p., 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. http://www.vox.com/2016/4/25/11445454/end-war-on-drugs
Potter, Mark. "Mexico’S ‘War Next Door’ Linked Directly To United States". msnbc.com. N.p., 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39812764/ns/world_news-americas/t/mexicos-war-next-door-linked-directly-united-states/
The Editorial Board. "Rethinking The Global War On Drugs". Nytimes.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/25/opinion/rethinking-the-global-war-on-drugs.html?_r=0
