Ameican live today with drugs :: essays research papers

There are few problems as persistent in American life today as drugs. Despite the solutions put forth by our countries leaders by seizing ships and imposing hasher jail sentences. The government policies have failed to reduce drug abuse and crimes resulting form the use of drugs. The amount of money budgeted to combat the illegal drug problems in our society have increased greatly to the point where jails are filled or overflowing with drug related criminals. In 1988, the nations anti-drug crusade under President Ronald Reagan cost $4.8 billion a year; by 1995 the anti-drug budget had almost quadrupled, to $13.2 billion, under President Bill Clinton. The nations war on drugs has placed top priority on enforcement of criminal laws, followed by treatment, education, and interdictions of illegal drugs at our borders. However, it doesn’t seem to be enough. The war on drugs should be prosecuted more vigorously. One way to have a more vigorous approach on the war on drugs is to get the military involved in the war. The massive illicit drug traffickers can be slowed down or hopefully stopped by direct involvement of our arm forces. The General Accounting office reported that federal agencies seize only 16 percent of the marijuana and less than 10 percent of the heroin and cocaine that comes into the country each year. The customs service says it intercepts only one out of every 100 plans flying cocaine and heroin into the county, however there were 180,000 such fights in that same year. There is a strong need for involvement of the military so they can help tougher on strengthen the efforts to fight the war. Military involvement will help strengthen our borders. Also, to help attack the war on drugs more vigously is for the United States to increase economic assistance to help other countries to eliminate drugs form their country. The majority of drugs are produced outside the United States in countries , such as: Cuba, Brazil Panama and other poorly developed third world countries. Nearly 70 percent of the cocaine sold in America strictly comes form drug cartels in Columbia (pg 6). Drug traffickers generate billions of dollars a year and in under developed countries were the value of there dollar is worth pennies this is a great opportunity for them to be rich. In May 1996, when the police had arrested 156 people and had seized six tons of cocaine and 17 million in drug profits it didn’t really put a dent in the drug trade business.