The War on Drugs Has Failed: Report
Drugs should be considered public health rather than criminal justice issue, researchers suggest
The global War on Drugs has failed, as illegal drugs have only become cheaper, more abundant and more pure in recent decades, according to a report published by a group of U.S. and Canadian researchers on Monday in the British Medical Journal.
"The punitive prohibitionist approach to global drug control has proven remarkably costly, ineffective and counterproductive," said Ethan Nadelmann, director of Drug Policy Alliance, following news of the report.
"It has generated extraordinary levels of violence, crime and corruption while failing to reduce the availability and use of psychoactive drugs."
According to the report, in the U.S. the average price of heroin, cocaine and cannabis decreased by roughly 80% between 1990 and 2007. Average purity increased by 60%, 11% and 161% respectively.
Meanwhile, seizures of cannabis by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration increased by 465% between 1990 and 2010 and heroin seizures increased by 29%. Cocaine seizures fell by 49%.
The increased seizures of these drugs has also meant a massive increase in arrests and incarceration, some for very minor charges, as groups such as Drug Policy Alliance have pointed out.
According to Drug Policy Alliance, 1.53 million people were arrested in 2011 alone on nonviolent drug charges. The number of Americans incarcerated in 2011 in federal, state and local prisons and jails was 2,266,800 or 1 in every 99.1 adults, the highest incarceration rate in the world.
The U.S. has spent more than $51,000,000,000 per year on the War on Drugs.
"These findings add to the growing body of evidence that the war on drugs has failed," said Dr Evan Wood, scientific chair of the International Center for Science in Drug Policy and one of the research team members that produced the study.
"We should look to implement policies that place community health and safety at the forefront of our efforts, and consider drug use a public health rather than a criminal justice issue," added Wood.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
The global War on Drugs has failed, as illegal drugs have only become cheaper, more abundant and more pure in recent decades, according to a report published by a group of U.S. and Canadian researchers on Monday in the British Medical Journal.
"The punitive prohibitionist approach to global drug control has proven remarkably costly, ineffective and counterproductive," said Ethan Nadelmann, director of Drug Policy Alliance, following news of the report.
"It has generated extraordinary levels of violence, crime and corruption while failing to reduce the availability and use of psychoactive drugs."
According to the report, in the U.S. the average price of heroin, cocaine and cannabis decreased by roughly 80% between 1990 and 2007. Average purity increased by 60%, 11% and 161% respectively.
Meanwhile, seizures of cannabis by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration increased by 465% between 1990 and 2010 and heroin seizures increased by 29%. Cocaine seizures fell by 49%.
The increased seizures of these drugs has also meant a massive increase in arrests and incarceration, some for very minor charges, as groups such as Drug Policy Alliance have pointed out.
According to Drug Policy Alliance, 1.53 million people were arrested in 2011 alone on nonviolent drug charges. The number of Americans incarcerated in 2011 in federal, state and local prisons and jails was 2,266,800 or 1 in every 99.1 adults, the highest incarceration rate in the world.
The U.S. has spent more than $51,000,000,000 per year on the War on Drugs.
"These findings add to the growing body of evidence that the war on drugs has failed," said Dr Evan Wood, scientific chair of the International Center for Science in Drug Policy and one of the research team members that produced the study.
"We should look to implement policies that place community health and safety at the forefront of our efforts, and consider drug use a public health rather than a criminal justice issue," added Wood.
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
The global War on Drugs has failed, as illegal drugs have only become cheaper, more abundant and more pure in recent decades, according to a report published by a group of U.S. and Canadian researchers on Monday in the British Medical Journal.
"The punitive prohibitionist approach to global drug control has proven remarkably costly, ineffective and counterproductive," said Ethan Nadelmann, director of Drug Policy Alliance, following news of the report.
"It has generated extraordinary levels of violence, crime and corruption while failing to reduce the availability and use of psychoactive drugs."
According to the report, in the U.S. the average price of heroin, cocaine and cannabis decreased by roughly 80% between 1990 and 2007. Average purity increased by 60%, 11% and 161% respectively.
Meanwhile, seizures of cannabis by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration increased by 465% between 1990 and 2010 and heroin seizures increased by 29%. Cocaine seizures fell by 49%.
The increased seizures of these drugs has also meant a massive increase in arrests and incarceration, some for very minor charges, as groups such as Drug Policy Alliance have pointed out.
According to Drug Policy Alliance, 1.53 million people were arrested in 2011 alone on nonviolent drug charges. The number of Americans incarcerated in 2011 in federal, state and local prisons and jails was 2,266,800 or 1 in every 99.1 adults, the highest incarceration rate in the world.
The U.S. has spent more than $51,000,000,000 per year on the War on Drugs.
"These findings add to the growing body of evidence that the war on drugs has failed," said Dr Evan Wood, scientific chair of the International Center for Science in Drug Policy and one of the research team members that produced the study.
"We should look to implement policies that place community health and safety at the forefront of our efforts, and consider drug use a public health rather than a criminal justice issue," added Wood.