The Effects Of Illicit Drugs On The Nation s Rate Of...

Since the mid 1990s there has been a significant and continued reduction in the nation s rate of violent crime. Not long ago, the picture was not so positive. The use of illicit drugs began to be more widespread, and governments at all levels responded by strengthening enforcement forces against drug law violators, attempting to block illegal drugs at the borders, working with other countries to take down the criminal organizations that produce and distribute drugs, and increasing efforts to reduce demand for drugs (Dept. of Justice, 2005). In addition, serious crimes, including violent ones, committed by juveniles began to increase at a fast pace. By the late 1980s, violent crime committed by juveniles had reached epidemic proportions. This was tied in part to an increasing market for cocaine and especially its offshoot, crack, in the 1980s and by the easy access to weapons. As crime worsened, the police made more arrests; lawmakers began passing harsher laws; the number of cases pr osecuted by the courts increased; and the number of people in prisons or jails, or under probation and parole supervision, reached new highs. Over time, there were changes in policies concerning crime and criminals, the resources invested in fighting crime, and the bodies that we rely upon to prevent crime and carry out the law. Among the changes was the Safe Streets Act that Congress passed in 1968. This event marked an important step toward defining the Federal Government s responsibilityShow MoreRelatedThe War On Drugs And Its Effects On Society1276 Words   |  6 PagesJust a little over a year and a half after being in office President Reagan declared a â€Å"war on drugs†, creating a zero tolerance policy. The â€Å"war on drugs† claimed that it would reduce drug use if they were made illegal. The common misconception of the idea of this solution if that by restricting the supply of illicit drugs for the demand the price would increase making it harder for users to afford the habit and further discourage users from using. When in reality this shifted individuals into diggingRead MoreThe Drug War Of The United States1626 Words   |  7 PagesThe drug war in the U.S. has been waged on civil fronts for over four decades and has not only proven to be not only futile but at times even more d amaging to society than the drugs themselves. The once virtuous intent of this ‘war’ has been corrupted by police unions and dirty politicians who have turned it into a carefully crafted system of capitalistic enterprise, designed push their political agenda by perpetuating the myth that drugs are the primary threat to our nation. Zero tolerance lawsRead MoreBody. Alcohol Is Surprisingly The Largest Consumed Drug1608 Words   |  7 PagesBody Alcohol is surprisingly the largest consumed drug when it comes to the United States, and with that comes a higher addiction rate than those drugs deemed illegal such as heroin or even marijuana still (Thio, Taylor, Schwartz, 2013). Due to this epidemic that is rarely discussed in the same categorization of illegal substances, there is a bit of a justification seen that alcohol use is not as severe. Yet data shows that is not the case, because alcohol abuse leads in terms of arrestsRead MorePrescription Medications And Illicit Drugs Essay1706 Words   |  7 PagesDrugs in the United States are a complex issue that ranges from legal, over-the-counter and prescription medications to illicit substances that are highly addictive. While many people have a legitimate need for medication to function on a daily basis, there are also many incidences where these potentially helpful drugs are abused. 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For example, federally legalizing marijuana could stimulate growth within an economy by allowing the government the opportunity to reduce expenses on prohibition, create jobsRead MoreWhat are the benefits and drawbacks of legalising marijuana964 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Marijuana is the most extensively used illicit drug in the world, which is a controlled substance, and it is illegal to produce, use, and distribute in most countries. Despite this, marijuana has been legalised in some areas of Australia (Joffe Yancy, 2004). Consequently, the debate about legalising marijuana has been discussed over decades. Legalising marijuana not only has benefits but also drawbacks. Some believe that the drawbacks of marijuana outweigh the benefits, while others oppose thisRead MoreHow Congress Has Influenced Our Current Ineffective Drug Policy1521 Words   |  7 Pagesoutline our nation s general drug history and look critically at how Congress has influenced our current ineffective drug policy. Through this analysis I hope to show that drug prohibition policies in the United States, for the most part, have failed. Additionally, I will highlight and evaluate the influences acting on individual legislators decisions to continue support for these ineffective policies as a more general demonstration of Cong ress role in the formation of our nation s drug policy strategyRead MoreDrugs And Politics : The War On Drugs Essay2157 Words   |  9 PagesDrugs and Politics The war on drugs has been a great tool to keep the force of U.S drug policies’ in Latin America because the prohibition makes the most successful and profitable failure to transnational corporations. Over the course 100 years of repression history of narcotics, it has become apparent that zero tolerance policies have brought nothing than harm to the working class on a Global scale, especially Mexico. The attempt to eradicate trafficking in narcotics in many of the Latin American