Reagans War on Drugs Essay

The phrase sex, do drugss, and rock and roll held true to its salutary-earned spot in 1970s and 1980s society. With a new, looser culture, explicit music, raunchy and rambunctious movies as fountainhead as a societal focus on many things immoral, it was an era of challenging social norms. As the use of recreational and psychoactive drugs, as well as alcohol, increased, a new problem arose how does law enforcement and the government undo the damage being do by this new society? Laws were passed, bureaus and commissions were formed, and the President of the unify States began what he called The War on do drugss.Over the years, some of these solutions have proven to make some impact. The initiation, simulated military operations, and attempts at dealing a major blow to drug abuse have all affect the way America sees drugs right away. A new type of warfare had made its way into the country, and after all these years, it has made its fair share of positive and negative effects. Jus t say no. (Reagan Declares War on Drugs, 1982). This was one of the many scare tactics used in Americas new war on drugs. The chair needed to construct a plan to detract the public eye from drugs fame.Nancy Reagan was equally as adamant about keeping America safe and clean. She traveled to and spoke at many schools, enforcing the idea of simply refusing the temptation of drugs. Before the Reagans began their wartime, Richard Nixon introduced his witness war on drugs, stating, Americas public enemy number one is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to engross a new, all-out offensive. (Remarks About an Intensified Program for Drug Abuse Prevention, 1971).This mindset was yet a nonher strategy used to make America energized and uncoerced to fight this war. Nixon passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in the 1970s as a way to keep a uniform eye on the drug industry. This act required the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain types of drugs. When Reagan became president he gave a speech, announcing, We are taking down the surrender flag that has flown over so many drug efforts were running up a battle flag. (Reagans War on Drugs Speech, 1981).Americas commencement exercise clear antiaircraft gun on the use of drugs was verbal this strategy temporarily affected the country, further more had to be done to combat this enemy. The United States and its presidents had to take a fighting stance if they wanted to decrease drug abuse. One of the first instances of this was President Nixons Operation Intercept. Announced even before the official war on drugs began in September 1969 this campaign focused on step-down the amount of cannabis entering the United States from Mexico. Following this effort, the United States government funded the controversial Methadone Maintenance Program.Methadone Maintenance treatment, a program in which addicted individu als receive daily doses of methadone, was developed as part of a broad, multicomponent treatment program. (Center for Disease Control, 2002). After Nixons trials and failures, President Carter went at the fight with a different, looser approach. Carter called for the decriminalization of marijuana. With a less vicious outlook, Carter intendd that the punishment of a crime should not be more brutal than that said crime. President Carters tactic proved unworthy, as magical spell he was in office, use of cocaine increased dramatically.Finally, as Reagan took center stage and stepped into presidential office, he kept a strong belief against this criminal act. Reagan created the Office of National Drug Control Policy to eradicate illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking of drugs, as well as clothe an end to drug cogitate violence and crimes. Reagan plant policies in place to strengthen his deadly grasp on drug-ridden society. He required mandatory borderline prison sentence s for drug dealers a policy he initiated in hopes of making drugs seem less glamorous and infinitely more criminal.He began the South Florida line of work Force, which dealt with the increase of drug trafficking in Southern Florida. This force worked hand in hand with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Operation Swordfish was put in place by the DEA to attack international drug organizations. The operation was dubbed operation swordfish because it was intended to snare the big fish in drug trade. (Drug Enforcement Agency, Operation Swordfish, 1980). Vice President George H. W. Bush began insisting that the CIA and U. S. Military become involved in drug interdiction efforts.The Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1988 was passed in hopes to convince Americas youth and future generations to stray away from drugs. After all of these battles, did America finally win this war? The U. S. Federal government spent over $15 billion in 2010 on th e War on Drugs, a rate of about $500 per second. (The Budgetary Impact of Drug Prohibition, 2010). This is a sign that perhaps Reagans War on Drugs wasnt quite as effective as he had so hoped. The United States today has the highest incarceration rate and prison population of any country in the world.This is provided in part by the amount of arrests and incarcerations due to drug sentencing guidelines and policies. In the 1980s, while the number of arrests for all crimes had risen by 28%, the number of arrests for drug offenses rose 126%. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). This did not specifically mean that there were more drug-related crimes, but that law enforcement had simply cracked down on the arrests of said crimes. In comparison, Time Magazines study states, Drug convictions went from 15 inmates per 100,000 adults in 1980 to 148 in 1996, an almost tenfold increase.More than half of Americas federal inmates today are in prison on drug convictions. In 2009 alone, 1. 66 mi llion Americans were arrested on drug charges (Time Magazine, 2012). small-arm this war on drugs may still be in effect, it may have positive outcomes for further in the future. As for the time being, America has two main stances on the subject some call for further reparations in the war on drugs, while others believe the war is unsuccessful, and the focus needs to be shifted to more important and dire issues. The War on Drugs has failed. (19 Member Commission, June 2, 2011). In another instance, a poll was taken throughout the country, and its results, three in four Americans believe that the War on Drugs is failing. (October 2008 Poll). Suggestions of decriminalization have been made by many. The legalization of drugs is claimed to have many positive effects on the country as a whole, including positive economic effects.While this war on drugs started off as a full-fledged attack on all users and distributors of illegal narcotics, it seems to have transformed into a war again st itself will continuing these attacks help the country, or will allowing certain, less harmful drugs to be legal prove to be a more reasonable solution? Legalizing drugs would save taxpayers $76. 8 billion a year in the United States $44. 1 billion from law enforcement savings, and at least $32. 7 billion in tax revenue (Harvard Study by Jeffrey A. Miron, 2008). In addition, the policies put into effect by Nixon and Reagan may ave had a positive impact on crime in the United States, but it may not have been in the way they had wished.Drugs got staggeringly cheaper so users didnt have to hit as many old ladies over the head and steal their pocketbooks. (Travis Wendel, More Drugs, Less Crime, 2010). Murders, robberies and other tearing crimes seemed to decline as the price of drugs went down could this happen if drugs were legalized as well? America in this day and age has a vast amount of political and international issues in desperate need of resolution is drug control still one of them?The United States of America is a country known by many as land of the free, but does this mean that its citizens should be allowed to participate in activities such as drug use with such a negative connotation? Did Reagans War on Drugs really make an effective impact on the way America sees drugs today? The answer to that move is this while his tactics may not have worked the way he had desired, America as a whole has indeed seen less drug related crime. This does not mean it does not exist, nor does it mean that by legalizing drugs will solve all of the countrys problems.What this does mean is that Reagans war on drugs did not put an end to drug use, but it besides may have opened Americas eyes to more clear and present danger. While drugs are in no way going to solve Americas problems, the once War on Drugs may now need to be adjusted to a name more fitting. A War on Crime as a whole perhaps? A War on Drug Related Violence? Reagan had the correct idea, now the cou ntry can put it into proper use. His War was not an end all war, but it just may have been enough to enhance America as a whole.