Introduction
The drug war to prohibit the use of illicit drugs especially narcotics has been received with mixed reaction. In the past century, the use of illicit drugs reduced drastically owing to the drug war.
However, in the recent past the use of illicit drugs has been on the rise. There have emerged counter- culture movements that have been championing the use of drugs; the drug war has been criticized for initiating the same crimes it is trying to solve. The war on drugs has made cartels to be more wary and devolve very complicated methods of countering the war on drugs (Merez, 2004).
Failures of Drug War
The war on drugs has failed to act in time, and actions are taken when the misuse is at high levels. Noriega the former dictator of Panama was a widely known dealer and facilitator of the narcotics entering the US. However, due to his close links with the CIA where he had been assigned certain duties, his activities in drug dealing were overlooked until they reached an alarming level.
Overlooking such people has enabled the drug lords to thrive. Noriega is known to have had links with the major drug dealers in the world like Colombia’s Escobar (Russell, 2000).
The use of illicit drugs has become widespread in the society; in the just concluded Senate elections, the state of California went to the polls to legalize Marijuana. Though not successful, it shows that people are becoming more pro- drugs. The drug war has failed in facilitating thorough education of the masses.
The scenario portrayed is as if the public are the culprits. For effective combat on drugs, those involved in the drug war should and must include the public. Treatments facilities must be established to ensure those willing to quit drugs are assisted. Lack of sufficient treatment facilities has made those willing to quit drugs unable, as there are no treatment facilities (Trebach, 2005).
The drug war has failed to curb the media. The media especially in the entertainment industry seems to idolize drugs. Hip Hop and rap artists are full of praise for the hard drugs in their lyrics. These artists have millions of fans especially the young people, who some turn to drugs aping their superstars.
Drug war should prohibit those artists encouraging drug use and ban magazines that advocate for the use of illicit drugs. Most of the illicit drugs in the US come from Mexico and other countries. The drug war has not tightened the border security as these drugs are finding their way into the US markets (Parker, 1990).
Successes of drug war
However, the drug war has seen the arrest and capture of high profile drug dealers like Vasquez Mendoza of Mexico who had also been accused of killing a federal agent. Some of the arrested people have accumulated millions in drug trade. The drug war has also led to decrease of deaths through the hard drugs abuse. The growing of the illicit drugs like Cannabis in the US has drastically reduced due to the drug war (Kelly, 1995).
Conclusion
The drug war has had both successes and failures. The use of drugs in the US has remained low compared to some of her neighbors like Mexico and Jamaica. However, these neighbors are facilitating the use of illicit drugs in the US and the drug war must be extended to include these nations if meaningful curbing of illicit drug use is to be realized (Betram, 1996). Education of the masses should also be emphasized to boost cooperation between the citizens and the officials in charge of the drug war.
Reference List
Bertram, E. (1996). Drug War Politics: The Price of Denial. Los Angeles: University of California.
Kelly, J. (1995). Drug War: Observation on U.S. Drug Control Efforts. New York: The Office
Marez, C. (2004). Drug Wars: The Political Economy Of Narcotics. Minnesota: Minnesota University Press
Parker, S. (1990) The Drug War. New York: Gloucester Press
Russell, D. (2000). Drug War: Covert, Money, Power& Policy. New York: Kalyx.com
Trebach, S. (2005). The Great Drug War. Bloomington: Unlimited Publishing LLC