1. Drugs are a big problem in America. Drugs are the cause of many illegal
activities such as extortion and murder. In my opinion drugs consist of chemicals
that you have to mix and alter, such as cocaine and heroin. Drugs are one of
many reasons that the U.S. crime rate is so high. The government is working
hard to get drugs out of schools and off the streets, however they’re not as
successful as they hoped.
Prohibiting the non-medical use of certain mind-altering substances has
been a public policy goal of the federal government for more than a century. Drug
abuse is a problem in the United States due to its economic cost, estimated to
have been over $160 billion in 2000. This amount includes lost productivity,
health care costs, and criminal justice expenditures. An estimated 1.6 million
people were arrested in the U.S. in 2001 for drug violations. The control of
certain drugs has been a public policy goal of the federal government and the
focus of congressional legislative efforts for more than half a century. This “War
on Drugs,” as it came to be known, can be said to have begun in November 1880
when the prohibition on the shipment of opium between the U.S. and China was
agreed to in a treaty negotiations between the two countries. Congress enacted
implementing legislation on February 23, 1887, providing a misdemeanor fine of
between $50 and $500 for any U.S. or Chinese citizen found guilty of violating
this ban.
Since the beginning of time both political parties have opposed the drug

2. scene. On the republican side Dick Cheney co-sponsored A bill to combat the
production, sale, and use of illicit drugs. A bill to provide for a drug-free
America .A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled
Substances Import and Export Act to provide mandatory penalties for certain
drug offenses involving the importation or exportation, or the manufacture, of
controlled substances. Democrat Al Gore backed away from his earlier support of
medical marijuana, saying he sees quot;no reliable evidencequot; that it is an effective
pain reliever. Gore took a stronger stance against use of the drug. quot;Right now,
the science does not show me, or the experts whose judgment I trust, that it is
the proper medication for pain and that there are not better alternatives available
in every situation,quot; he said .As you can clearly see both sides of the spectrum
disagree with the use of drugs.
When it comes to voting and the voters behavior many issues are at hand , when
deciding who you would like to run our country. Voters opinions are affected by
the views and believes of the candidates running for each office. Of course you
wouldn’t nominate someone for office who’s been hitting the pipe, so the
candidates have to uphold a certain image to the world, and disagree with any
drug policies.
The election process does not necessarily deal with the war on drugs , unless
you are talking about the sandal aspect of it. In many cases the opposing
candidate try to make there competition look bad by accusing them of having
relations with drugs or other illegal things . When these things are said it will and
can affect the outcome of the election.

3. The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign uses all media from
television to the internet to discourage drug uses by the youth, increase the
perception of risk and disapproval associated with drugs, and encourage parents
and other adults to talk to children about drugs. The media campaign has been
criticized on grounds of its implementation and effectiveness. Nothing that the
total media campaign budget now goes beyond $1 billion since inceptions. The
media is a main form of drug exploitation today , the media is the source to all the
gossip and rumors and truths surrounding the drug scene, with not only everyday
citizen but also celebrities and political figures. Each day there is always a
headline dealing with illegal drug usage. Though people are aware of the deadly
affects of some of these drugs, it seems to have little or no affect on the regular
users. Depending on the age group, the public opinion on the drug society is
usually a yes or a no, meaning people either agree with them or don’t. there is
not a gray area on this subject.
As of today there are more then 300 interest groups that fight against drugs and
these groups are located in over 19 countries. The interest groups take this very
seriously, and are dedicated to taking illegal drugs out of the scene for good.
The U.S. government remains committed to the zero tolerance policy
when it comes to the use of controlled substances. Efforts to enforce prohibition
have been pursed even more intense in the 1980s and 1990s then there was in
the 1920s. Total federal expenses for the first year on prohibition came out to be

4. $88 million dollars. Drug enforcement costs about $19 billion dollars alone in
federal funding alone. There are now about 400,00 drug offenders in jails and
prisons , and more than 60 percent of federal prisons are populated by drug
offenders. Many believe that congress should deal with drug prohibition the way
they dealt with alcohol prohibition. And others feel completely opposite. Both
views have a valid points, depending on how it is speculated and which points
are used in making your decision on where you stand. All and all congress still
aims against it and does not see how stopping the war on drugs will help our
country in any way. The Obama administration signaled that it was ready to
repudiate the prohibition and quot;war on drugsquot; approach of previous presidents.
The new administration would embrace policies supporting federally funded
needle exchanges. The aim, he said, was to establish a policy based on public
health needs.
In recent years, congress has taken an increasingly punitive stance toward
drug addicts and casual users alike. Different approaches has been taken by
certain countries in Europe and elsewhere that experiment with less restrictive
policies like decriminalization and “harm reduction” programs. Congress received
strong encouragement from Executive Branch to continue on its current plan.
Other drug control issues likely to be taken up in the first session include
nomination of a new administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration
because of the confirmation of the current administrator as Under-Secretary in
the new Department of Homeland Security. Other issues could also be the

5. subject of congressional studies, investigations, and oversight hearings, if not
legislation. These include state ballot initiatives regarding medical marijuana and
drug treatment in lieu of incarceration, the effects of the state budget deficits on
the states’ drug control efforts, and the impact of the anti-terrorism effort on the
drug war. Other current developments concerning the war on drugs, both in the
Executive Branch and elsewhere, are of likely interest to the Congress.
The war on drugs issue is an issue all around the world. In the future I
believe the government should start focusing on the people who demand the
drugs rather than the people who supply them. When less people demand the
drugs the less the drug dealers will want to supply causing the drug use rate to
go down. Also in the near future I doubt any illegal drug will be legalized for sale.
Although in my opinion marijuana should be legalized, my reasoning is because
marijuana effects are those similar to alcohol which is legal and u can not be
poisoned instantly. Marijuana may be bad for your body in the long run, however
tobacco is legal and causes cancer as marijuana does not. The nations crime
and drug rate will drop drastically if the legalization of marijuana passes and the
U.S. will save money in the long run. In the future America, will spend more and
more money on the war on drugs if it is not solved soon.