expository essay about war on drugs

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Essays on War on Drugs

The "War on Drugs" is more than just a catchphrase; it's a socio-political battleground that has shaped nations and lives. Writing an essay on the war on drugs isn't just an academic exercise; it's an opportunity to explore the complexities, controversies, and consequences of this enduring struggle. 🚀 So, let's dive in and uncover the layers of this significant topic!

Essay Topics for "War on Drugs" 📝

Picking the right essay topic is crucial for an engaging and insightful essay. Here's how to choose one:

War on Drugs Argumentative Essay 🤨

Argumentative essays on the war on drugs require you to take a stance on drug-related issues. Here are ten compelling topics to consider:

• 1. Assess the effectiveness of the "War on Drugs" policy in reducing drug-related crime and addiction.
• 2. Analyze the racial disparities in drug-related arrests and sentencing in the context of the war on drugs.
• 3. Debate whether drug decriminalization or legalization would be a more effective approach to combating drug addiction.
• 4. Discuss the impact of the war on drugs on public health, particularly regarding drug-related diseases like HIV.
• 5. Evaluate the role of pharmaceutical companies in the opioid epidemic and the government's response.
• 6. Examine the relationship between drug policy and the prison industrial complex.
• 7. Debate the ethical implications of mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offenses.
• 8. Analyze the impact of drug legalization in certain countries and its lessons for the United States.
• 9. Discuss the connection between drug trafficking and violence in the context of the war on drugs.
• 10. Explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of harm reduction strategies in drug policy.

War on Drugs Cause and Effect Essay 🤯

Cause and effect essays on the war on drugs focus on the reasons and consequences. Here are ten topics to explore:

• 1. Investigate the historical events and social factors that led to the initiation of the war on drugs.
• 2. Analyze the causes of drug addiction and its impact on individuals and communities.
• 3. Examine the effects of drug criminalization on marginalized communities and racial disparities.
• 4. Discuss the role of pharmaceutical companies in the opioid crisis and its consequences on public health.
• 5. Investigate the economic implications of the war on drugs, including law enforcement costs and lost tax revenue.
• 6. Examine the effects of mandatory minimum sentencing on the prison population and overcrowding.
• 7. Analyze the consequences of drug legalization in certain countries on drug use rates and crime.
• 8. Discuss the impact of drug addiction on family dynamics and social relationships.
• 9. Investigate the causes and effects of the opioid epidemic and its lasting impact on communities.
• 10. Examine the relationship between drug trafficking and violence in drug-producing regions.

War on Drugs Opinion Essay 😌

Opinion essays on the war on drugs allow you to express your personal viewpoints. Here are ten topics to consider:

• 1. Share your opinion on whether the war on drugs has been effective in achieving its goals.
• 2. Discuss your perspective on the role of addiction as a health issue rather than a criminal one.
• 3. Express your thoughts on the influence of drug policy on racial and social inequalities.
• 4. Debate the ethical implications of the pharmaceutical industry's role in drug addiction.
• 5. Share your views on the potential benefits and drawbacks of legalizing or decriminalizing certain drugs.
• 6. Discuss the impact of drug addiction on individuals' lives and the importance of rehabilitation.
• 7. Express your opinion on the relationship between drug policy and incarceration rates.
• 8. Debate the merits of harm reduction strategies and their role in drug policy.
• 9. Share your perspective on the effectiveness of alternative approaches to drug addiction treatment.
• 10. Discuss your favorite documentary or book on the war on drugs and its impact on your understanding of the issue.

War on Drugs Informative Essay 🧐

Informative essays on the war on drugs aim to educate readers. Here are ten informative topics to explore:

• 1. Explore the history and timeline of the war on drugs in the United States.
• 2. Provide an in-depth analysis of the economics of the illegal drug trade and its global impact.
• 3. Investigate the origins and development of drug cartels and their influence on drug trafficking.
• 4. Analyze the role of drug education and prevention programs in reducing addiction rates.
• 5. Examine the effectiveness of various drug rehabilitation and treatment approaches.
• 6. Explore the impact of the opioid epidemic on healthcare systems and communities.
• 7. Provide insights into the historical context of drug criminalization and its consequences.
• 8. Analyze the relationship between drug policy and international cooperation in combating drug trafficking.
• 9. Discuss the effects of drug addiction on mental health and the importance of dual diagnosis treatment.
• 10. Examine the cultural and societal implications of drug use and the portrayal of addiction in the media.

War on Drugs Essay Example 📄

War on drugs thesis statement examples 📜.

Here are five examples of strong thesis statements for your war on drugs essay:

• 1. "The war on drugs, while well-intentioned, has largely failed in achieving its goals, leading to a cycle of incarceration, addiction, and social inequality."
• 2. "In analyzing the consequences of drug criminalization, we uncover a complex web of racial disparities, overburdened prisons, and missed opportunities for effective addiction treatment."
• 3. "The opioid epidemic in the United States highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to drug addiction, one that includes harm reduction, treatment, and a reevaluation of drug policy."
• 4. "The war on drugs has disproportionately affected minority communities, perpetuating a cycle of poverty, addiction, and incarceration that demands systemic change."
• 5. "By examining the historical context and global impact of the war on drugs, we gain a deeper understanding of the multifaceted challenges it poses and the need for a more humane approach."

War on Drugs Essay Introduction Examples 🚀

Here are three captivating introduction paragraphs to kickstart your essay:

• 1. "In the shadow of political slogans and criminalization, the war on drugs has silently raged on, leaving behind a trail of consequences that span generations. As we embark on this essay journey into the heart of the drug war, we peel back the layers of policy, addiction, and societal impact that have shaped the world we live in."
• 2. "Picture a battlefield where the combatants are not armies but ideologies, and the casualties are not soldiers but individuals and communities. The war on drugs is a battleground of ideas and actions, where the stakes are high, and the consequences profound. Join us as we navigate this terrain and confront the complex issues at its core."
• 3. "In a world divided by perspectives and policy, the war on drugs stands as a symbol of the challenges that society faces in addressing addiction and its consequences. As we venture into this essay's exploration, we are confronted with a paradox: the pursuit of justice intertwined with a cycle of injustice. Together, let's uncover the truth of this enduring struggle."

War on Drugs Conclusion Examples 🌟

Conclude your essay with impact using these examples:

• 1. "As we draw the curtains on this exploration of the war on drugs, we are left with a sobering realization: the battle is far from over. The path forward demands not only a reevaluation of policy but also a commitment to compassion, rehabilitation, and a society that understands the complexities of addiction."
• 2. "In the closing chapter of our essay, we reflect on the enduring legacy of the war on drugs, where victory remains elusive. The pages we've explored bear witness to a struggle that transcends generations, calling for a more empathetic and holistic approach to addiction and drug policy."
• 3. "As the echoes of the drug war persist, we stand at a crossroads of policy, justice, and humanity. The essay's journey marks a beginning—a call to action. Together, we have dissected the layers of the war on drugs, and it is now our responsibility to shape a future that prioritizes healing over punishment."

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The War on Drugs and Its Impact on Black and Latino People

Why the war on drugs is a waste of time, the importance of war on drugs in the united states, a brief history of the war on drugs, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

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Approving Drugs as a Solution to War on Drugs

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The war on drugs is a global campaign, led by the U.S. federal government, of drug prohibition, military aid, and military intervention, with the aim of reducing the illegal drug trade in the United States.

The War on Drugs began in June 1971 when U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon declared drug abuse to be “public enemy number one” and increased federal funding for drug-control agencies and drug-treatment efforts.

Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Anti-Drug Abuse Act, Fair Sentencing Act (FSA).

The US spent $1 trillion fighting the war on drugs. More than 80% of all drug-related arrests in the US are for possession, not for sale. People of color are 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for possession than whites, even though they use the same amount of drugs. 80% of all globally produced opioids are consumed by Americans.

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The War on Drugs, Essay Example

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The “Drug War” should be waged even more vigorously and is a valid policy; government should tell adults what they can or cannot ingest. This paper argues for the position that the United States government should ramp up its efforts to fight the war on drugs.  Drug trafficking adversely affects the nation’s economy, and increases crime.  The increase in crime necessitates a need for more boots on the ground in preventing illegal drugs from entering this country.  Both police and border patrol agents are on the frontline on the battle against the war on drugs.  The war on drugs is a valid policy because it is the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens.  Citizens who are addicted to drugs are less likely to contribute to society in an economic manner, and many end up on government assistance programs and engage in crimes.

Introduction

This paper argues that The War on Drugs is a valid policy, and that government has a right, perhaps even a duty to protect citizens from hurting themselves and others.  Fighting drug use is an integral part of the criminal justice system.  Special taskforces have been created to combat the influx of illegal drugs into the United States. The cost of paying police and border control agents is just the beginning of the equation.  Obviously, the detriment to the US economy is tremendous.  But the emotional stress on the friends and family of the drug user represent the human cost of illegal drugs.  Families are literally torn apart by this phenomen.

(1). The cost of police resources to fight the drug war is exorbitant, but necessary .  In order for a war against drugs to be successful, federal, local and state authorities must make sure that there a plenty of drug enforcement officers to make the appropriate arrests.  This means that drug enforcement officers must be provided with the latest equipment, including technology to detect illegal drugs (Benson).  The cost of providing all the necessary equipment to border patrol agents and the policemen and policemen on the frontlines is well justified.  It is necessary to have a budget that will ensure that drug enforcers have everything they need to combat illegal drugs at their disposal.

(2). The government has the responsibility to protect its citizens.   If a substance is illegal, it should be hunted down by law enforcement authorities and destroyed.  The drug user is a victim of society who needs help turning his or her life around.  Without a proper drug policy in effect, the drug user will continue to purchase drugs without the fear of criminal punishment.  That is why the drug war is appropriate.  The government has a right to tell citizens what it cannot ingest, particularly substances that when ingested can cause severe harm to the individual.  This harm may take on the form of addiction.  Once a person is addicted to drugs, the government has treatment programs to help him or her get off drugs.  The economic cost of preventing illegal drugs from getting into the wrong hands, and the cost of drug treatment is worth the financial resources expended because people who are not addicted to drugs are more involved in society and in life in general (Belenko).

(3). Anti-drug policies tend to make citizens act responsibly .  Adult drug users must understand that what they are doing is negatively impacting society.  Purchasing illegal drugs drains the nation’s economy.  These users have probably been in and out of drug rehabilitation programs many times with little to no success.  These drug programs are run by either the federal, state, or local governments (Lynch).   Each failed incident of a patient going back to the world of drugs costs the taxpayers money.  Once the drug user is totally rehabbed, he or she will realize the drag that he or she has been on society.  Therefore, the drug treatment centers are a way to teach adults how to be more responsible.

(4). Drug regulation in the United States has an effect on the international community.  America’s image to the rest of the world is at stake.  If America cannot control its borders, rogue leaders of other countries will think that America is soft on drugs.  This in turn makes America’s leaders look weak (Daemmrich).  Border patrol agents on the United States-Mexican border represent the best that America has to offer in preventing illegal drugs from entering the United States.  It is imperative that part of the drug policy of the United States provides enough financial resources for the agents to do their job.  The international community must see a strong front from the United States against illegal drugs.  Anything less is a sign of weakness in the eyes of international leaders, including our allies.

(5). Women are disproportionately affected by illegal drug use and therefore neglect their children.   As emotional beings, women have to contend with many issues that evade men (Gaskins).  The woman’s primary responsibility is to her children.  If a woman is a drug user, her children will be neglected.  Most of the children end up becoming wards of the state.  Having to cloth and feed children places a major burden on organizations that take these children of addicts in.  A drug addict cannot take care of herself, and she certainly cannot take care of her children.  Both the woman and her children will become dependent on the government for food and shelter.  This person is not a productive member of society.  Increased prison sentences may seem harsh for women with children, but these sentences may serve as deterrence from using drugs.

(6 ). If students know that the criminal penalty is severe, it may serve as a deterrent to drug related crimes.   Educating students, while they are still in school about the harmful effects and consequences of using drugs is imperative in fighting the drug war.  However, many students may tune out the normal talk about how drugs affect them physically.  The key to effectively making the point to students that illegal drug use is wrong is to present them with the consequences of having a felony drug conviction on their record (Reynolds). In fact, having a criminal record is bad enough without the felony drug conviction.  Students should know that such a record can prevent them from obtaining employment in the future.  It should be stressed that many companies will not hire anyone with a criminal record, especially if the conviction was related to illegal drugs.  The threat of extensive incarceration should also deter students from using illegal drugs or participating in drug related activities.

(7). Parents who use drugs in front of their children are bad influences and contribute to the delinquency of the minor.    Children are extremely impressionable, and starting to use drugs at a young age can be devastating to their future.  The government fights the drug war to protect law abiding citizens, and to punish criminals.  People who use illicit drugs are criminals, and parents who influence their children by introducing and approving of their drug use need to suffer severe penalties under the law (Lynch).  It is more than likely that the parents that use drugs have been incarcerated at one time or the other.  This incarceration may be drug related.  Children see their parents go in and out of jail, so that becomes their “normal.” Thus you have generational incarcerations which are an expense to prison sector and taxpayers.  The government is right in ramping up the penalties on drug use in front of children.

(8). People who use drugs are likely to drive under the influence which has all sorts of possible negative outcomes. There are so many consequences resulting from illegal drug use that they are too numerous to list.  One of the “unspoken” consequences is driving under the influence.  The entire population has made a concerted effort to curtail drinking and driving, and the deaths from alcohol related traffic accidents gave gone down significantly since strict laws have been put in place.  The government needs to find a way to crack down on drivers who are under the influence of illegal drugs (Belenko).  Drivers must be clear headed and focused to driver responsibly.  The government should get harsher, and find a way to test (as in the breathalyzer for alcohol) for marijuana.  The government has been successful in keeping the number of drunken drivers down.  However, many drivers are still legally able to pass a breathalyzer test if they are smoking marijuana, or using other drugs.  Accidents can still happen regardless of what drug the driver is under the influence of.  The government must find a way to crack down on these drivers who think that they are beating the system.

If the United States wants to get serious on the war on drugs, it should wage the war more vigorously.  Although the war on drugs is a valid policy, it needs to receive more attention and financial resources from the Federal government.  Preventing illegal drugs from crossing our borders is costly, but highly effective if there are plenty of border patrol agents on the United States-Mexican border.  This is the main avenue by which illegal drugs make it into the United States.  The argument that the government has the right to tell citizens what they can ingest is correct.  This is because it is the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens.  Keeping people off of drugs makes for productive citizens who contribute to building a drug free society.

Works Cited

Belenko, Steven R., ed. Drugs and Drug Policy in America: A Documentary History. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000. Questia. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

Benson, Bruce L., Ian Sebastian Leburn, and David W. Rasmussen. “The Impact of Drug Enforcement on Crime: An Investigation of the Opportunity Cost of Police Resources.” Journal of Drug Issues 31.4 (2001): 989+. Questia. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

Daemmrich, Arthur A. Pharmacopolitics: Drug Regulation in the United States and Germany. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina, 2004. Questia. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

Gaskins, Shimica. “”Women of Circumstance”-The Effects of Mandatory Minimum Sentencing on Women Minimally Involved in Drug Crimes.” American Criminal Law Review 41.4 (2004): 1533+. Questia. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

Lynch, Timothy, ed. After Prohibition: An Adult Approach to Drug Policies in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: Cato Institute, 2000. Questia. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

Reynolds, Marylee. “Educating Students about the War on Drugs: Criminal and Civil Consequences of a Felony Drug Conviction.” Women’s Studies Quarterly 32.3/4 (2004): 246+. Questia. Web. 2 Nov. 2012.

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The War on Drugs: History, Policy, and Therapeutics

• Welcome to The War on Drugs: History, Policy, and Therapeutics

History of the War on Drugs

The war on drugs defined, trends in u.s. corrections related to drug offenses, **content warning: sexual assault**classic propaganda used to scare the u.s. public about cannabis: "reefer madness" (1936), america's longest war: the war on drugs.

• Racist Roots of the War on Drugs
• The Last Prisoner Project
• Introductory Library Resources
• Drug Schedule Classifications
• State Level Legality of Psychedelics and Cannabis
• Illinois Cannabis Law and Policies
• Psychedelic Revolution and Library Resources
• What is Cannabis?
• What is Hemp?
• Cannabinoids
• Research Based, Potential Medicinal Uses of THC
• Side Effects of THC Usage
• Research-Based, Potential Medicinal Uses of Other Cannabinoids
• Warnings About Health and Dominican Campus Policies
• Federally Legal Cannabinoids Allowed on Campus (Hemp Derived)(NO SMOKING OR VAPING)
• What are Psychedelics?
• Overview of Psychedelic Therapies and Library Resources
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• Dominican University Drug Policy

The War on Drugs is an effort in the United States since the 1970s to combat illegal drug use by greatly increasing penalties, enforcement, and incarceration for drug offenders.

The War on Drugs began in June 1971 when U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon declared drug abuse to be “public enemy number one” and increased federal funding for drug-control agencies and drug-treatment efforts. In 1973 the Drug Enforcement Administration was created out of the merger of the Office for Drug Abuse Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, and the Office of Narcotics Intelligence to consolidate federal efforts to control drug abuse.

The War on Drugs was a relatively small component of federal law-enforcement efforts until the presidency of Ronald Reagan, which began in 1981. Reagan greatly expanded the reach of the drug war and his focus on criminal punishment over treatment led to a massive increase in incarcerations for nonviolent drug offenses, from 50,000 in 1980 to 400,000 in 1997. In 1984 his wife, Nancy, spearheaded another facet of the War on Drugs with her “Just Say No” campaign, which was a privately funded effort to educate schoolchildren on the dangers of drug use. The expansion of the War on Drugs was in many ways driven by increased media coverage of—and resulting public nervousness over—the crack epidemic that arose in the early 1980s. This heightened concern over illicit drug use helped drive political support for Reagan’s hard-line stance on drugs. The U.S. Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which allocated $1.7 billion to the War on Drugs and established a series of “mandatory minimum” prison sentences for various drug offenses. A notable feature of mandatory minimums was the massive gap between the amounts of crack and of powder cocaine that resulted in the same minimum sentence: possession of five grams of crack led to an automatic five-year sentence while it took the possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine to trigger that sentence. Since approximately 80% of crack users were African American, mandatory minimums led to an unequal increase of incarceration rates for nonviolent Black drug offenders, as well as claims that the War on Drugs was a racist institution.

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020).  War on Drugs .  Encyclopedia Britannica . https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-on-drugs

Data Compiled By The Sentencing Project:

Trends in U.S. Corrections . The Sentencing Project. (2021, August 18). Retrieved from https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/trends-in-u-s-corrections/.

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• v.54(1); 2022

How the war on drugs impacts social determinants of health beyond the criminal legal system

Aliza cohen.

a Department of Research and Academic Engagement, Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY, USA

Sheila P. Vakharia

Julie netherland, kassandra frederique.

b Drug Policy Alliance, New York, NY, USA

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Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.

There is a growing recognition in the fields of public health and medicine that social determinants of health (SDOH) play a key role in driving health inequities and disparities among various groups, such that a focus upon individual-level medical interventions will have limited effects without the consideration of the macro-level factors that dictate how effectively individuals can manage their health. While the health impacts of mass incarceration have been explored, less attention has been paid to how the “war on drugs” in the United States exacerbates many of the factors that negatively impact health and wellbeing, disproportionately impacting low-income communities and people of colour who already experience structural challenges including discrimination, disinvestment, and racism. The U.S. war on drugs has subjected millions to criminalisation, incarceration, and lifelong criminal records, disrupting or altogether eliminating their access to adequate resources and supports to live healthy lives. This paper examines the ways that “drug war logic” has become embedded in key SDOH and systems, such as employment, education, housing, public benefits, family regulation (commonly referred to as the child welfare system), the drug treatment system, and the healthcare system. Rather than supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities, the U.S. drug war has exacerbated harm in these systems through practices such as drug testing, mandatory reporting, zero-tolerance policies, and coerced treatment. We argue that, because the drug war has become embedded in these systems, medical practitioners can play a significant role in promoting individual and community health by reducing the impact of criminalisation upon healthcare service provision and by becoming engaged in policy reform efforts.

KEY MESSAGES

• A drug war logic that prioritises and justifies drug prohibition, criminalisation, and punishment has fuelled the expansion of drug surveillance and control mechanisms in numerous facets of everyday life in the United States negatively impacting key social determinants of health, including housing, education, income, and employment.
• The U.S. drug war’s frontline enforcers are no longer police alone but now include physicians, nurses, teachers, neighbours, social workers, employers, landlords, and others.
• Physicians and healthcare providers can play a significant role in promoting individual and community health by reducing the impact of criminalisation upon healthcare service provision and engaging in policy reform.

Introduction

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” [ 1 ] There is a growing recognition in the fields of public health and medicine that SDOH play a key role in driving health inequities and disparities, such that a focus on individual-level medical interventions will have limited effects without the consideration of the macro-level factors that dictate how effectively individuals can manage their health. For instance, differences in access to nutritious foods, safe neighbourhoods, stable housing, well-paying job opportunities, enriching school environments, insurance, and healthcare can lead to differential health outcomes for individuals, their families, and their communities. And as these mid- and downstream SDOH have gained more attention, we must also focus on more macro SDOH in order to understand “how upstream factors, such as governance and legislation, create structural challenges and impose downstream barriers that impact the ability and opportunity to lead a healthy lifestyle.” [ 2 ]

One underexplored upstream SDOH is the “war on drugs” in the United States and how it exacerbates many of the factors that negatively impact health and wellbeing, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and people of colour who already experience structural challenges including discrimination, disinvestment, and racism [ 3 ]. President Richard Nixon launched the contemporary drug war in the U.S. in 1971 when he signed the Controlled Substances Act and declared drug abuse as “public enemy number one.” [ 4 ] Since the declaration of the U.S. drug war, billions of dollars each year have been spent on drug enforcement and punishment because it was made a local, state, and federal priority [ 5 ]. For the past half century, the war on drugs has subjected millions to criminalisation, incarceration, and lifelong criminal records, disrupting or altogether eliminating access to adequate resources and supports to live healthy lives.

Drug offences remain the leading cause of arrest in the nation; over 1.1 million drug-related arrests were made in 2020, and the majority were for personal possession alone [ 6 ]. Black people – who are 13% of the U.S. population – made up 24% of all drug arrests in 2020, despite the fact that people of all races use and sell drugs at similar rates [ 6–8 ]. While incarceration rates for drug-related offences skyrocketed in the 1980s and 1990s, they have decreased in recent years motivated both by cost savings and criminal legal reform efforts to promote a public health approach to drug use. However, estimates still suggest that roughly 20% of people who are incarcerated are there for a drug charge, and racial disparities in incarceration persist [ 9 , 10 ].

Meanwhile, the illicit drug supply has become increasingly unpredictable and contaminated due to drug supply disruptions, contributing to an exponential increase in drug overdose deaths [ 11 , 12 ]. Estimates suggest that one million people died of a drug-involved overdose between 1999 and 2020, with over 100,000 deaths occurring in a calendar year for the first time in 2021 [ 13 , 14 ]. Since 2015, overdose deaths have disproportionately impacted racial and ethnic minorities; Black people have had the biggest increase in overdose fatality rates, and today, Black and Native people have the highest overdose death rates across the U.S [ 15 ]. The most recent “fourth wave” of the overdose crisis can be attributed to a fentanyl-contaminated drug supply caused by drug prohibition; criminalisation that leads to stigma and fear of punishment that deters people from getting support they might need; and a lack of robust, scaled-up investment in harm reduction and evidence-based treatment services [ 16 , 17 ]. Although harm reduction interventions, including supervised consumption spaces (also called supervised injection facilities, drug consumption rooms, or overdose prevention centres) and heroin-assisted treatment have been widely studied and found effective outside of the U.S., these strategies have not been widely adopted in this country [ 18–21 ].

The drug war has also become deeply embedded within many of the systems and structures of U.S. life well beyond the criminal legal apparatus [ 3 ]. Since the health impacts of incarceration have been studied elsewhere, this paper will specifically discuss the impacts of criminalisation in other facets of life [ 22 ].

We argue that an underlying drug war logic has fuelled the expansion of drug surveillance and control mechanisms in numerous facets of everyday life in the U.S. We define drug war logic as a logic that prioritises and justifies drug prohibition, criminalisation, and punishment to purportedly address the real and perceived health harms of drug use over a public health approach to address these issues. In coining this term, we hope to make more visible the implicit assumptions about drug use that are often unnamed but common in the policies and practices across different institutions. We acknowledge that many actors in these settings where drug war logic is embedded, including physicians and other healthcare providers, are often well-intentioned yet unaware of how they may be perpetuating this logic through their own actions. We argue that drug war logic defies and contradicts widely accepted understandings of addiction as a health issue and has, in many cases, made a public health approach more challenging to implement [ 23 ]. Notably, the American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as “a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.” [ 24 ] As this paper will outline, drug war logic undermines rather than supports the health of people who use drugs, their families, and their communities by treating drug use as a criminal issue.

Drug war logic is made concrete, not just within criminal legal systems, but also through mandated drug reporting and monitoring systems in treatment and healthcare settings, compulsory drug testing in employment and for the receipt of social services, the proliferation of zero-tolerance workplaces and school zones, mandated treatment in order to receive resources or avoid loss of benefits, background checks for work and housing, and numerous other measures which will be discussed in detail below. As a result, the drug war’s frontline enforcers are no longer police alone but now include physicians, nurses, teachers, neighbours, social workers, employers, landlords, and others who are required to engage in these forms of surveillance and punishment.

This commentary will use a SDOH lens to explore a number of systems where the drug war and its logic have taken root, impacting individual and community health and subjecting many people in the U.S. to surveillance due to suspected or confirmed drug use. Healthcare providers must have a robust understanding of the impact of drug war logic in employment, housing, education, public benefits, the family regulation system (commonly referred to as the child welfare system), the drug treatment system, and the healthcare system because these deeply impact the health of their patients, particularly their patients who use drugs (For the purposes of this paper, we are using the term “Family Regulation System,” coined by Emma Williams and used by other scholars, instead of the more commonly used term “Child Welfare System” to reflect the fact that, particularly for low-income families and families of color, state intervention often occurs in order to regulate their families rather than to prioritize the welfare of the entire family unit, of which the child is a part).

Employment, with its link to income and health insurance, is an important determinant of health. However, drug testing, criminal background checks, and exclusions of those with criminal histories from certain professions create significant barriers to obtaining and maintaining employment. Beginning in the 1980s, employment-based drug testing became widespread. In a 1994 report, the National Research Council noted that “[i]n a period of about 20 years, urine testing has moved from identifying a few individuals with major criminal or health problems to generalized programs that touch the lives of millions of citizens.” [ 25 ] Between 2017 and 2020, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that approximately 21% of respondents were tested as part of the hiring process, and 15% were subject to random employee drug testing [ 26 ].

Despite the widespread use of testing, less than 5.5% of results are positive for any drug, according to data from Quest Diagnostics, one of the largest testing companies in the country [ 27 ]. There is little evidence that these policies are effective in reducing drug use, improving workplace safety, or increasing productivity [ 28–30 ]. Notably, drug tests cannot specify how much of a drug was consumed, whether the person is currently intoxicated or impaired, or if they have a SUD. Drug tests cannot indicate if drug use will impact a person’s ability to perform their work or if they present a safety risk. Rather, drug tests simply show whether or not someone has a particular metabolite in their system [ 31–35 ].

Beyond workplace drug testing, hundreds of thousands are excluded from stable, well-paid work because of drug-related convictions. Over 70 million people – more than 20% of the U.S. population – have some type of criminal record [ 36 ]. A drug arrest or charge, even without a conviction, can be a barrier to getting a job because it can appear in many web searches and background checks [ 37 ]. Criminal background checks have become cheaper and easier to access, even though these records are notoriously inaccurate [ 38 , 39 ]. In addition, more than a quarter of jobs in the U.S. require some kind of licence, and a drug conviction history can automatically prevent people from getting a professional licence for their trade, like trucking or barbering [ 40 ].

These employment barriers disproportionately affect Black men, who already face additional impediments to employment and who are most harmed by the drug war and criminalisation [ 41 ]. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued guidance stating that denying employment based on criminal records could be a form of racial discrimination because people of colour are more likely to be targeted by law enforcement and thus more likely to have an arrest or conviction record [ 42 , 43 ]. As a recent report by the Brennan Centre points out: “the staggering racial disparities in our criminal justice system flow directly into economic inequality” [ 36 ]. This same report found that those with a history of imprisonment earned 52% less than those with no history of incarceration.

Employment is a health issue that should be of concern to healthcare providers because it provides income, access to health insurance and medical treatment, and social connection [ 44 ]. Precarious employment and low income are linked to poor health, and some research has shown that people who use drugs and who are precariously employed face increased vulnerability to violence and HIV infection [ 45–47 ]. Being unemployed can lead to poverty and negative health effects and is associated with increased rates of drug use and SUDs [ 48 ].

Rather than supporting people who use drugs in accessing employment and the health benefits attached to it, drug war logic in employment settings can erect barriers. Eliminating or greatly restricting workplace drug testing as well as banning criminal background checks and professional licencing restrictions are important steps towards restoring access to employment and the many health benefits it confers.

Housing is another key SDOH that is significantly impacted by drug war policies and practices. Drug war surveillance in housing began with the passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, which prohibited public housing authorities (PHAs) from allowing tenants to engage in drug-related activity on or near public housing premises and deemed such activity grounds for immediate eviction [ 49 ].

The Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 expanded on this so that if a tenant’s family member or guest - regardless of whether they live on-site - engages in drug-related activity, the tenant and their household can be evicted [ 50 ]. Additionally, the Act states that evicted households must be banned from public housing for a minimum of three years unless the tenant completes an agency-approved drug treatment program or has otherwise been “rehabilitated successfully.” [ 50 ]

Six years later in 1996, Congress passed the Housing Opportunity Program Extension Act, which established “One Strike” laws and expanded on previous acts to give PHAs the authority to evict tenants if they or a guest was suspected of using or selling drugs, even outside of the premises [ 51 ]. This series of public housing policies requires neither a drug arrest nor proof that a tenant or their guest is involved in drug use, sales, or activity [ 52 ].

Private housing markets can also enforce zero-tolerance drug policies. In over 2,000 cities across the U.S., landlords can certify their property as “crime-free” by taking a class, implementing “crime prevention” architecture, and including clauses in their leases that allow for immediate eviction should a tenant, family member, or guest engage in “criminal activity,” particularly drug-related activity, on or off the premises [ 53 , 54 ]. Landlords, in close partnership with law enforcement, can invoke these laws by claiming to enforce crime-free ordinances, regardless of whether the alleged drug-related activity is illegal. In states across the U.S., private landlords have evicted tenants following an overdose [ 55–59 ]. In practice, these programs and ordinances increase the surveillance and displacement of low-income Black and Latinx tenants while not decreasing crime and potentially deterring someone from calling 911 for medical assistance in case of an overdose [ 55 ].

Evictions can lead to unstable housing or homelessness, which is associated with a host of chronic health problems, infectious diseases, emotional and developmental problems, food insecurity, and premature death [ 60–63 ]. Lacking a permanent address and reliable transportation makes it more difficult to receive and store medications and travel to a hospital or clinic; this is compounded with the stigma and discrimination that unhoused people often face from healthcare providers [ 64 ]. Being unhoused or housing unstable is also associated with difficulty obtaining long-term employment and education [ 65–67 ]. Longitudinal studies have found that family eviction has both short- and long-term impacts among newborns and children, including adverse birth outcomes, poorer health, risk of lead exposure, worse cognitive function, and lower educational outcomes [ 68 ]. These negative health outcomes are compounded for people with SUDs [ 69 ]. Unhoused people who use drugs are often forced into more unsafe, more unsanitary, and riskier injection and drug-using practices to avoid detection [ 70 ]. Evictions and homelessness are also associated with increased risk of drug-related harms, including non-fatal and fatal overdose, infectious diseases, and syringe sharing [ 71–73 ]. In addition, evictions can disrupt relationships between users and trusted sellers, making an already unregulated drug supply even more unpredictable [ 70 ].

While housing is understood as a key component of health and safety for all people, including people who use drugs, drug war logic can encourage and facilitate displacement, making it hard for housed people to remain so and creating barriers for those who are unhoused to find safe, affordable housing options. Solutions for improving housing access include ending evictions and removing housing bans based solely on drug-related activity or suspected activity, restricting landlords from using criminal background checks to exclude prospective tenants, and ending collaborations between housing complexes and law enforcement. Housing interventions that can improve the health of people who use drugs, in particular, include investing in Housing First programs and permanent supportive housing, providing eviction protection to people who call for help during an overdose emergency (i.e. expanding 911 Good Samaritan laws), and establishing overdose prevention centres.

Education is also understood as a strong predictor of health [ 74–76 ], but drug war logic in educational settings can subject young people who use drugs to punishment rather than needed support. Adolescent substance use is associated with sexual risk behaviour, experience of violence, adverse childhood experiences, and mental health and suicide risks, which should justify greater mental health and support services in schools [ 77 ]. Despite this, punitive responses to suspected or confirmed drug use, ranging from surveillance and policing to drug testing and expulsion, are commonplace in the field of education.

In 2018, 94% of high schools used security cameras, 65% did random sweeps for contraband, and 13% used metal detectors [ 78 ]. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have almost as many police and security officers in schools as they do school counsellors [ 79 , 80 ]. Drug use is one of the most common sources of referrals of students to police [ 80 ]. And recent estimates show that over a third of all U.S. school districts with middle or high schools had student drug testing policies [ 81–83 ].

Drug war policies also impact higher education, which is integral to economic mobility [ 84 ]. Prior to December 2020, federal law prohibited educational grants and financial aid to people in prison, one-fifth of whom were there for a drug offence, and drug convictions could lead to temporary or indefinite suspension of federal financial aid for students [ 85 ]. Still today, fourteen states have some temporary or permanent denial of financial aid for college or university education for people with criminal records [ 86 ].

These education policies – surveillance, policing, drug testing, zero tolerance, and barriers to financial aid – restrict access to education and ultimately impede economic wellbeing and positive health outcomes. For example, dropout risk increases every time a student receives harsh school discipline or comes into contact with the criminal legal system, including through school police officers [ 87 ]. Dropping out, in turn, is associated with higher unemployment and chronic health conditions [ 88 ]. In addition, discipline, such as expulsion for a drug violation, can contribute to more arrests for drug offences or the development of SUDs [ 89–91 ]. In contrast, school completion can help reduce higher risk substance use patterns [ 92 ], and education is a strong predictor of long-term health and quality of life [ 93 ].

Rather than supporting young people in completing their education and getting the support they may need, drug war logic prioritises punishing them in schools while often restricting access to financial aid and educational services for those seeking higher education. If we want to improve the health of young people, we need to reverse these policies. For example, the American Academy of Paediatrics opposes the random drug testing of young people based on an exhaustive review of the literature finding it did more harm than good [ 94 ]. Removing police from schools, ending zero-tolerance policies, and offering young people who use drugs counselling and support, instead of expulsion, could also help improve completion rates, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.

Public benefits

Though economic and food insecurity are linked with poor health outcomes, decades of drug policies have restricted access to public assistance programs. In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) [ 95 ], and one of the stated goals was to facilitate the transition from reliance on public assistance to full-time employment [ 96 ]. This law restricted benefits for people who use drugs, people with prior drug convictions, and their families in several ways.

The PRWORA introduced a lifetime ban on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance benefits for people with felony drug convictions, unless the state modified or opted out of the ban. Today, one state - South Carolina - fully bars people with felony drug convictions from receiving SNAP, and twenty-one states have instituted a modified SNAP ban [ 97 ]. Seven states fully bar people with felony drug convictions from receiving TANF, and seventeen states and the District of Columbia have instituted modified TANF bans [ 97 ]. Common features of modified bans can include mandatory drug treatment, drug testing, and parole compliance [ 98 , 99 ]. These zero-tolerance bans have discriminatory and disproportionate impacts among Black and Latinx people and women, who are disproportionately incarcerated for federal and state drug offences [ 100 ].

Drug testing of public benefits applicants is less discussed in the peer-reviewed literature [ 101 ]. Although the PRWORA authorised, but did not require, drug screenings of public benefits applicants, today 13 states drug test TANF applicants [ 102 , 103 ]. States that drug test as a condition of receiving TANF can only test if drug use is suspected. For example, some states automatically require people with felony drug convictions to take a drug test [ 104 ], while other states require all applicants to undergo a drug screening questionnaire and then require a test if there is suspicion of drug use [ 105 ]. Many TANF applicants, who are already low income, are expected to pay for their drug tests. The impact of drug testing on people with felony drug convictions is compounded since they are already disproportionately poor, unemployed, and food insecure compared to people who have never been incarcerated [ 106–108 ].

In most states that test, a positive drug test can temporarily or permanently disqualify a person from receiving TANF benefits [ 105 ]. Even if cash assistance is allocated to other household members (e.g. children) through a different parent or guardian, overall benefits for the family can be reduced. In some cases, a person who tests positive for drugs may still receive benefits but only if they complete mandated, abstinence-based treatment [ 105 ]. Such policies and practices can deter many eligible candidates and those in need of support from ultimately seeking these public benefits altogether [ 109 ].

There are numerous negative health consequences associated with food and economic insecurity [ 110–112 ]. In particular, studies have found that loss or reduction of SNAP is associated with increased odds of household and child food insecurity and increased odds of forgoing health or dental care [ 113 ]. Loss or reduction of TANF is associated with increased risk of hunger, homelessness or eviction, utility shutoff, inadequate medical care, and poor health [ 114 ].

When people are seeking financial and nutritional support to better care for themselves and their families, especially in crisis, drug war logic justifies more barriers to SNAP and TANF and the discontinuation of assistance precisely when people need it the most. To better support financial and economic security of low-income people, advocates can support removing TANF and SNAP bans for people who have felony drug convictions, ending drug testing requirements for public assistance, eliminating mandatory drug treatment requirements for public benefits applicants and recipients, and adequately investing in public benefit programs to ensure they provide enough assistance for families.

Family regulation

The family regulation system (FRS) often treats any drug use as a predictor of child abuse or neglect, even though research shows that poverty is one of the largest predictors of adverse infant and child health outcomes [ 115 ]. Drug war logic within the FRS justifies the separation and punishment of families for drug use even absent evidence of abuse or neglect. Half of all states and the District of Columbia require healthcare professionals to report any suspected drug use during pregnancy to FRS authorities, and eight states require them to drug test patients suspected of drug use [ 116 ]. Statutes in nineteen states and the District of Columbia define any drug use during pregnancy as a form of child maltreatment [ 117 ]. These policies exist even though most people who use drugs use them infrequently and do not meet criteria for SUDs [ 118 ]. Additionally, evidence proving causal links between prenatal drug use and child harm and maltreatment is limited. Research finds that in utero exposure to drugs may not have long-term negative developmental impacts on the child and that confounding variables, like poverty and food insecurity, have significant and often stronger impacts on child development than drug use [ 117 ].

Drug testing, mandatory reporting, and the prospect of punishments result in poorer health outcomes for pregnant people who use drugs, especially if they struggle with their use. A fear of punishment and family separation leads some pregnant people who use drugs to avoid honest, open conversations about healthcare needs or how to reduce drug use harms so that many delay, avoid, or forgo prenatal care altogether [ 119 , 120 ].

Like healthcare professionals, most school teachers, counsellors, social workers, and mental healthcare providers are required by law to report any suspicion of child maltreatment or neglect, which then initiates an FRS investigation [ 121 ]. A child can be removed from their home if the caregiver tests positive for drugs, even absent any other evidence of mistreatment or abuse. In addition, a positive drug test can lead to a parent being mandated to complete abstinence-based treatment even if the parent does not meet criteria for a diagnosable SUD [ 122 ]. Intervention by the FRS, such as placing children in foster care, can lead to adverse education, employment, and mental and behavioural health outcomes among children; increased parental mental illness diagnoses; and increased parental drug use to cope with the trauma of family separation [ 123–125 ].

These policies have disproportionate impacts on Black people. Black pregnant women are more likely to be tested for drug use, and Black women are reported to the FRS at higher rates than white women [ 126–128 ]. Over half of Black children will experience an FRS investigation at some point during their lifetime [ 129 ]. One study that analysed cumulative foster system removals between 2000 and 2011 found that 1 in 17 U.S. children, 1 in 9 Black children, and 1 in 7 Indigenous children will experience foster placement before they turn 18, and data show that many FRS cases involve allegations of parental drug use at some point [ 130 ]. These disparities in FRS involvement are not because Black parents are using drugs or mistreating their children at higher rates; rather, it’s because Black families, especially poor Black families, more often encounter state systems – like public hospitals and public benefits offices – and mandated reporters within these systems that monitor behaviour and drug use [ 131 ].

Drug war logic prioritises separation, coercion, and punishment in families where drug use occurs or is suspected. For pregnant people and parents who do use problematically, their use should be treated as a public health issue, according to international bodies like the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on drugs [ 132 ]. Advocates can support legislative policy changes to prohibit removals based on drug tests alone, eliminate mandatory reporting for drug use alone, and repeal laws that define drug use during pregnancy as de facto child abuse or maltreatment. Healthcare professionals can also advocate to only allow drug testing when medically necessary and when the parent provides informed consent; support practices that keep parents and infants together, like breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact, that can mitigate the effects of neonatal abstinence syndrome [ 133 , 134 ]; and create programs providing both perinatal healthcare and SUD treatment to improve access and continuity of care as well as initiation and maintenance of medications for addiction treatment.

Substance use treatment system

Substance use treatment can be an essential lifeline for people with SUD working towards recovery. Yet surveillance and punishment are embedded into SUD treatment through the numerous constraints placed upon clients because of the role of institutional referral sources in treatment, such as the criminal legal system, the FRS, social services, and others. Studies suggest that roughly 25% of clients in publicly funded treatment were referred from the criminal legal system as a condition of their probation, parole, or drug court program [ 135 ]. This has led to therapeutic jurisprudence: the belief that the criminal legal system can support and facilitate efforts towards rehabilitation using the threat of incarceration [ 136 ]. Another 25% of clients are referred to treatment by other sources, including the FRS, social services, schools, and employers [ 133 ]. Criminal legal controls such as those from the courts, or formal social controls such as those from the other aforementioned institutions, coerce clients to either comply with treatment or face other harsh consequences, like incarceration, the termination of parental rights, or losing public benefits [ 137 ].

Treatment providers monitor client compliance and abstinence by conducting and observing routine urine drug tests, and providers are often in regular contact with referral sources about client progress in treatment. Any drug use or negative progress reports can be used as grounds to sanction those on probation, parole, or in drug court which can lead to incarceration and, in cases of drug courts, longer sentences than if participants had accepted a jail sentence [ 136 ]. Clients referred by other sources can also face ramifications for positive drug tests or treatment non-compliance, impacting child custody hearings as well as their ability to secure certain social services and resources, stay enrolled in school, or remain employed.

Referral sources influence the type of care that clients receive in facilities, including evidence-based treatments. Research suggests that only 5% of clients with opioid use disorder (OUD), who were referred to treatment from the criminal legal system, received either methadone or buprenorphine, compared to nearly 40% those who were not referred by the system [ 138 ]. This represents an extension of a broader problem within the criminal legal system wherein access to these gold standard medications for OUD is almost nonexistent in most jails and prisons across the U.S [ 139 ].

Drug war logic is also deeply rooted in the restrictions for prescribing and dispensing methadone and buprenorphine since they are controlled substances under the oversight of the Drug Enforcement Agency, a federal law enforcement entity. When taken in effective doses, these life-saving medications can cut the risk of overdose and all-cause mortality dramatically among people with OUD [ 140 ]. However, due to tight federal restrictions and guidelines for these controlled medications, patients can be subjected to routine drug testing, counselling requirements, daily clinic visits, and observed or highly monitored medication dispensing. Patients deemed non adherent to medications or who test positive for other drugs can then be subjected to dose reductions, required to attend treatment more frequently, or even terminated from care altogether [ 141 ]. The tight restrictions on both methadone and buprenorphine, combined with the oversight of the DEA, create obstacles for prescribers and stigmatise these medications by conveying that they cannot be used like other medications in routine healthcare [ 142 ]. These policies have also contributed to striking racial disparities in who receives buprenorphine versus methadone due to costly co-pays and insurance coverage issues [ 143 ]. Studies also suggest that the DEA’s involvement in monitoring buprenorphine has made pharmacies reluctant to stock the medication or to dispense it to patients for fear of triggering an investigation [ 144 , 145 ]. Ultimately, it is estimated that only 10% of all people with OUD receive these medications [ 146 ].

Providers can take steps to extract the drug war from our substance use treatment system, through their conscious and judicious documentation of treatment progress since those records could be used by criminal legal and other referral sources in decisions about clients and their families. In addition, eligible buprenorphine prescribers should begin prescribing to patients and join advocacy efforts to change policies to expand access to buprenorphine and methadone through looser restrictions.

Healthcare system

People with SUDs often have high rates of co-occurring medical needs requiring treatment, including psychiatric disorders, infectious diseases, and other chronic health conditions. However, research suggests that people with SUDs are often deterred from seeking healthcare to address their medical needs due to prior negative and stigmatising experiences with providers, and that having experienced discrimination in healthcare is associated with greater risk behaviours, psychological distress, and negative health outcomes among people who use drugs [ 147–149 ]. Some of these challenges are due to a lack of training on how to work with patients with SUDs, in addition to pre-existing personal biases and stigmatising views held by healthcare professionals, which impacts the type of care they provide [ 142 ].

The widespread use of drug testing in healthcare settings also creates ethical challenges and conflicts for providers and patients since results are often entered into the electronic health record (EHR). While EHRs are typically thought of as beneficial and intended for greater transparency and access, they also pose challenges surrounding patient privacy, confidentiality, and autonomy; they can, therefore, make patients reluctant to disclose drug use or consent to drug testing [ 150 ]. For instance, medical records that include drug test results, can be accessed by a wide variety of actors in the medical system, subpoenaed for court, and used in future medical decision making without the patient’s knowledge or consent. Providers might not receive adequate training to weigh the need for these tests as part of treatment adherence monitoring with the potential social or legal ramifications of these tests for the patient. Patients might also not be adequately informed of these potential consequences prior to testing.

Universal drug screening and testing in obstetric and gynecological care is an example wherein testing intersects with the role of most healthcare providers as mandated reporters. Mandated reporting for suspected child abuse or neglect due to parental drug use is purported to protect the foetus or children in the parents’ custody, yet this can often be a deterrent for patients to seek medical treatment altogether if they believe that they may lose their children or be subject to other mandates. The racial and class disparities in how such testing is used, as well as the punitive measures used against families, have been noted earlier in the text but is a compelling reason for healthcare providers to consider making recommendations for counselling or supportive case management in order to address family challenges.

Healthcare providers need more training and resources to work with patients with SUDs to ensure that they are engaging them in evidence-based treatments and treating their complex medical needs while avoiding some of the lifelong and harmful ramifications that can occur when drug testing, health records, and mandated reporting deter patients from seeking and receiving care.

Because of the social, economic, and health effects of drug policies, the work of ending the drug war cannot be situated within criminal legal reform efforts alone. The drug war and a punitive drug war logic impact most systems of everyday life in the U.S., subjecting people to surveillance, suspicion, and punishment and undermining key SDOH, including education, employment, housing, and access to benefits. Combined, these have resulted in poorer health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities, particularly for people who use drugs. These policies and practices, while race-neutral as written, are not [ 151 ]. The targeted effects on people of colour further entrench health and economic disparities. As the public and policymakers call for a health approach to drug use, it is vital to recognise how systems meant to care and support are often unable to serve their intended purposes; rather than help people who use drugs or are suspected of using drugs, they frequently punish them.

In their day-to-day practice, healthcare professionals must understand the deep roots of the drug war as well as their role in both perpetuating and undermining drug war logic and practices. Healthcare providers can treat people who use drugs with dignity, respect, and trust and ensure that healthcare and treatment decisions are made in partnership with individuals. Medical professionals can also work to situate drug use within a larger social and economic context [ 152 ], understanding that drug-related harms often stem from lack of resources – like housing and food precarity, economic insecurity, and insufficient healthcare – rather than from drugs themselves. Treatment need not be the only antidote for people who experience drug-related harms but should be one option among an array of health services, resources, and support.

At the mezzo- and institutional levels, healthcare providers can advocate to shift hospital and programmatic policies around drug testing, mandatory reporting, and collaborations with law enforcement. As outlined in this paper, drug testing is not an effective monitoring strategy for care and support, but rather, it is more often a punitive tool of surveillance. If drug testing cannot be eliminated, at the very least, patients should have the right to understand the implications of drug testing and provide explicit consent for the test. To the extent possible, providers should not share private patient information with police or state agencies. Healthcare professionals should understand the implications of reporting positive drug tests and suspicion of use and should work to change these policies where possible and inform their patients of them. Providers can ensure that their patients who use drugs have access to evidence-based, non-coercive harm reduction and treatment options in addition to robust and supportive primary healthcare. Healthcare professionals involved with medical education and licensure can work to ensure that all students graduate with a deep understanding of SDOH and the impact of the drug war on individual and community health.

Finally, healthcare providers can get involved with policy-level changes to end drug testing, mandatory reporting, zero-tolerance policies, coerced treatment, and denial of services and resources based on arrest or conviction records at the municipal, state, and federal levels. Providers can follow the leadership and expertise of people who use drugs, some of whom have organised themselves into user unions [ 153 ]. Policy advocacy can include drafting and joining sign-on letters, delivering expert testimony, speaking to media, writing op-eds, and lobbying medical professional organisations to release policy statements. Providers, who see firsthand the consequences of the war on drugs, are well positioned to be effective advocates in undoing these harmful policies that have for too long undermined key SDOH [ 154 ]. In order to improve individual and collective health, healthcare providers should resist drug war logic and work to transform these systems so they can truly promote health and safety.

For the purposes of this paper, we are using the term “Family Regulation System,” coined by Emma Williams and used by other scholars, instead of the more commonly used term “Child Welfare System” to reflect the fact that, particularly for low-income families and families of color, state intervention often occurs in order to regulate their families rather than to prioritize the welfare of the entire family unit, of which the child is a part.

Authors contribution

All authors (AC, SV, JN, KF) were involved in the conception and drafting of the paper, revising it critically for intellectual content; and the final approval of the version to be published. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure statement

All authors are employed by the Drug Policy Alliance, a non-profit policy advocacy organisation. No other interests to disclose.

Data availability statement

The views expressed in the submitted article are those of the authors.

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Drugs and Thugs: The History and Future of America's War on Drugs

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How can the United States chart a path forward in the war on drugs? This book uncovers the full history of this war that has lasted more than a century. The book provides an essential view of the economic, political, and human impacts of U.S. drug policies. It takes readers from Afghanistan to Colombia, to Peru and Mexico, to Miami International Airport and the border crossing between El Paso and Juarez to trace the complex social networks that make up the drug trade and drug consumption. Through historically driven stories, the book reveals how the war on drugs has evolved to address mass incarceration, the opioid epidemic, the legalization and medical use of marijuana, and America's shifting foreign policy.

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102 War on Drugs Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best war on drugs topic ideas & essay examples, 🎓 good research topics about war on drugs, ⭐ simple & easy war on drugs essay titles, ❓ war on drugs research questions.

• War on Drugs and Its Effects: Analytical Essay This has led to the formation of laws to govern drug trafficking and drug use in most countries that are determined to eradicate this problem.
• Drug Issue in “America’s Unjust Drug War” by Michael Huemer In a report on the unjust drug war in America, the author proposes that legislation on the use of recreational drugs is improper.
• The House I Live In: War on Drugs and Mass Incarceration Yet the way in which the comparison between the Holocaust and the War on Drugs makes the most sense is the fact that mass incarceration for drug-related offenses disproportionally targets one group of population.
• Drug War in “Baltimore: Anatomy of an American City” The “strengths of this theory make it effective towards describing the behaviors of many individuals in the society”. Many individuals engage in criminal activities due to lack of the required resources.
• The Failure of the Drug War The threat of imprisonment is not sufficient to keep citizens from partaking in the drug, nor is it effective in ensuring the drug is not available on the street.
• Prohibition: War on Drugs American Labor Leader Andrew Furuseth spoke before Congress in 1926 and noted that just after prohibition began, there was a large change in the working population, but he also added: “Two years afterwards I came […]
• War on Drugs in the Sicario Film First, the use of factual information in work increases confidence in the film’s authors and convinces the viewer of the truthfulness and accuracy of the narrative.
• War on Drugs in “Sicario” (2015) Film On the positive side of things, the depiction of the War on Drugs in the movie is built around violence associated with it and the corruption of federal agents involved in the operations.
• The War on Drugs Is Lost: In Search of a New Method After forty years and a trillion dollars, the volume of drugs in the United States has remained relatively the same. In 2000, Portugal decriminalized all hard and soft drugs at the recommendation of a panel […]
• Prohibition & War on Drugs and Negative Effects The intention behind the Prohibition was to ban the consumption of alcohol to reduce the occurrence of crimes, spousal abuse, and increase the overall purity of US society.
• Literature Review: The War on Drugs However, the misguided notion that anything with the potential to cause harm is immoral has led to the limited effectiveness of punitive policies with regard to the reduction of the negative impacts of drug use.
• The America’s Unjust Drug War In addition, the thought experiment shows the ethical inadmissibility of such a prohibition from the point of view of moral philosophy.
• War on Drugs and Prison Overcrowding Analysis In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of inmates in state prisons because studies have shown that low-level offenders make more than 55% of the total number of inmates in American prisons.
• Techniques in “The Drug War and Class War” by Harrop The essay provides many instances of the use of emotive language and it helps the reader to understand the social and cultural relevance of the issue that the contemporary discrimination by produce student’s use of […]
• War on Drugs in the United States Satisfaction of rehabilitation costs, salaries, and payment of the government officials and employees involved in the operations and activities related to the war on drugs have been included in the estimation of the cost of […]
• War on Drugs and Terror and American Promise As a result, the people of the US have a reason to doubt that the war on terror is concerned with the safety of the world or even the safety of the American people.
• American Drug War from the Economic Perspective On the basis of this information, it can be presupposed that the reduction of demand is the best way to overcome the drug issue.
• Drug War Policies and Freiberg & Carson’s Models War on Drugs was a set of policies adopted by the Nixon administration in 1971, following a tremendous growth of the local illegal drug market in the 1960s, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
• American Drug War, Its Achievements and Failures The critics of this policy argue that the government is using more resources to control drugs, while only using few resources in drug victims’ treatment and rehabilitation.
• Ineffectiveness of the “War on Drugs” Campaign The American government has been using powerful measures and laws to deal with the problem. The main area of concern therefore focuses on the effectiveness of this fight against illicit drugs in the United States.
• Health Law: The Never-Ending War on Drugs The failure of the efforts to curb the trafficking and use of illicit drugs may be a new experience for many countries across the world, but not for the US.
• War on Drugs in Mexico The war on drugs is the most significant occurrence in Mexico in the last decade. These factors have led to the president to declare war on the drug use in order to improve the country’s […]
• The War on Drugs and the Incarceration of Black Women Considering the plight of black women in the war on drugs, this paper discusses the concept of war on drugs as the war against black women.
• The War on Drugs in the US In the US, the negative impacts of drug use became evident in the society at the end of the 19th century, when it was observed that psychotropic drugs such as cocaine and morphine led to […]
• Mexican Drug Cartels and the War on Drugs The examination of the current research on Mexican drug cartels and the War on Drugs helps to understand the causes of the outburst of violence, define the major tendencies of the Mexican War on Drugs […]
• Mexican Drug War: Political, Social, and Economy Damages The cartels use the law enforcement agents against rival cartels through bribes and leaking information on their activities to the police Origin of the Escalating Violence The violence in the county is as a result […]
• American Government’s War on Drugs Analyzing the success of the war on drugs in the society, it is important to understand the drug control rhetoric, which is aimed at realizing a drug-free society.
• Successes and the Failures of the “Drug War” In the past century, the use of illicit drugs reduced drastically owing to the drug war. The growing of the illicit drugs like Cannabis in the US has drastically reduced due to the drug war.
• Drug War in Afghanistan Over the last three decades, the NATO has been making various strategies to end the war and the drug business in Afghanistan because of the negative activities that the Taliban carries out not only in […]
• Mexican Politics, Culture and Drug Wars The 10-year civil war of Mexico that lasted from 1910 to 1920 is believed to be the key that opened up the doors to the new constitution of 1917.
• America’s War on Drugs At the time, Nixon was concerned by the sudden surge of drug related arrests among young people and the relation that the trend had on the high rate of street crime at the time.
• American Foreign Policy and the War on Drugs
• The Right Way of Handling the War on Drugs
• America Will Never Win the War on Drugs
• Underdeveloped Countries and the War on Drugs
• African Americans, Poverty, and the War on Drugs
• The Political and Economic Factors of the War on Drugs
• Crime and the War on Drugs
• Economics Theory and Crime: Why Is Law Enforcement Failing in the War on Drugs
• Choosing the Right Battlefield for the War on Drugs
• Legalize Marijuana: End the War on Drugs
• Criminology: Drug Policies and the War on Drugs
• Addiction and the War on Drugs
• Bad Neighbor Policy: Washington’s Futile War on Drugs in Latin America
• Drug Policies and the War on Drugs
• Joint Interagency Task Force and the War on Drugs
• Propaganda, Stereotypes, and the War on Drugs
• Overcrowded Prisons and the War on Drugs
• America Should End Its War on Drugs
• Drug Legalization and the War on Drugs
• Organized Crime and War on Drugs
• Favela Lives Matter: Youth From Urban Peripheries, Political Engagement and Alternatives to the War on Drugs
• Legalization and the War on Drugs
• Racial Bias and the Civil War on Drugs
• Criminal Justice Enforcement and the United War on Drugs
• America and the War on Drugs
• Budgetary Politics and the War on Drugs
• Ethics and the War on Drugs
• Heroin Crisis, White Families Seek Gentler War on Drugs
• End the Bogus War on Drugs
• Parents: First Line Defense in War on Drugs
• Functionalist and Interactionist Views on the War on Drugs
• High Crime Rates and War on Drugs
• Cannabis and the War on Drugs
• Mexican Drug Cartels and the War on Drugs
• Drug Use and Abuse During the War on Drugs
• Criminal Law and the War on Drugs
• The Market for Illegal Drugs and the War on Drugs
• Cocaine, Race, and the War on Drugs
• Ethnocentrism, Class Discrimination, and the Historical Shortcomings of America’s War on Drugs
• Colombia and the War on Drugs: How Short Is the Short Run
• Has the War on Drugs Been a Failure?
• Are You in Favor of War on Drug?
• What Can We Do to Stop the War on Drugs?
• What Is the Point of the War on Drugs?
• Is the War on Drugs Immoral?
• Has the War on Drugs Had Any Positive Effects?
• Is the War on Drugs Working?
• What Are Your Thoughts About the War on Drugs?
• Who Has Benefited From the Us Government’s “War on Drugs”?
• What Are the Negative Effects of War on Drugs?
• Why Did Ronald Reagan Declare War on Drugs?
• Is the “War on Drugs” Futile and a Waste of Resources?
• What Are the Strongest Arguments for and Against the War on Drugs?
• Why Did War on Drugs Fail?
• What Are Some Facts About the War on Drugs?
• Has the United States Lost the “War on Drugs?”
• Do You Think the War on Drugs Is a Joke?
• What Can You Say About War on Drugs?
• Why Do You Agree With the War on Drugs?
• Who Is Winning the War on Drugs?
• What Are the Good Effects of War on Drugs in the Philippines?
• Why Did Richard Nixon Begin the War on Drugs?
• What Is the Relationship Between the War on Drugs and Race?
• What War Will Replace the War on Drugs?
• What Are the Advantages of War on Drugs?
• What Is Hillary Clinton’s Stance on the “War on Drugs”?
• Is War on Drugs Justifiable?
• How Are We Doing on the War on Drugs?
• What Is the Disadvantage and Advantage on War on Drugs?
• What Is the Purpose of the Endless War on Drugs?
• Prison Paper Topics
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The human rights consequences of the war on drugs in the Philippines

Subscribe to this week in foreign policy, vanda felbab-brown vanda felbab-brown director - initiative on nonstate armed actors , co-director - africa security initiative , senior fellow - foreign policy , strobe talbott center for security, strategy, and technology @vfelbabbrown.

August 8, 2017

• 18 min read

On August 2, 2017, Vanda Felbab-Brown submitted a statement for the record for the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the human rights consequences of the war on drugs in the Philippines. Read her full statement below.

I am a Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution.  However, as an independent think tank, the Brookings Institution does not take institutional positions on any issue.  Therefore, my testimony represents my personal views and does not reflect the views of Brookings, its other scholars, employees, officers, and/or trustees.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs in the Philippines is morally and legally unjustifiable. Resulting in egregious and large-scale violations of human rights, it amounts to state-sanctioned murder. It is also counterproductive for countering the threats and harms that the illegal drug trade and use pose to society — exacerbating both problems while profoundly shredding the social fabric and rule of law in the Philippines. The United States and the international community must condemn and sanction the government of the Philippines for its conduct of the war on drugs.

THE SLAUGHTER SO FAR

On September 2, 2016 after a bomb went off in Davao where Duterte had been  mayor for 22 years, the Philippine president declared a “state of lawlessness” 1 in the country. That is indeed what he unleashed in the name of fighting crime and drugs since he became the country’s president on June 30, 2016. With his explicit calls for police to kill drug users and dealers 2 and the vigilante purges Duterte ordered of neighborhoods, 3 almost 9000 people accused of drug dealing or drug use were killed in the Philippines in the first year of his government – about one third by police in anti-drug operations. 4 Although portrayed as self-defense shootings, these acknowledged police killings are widely believed to be planned and staged, with security cameras and street lights unplugged, and drugs and guns planted on the victim after the shooting. 5 According to the interviews and an unpublished report an intelligence officer shared with Reuters , the police are paid about 10,000 pesos ($200) for each killing of a drug suspect as well as other accused criminals. The monetary awards for each killing are alleged to rise to 20,000 pesos ($400) for a street pusher, 50,000 pesos ($990) for a member of a neighborhood council, one million pesos ($20,000) for distributors, retailers, and wholesalers, and five million ($100,000) for “drug lords.” Under pressure from higher-up authorities and top officials, local police officers and members of neighborhood councils draw up lists of drug suspects. Lacking any kind transparency, accountability, and vetting, these so-called “watch lists” end up as de facto hit lists. A Reuters investigation revealed that police officers were killing some 97 percent of drug suspects during police raids, 6 an extraordinarily high number and one that many times surpasses accountable police practices. That is hardly surprising, as police officers are not paid any cash rewards for merely arresting suspects. Both police officers and members of neighborhood councils are afraid not to participate in the killing policies, fearing that if they fail to comply they will be put on the kill lists themselves.

Similarly, there is widespread suspicion among human rights groups and monitors, 7 reported in regularly in the international press, that the police back and encourage the other extrajudicial killings — with police officers paying assassins or posing as vigilante groups. 8 A Reuters interview with a retired Filipino police intelligence officer and another active-duty police commander reported both officers describing in granular detail how under instructions from top-level authorities and local commanders, police units mastermind the killings. 9 No systematic investigations and prosecutions of these murders have taken place, with top police officials suggesting that they are killings among drug dealers themselves. 10

Such illegal vigilante justice, with some 1,400 extrajudicial killings, 11 was also the hallmark of Duterte’s tenure as Davao’s mayor, earning him the nickname Duterte Harry. And yet, far from being an exemplar of public safety and crime-free city, Davao remains the murder capital of the Philippines. 12 The current police chief of the Philippine National Police Ronald Dela Rosa and President Duterte’s principal executor of the war on drugs previously served as the police chief in Davao between 2010 and 2016 when Duterte was the town’s mayor.

In addition to the killings, mass incarceration of alleged drug users is also under way in the Philippines. The government claims that more than a million users and street-level dealers have voluntarily “surrendered” to the police. Many do so out of fear of being killed otherwise. However, in interviews with Reuters , a Philippine police commander alleged that the police are given quotas of “surrenders,” filling them by arresting anyone on trivial violations (such as being shirtless or drunk). 13 Once again, the rule of law is fundamentally perverted to serve a deeply misguided and reprehensible state policy.

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SMART DESIGN OF DRUG POLICIES VERSUS THE PHILIPPINES REALITY

Smart policies for addressing drug retail markets look very different than the violence and state-sponsored crime President Duterte has thrust upon the Philippines. Rather than state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings and mass incarceration, policing retail markets should have several objectives: The first, and most important, is to make drug retail markets as non-violent as possible. Duterte’s policy does just the opposite: in slaughtering people, it is making a drug-distribution market that was initially rather peaceful (certainly compared to Latin America, 14 such as in Brazil 15 ) very violent – this largely the result of the state actions, extrajudicial killings, and vigilante killings he has ordered. Worse yet, the police and extrajudicial killings hide other murders, as neighbors and neighborhood committees put on the list of drug suspects their rivals and people whose land or property they want to steal; thus, anyone can be killed by anyone and then labeled a pusher.

The unaccountable en masse prosecution of anyone accused of drug trade involvement or drug use also serves as a mechanism to squash political pluralism and eliminate political opposition. Those who dare challenge President Duterte and his reprehensible policies are accused of drug trafficking charges and arrested themselves. The most prominent case is that of Senator Leila de Lima. But it includes many other lower-level politicians. Without disclosing credible evidence or convening a fair trial, President Duterte has ordered the arrest of scores of politicians accused of drug-trade links; three such accused mayors have died during police arrests, often with many other individuals dying in the shoot-outs. The latest such incident occurred on July 30, 2017 when Reynaldo Parojinog, mayor of Ozamiz in the southern Philippines, was killed during a police raid on his house, along with Parojinog’s wife and at least five other people.

Another crucial goal of drug policy should be to enhance public health and limit the spread of diseases linked to drug use. The worst possible policy is to push addicts into the shadows, ostracize them, and increase the chance of overdoses as well as a rapid spread of HIV/AIDS, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and hepatitis. In prisons, users will not get adequate treatment for either their addiction or their communicable disease. That is the reason why other countries that initially adopted similar draconian wars on drugs (such as Thailand in 2001 16 and Vietnam in the same decade 17 ) eventually tried to backpedal from them, despite the initial popularity of such policies with publics in East Asia. Even though throughout East Asia, tough drug policies toward drug use and the illegal drug trade remain government default policies and often receive widespread support, countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam, and even Myanmar have gradually begun to experiment with or are exploring HARM reduction approaches, such as safe needle exchange programs and methadone maintenance, as the ineffective and counterproductive nature and human rights costs of the harsh war on drugs campaign become evident.

Moreover, frightening and stigmatizing drug users and pushing use deeper underground will only exacerbate the spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and tuberculosis. Even prior to the Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, the rate of HIV infections in the Philippines has been soaring due to inadequate awareness and failure to support safe sex practices, such as access to condoms. Along with Afghanistan, the Philippine HIV infection rate is the highest in Asia, increasing 50 percent between 2010 and 2015. 18 Among high-risk groups, including injection- drug users, gay men, transgender women, and female prostitutes, the rate of new infections jumped by 230 percent between 2011and 2015. Duterte’s war on drugs will only intensify these worrisome trends among drug users.

Further, as Central America has painfully learned in its struggles against street gangs, mass incarceration policies turn prisons into recruiting grounds for organized crime. Given persisting jihadi terrorism in the Philippines, mass imprisonment of low-level dealers and drug traffickers which mix them with terrorists in prisons can result in the establishment of dangerous alliances between terrorists and criminals, as has happened in Indonesia.

The mass killings and imprisonment in the Philippines will not dry up demand for drugs: the many people who will end up in overcrowded prisons and poorly-designed treatment centers (as is already happening) will likely remain addicted to drugs, or become addicts. There is always drug smuggling into prisons and many prisons are major drug distribution and consumption spots.

Even when those who surrendered are placed into so-called treatment centers, instead of outright prisons, large problems remain. Many who surrendered do not necessarily have a drug abuse problem as they surrendered preemptively to avoid being killed if they for whatever reason ended up on the watch list. Those who do have a drug addiction problem mostly do not receive adequate care. Treatment for drug addiction is highly underdeveloped and underprovided in the Philippines, and China’s rushing in to build larger treatment facilities is unlikely to resolve this problem. In China itself, many so-called treatment centers often amounted to de facto prisons or force-labor detention centers, with highly questionable methods of treatment and very high relapse rates.

As long as there is demand, supply and retailing will persist, simply taking another form. Indeed, there is a high chance that Duterte’s hunting down of low-level pushers (and those accused of being pushers) will significantly increase organized crime in the Philippines and intensify corruption. The dealers and traffickers who will remain on the streets will only be those who can either violently oppose law enforcement and vigilante groups or bribe their way to the highest positions of power. By eliminating low-level, mostly non-violent dealers, Duterte is paradoxically and counterproductively setting up a situation where more organized and powerful drug traffickers and distribution will emerge.

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Inducing police to engage in de facto shoot-to-kill policies is enormously corrosive of law enforcement, not to mention the rule of law. There is a high chance that the policy will more than ever institutionalize top-level corruption, as only powerful drug traffickers will be able to bribe their way into upper-levels of the Philippine law enforcement system, and the government will stay in business. Moreover, corrupt top-level cops and government officials tasked with such witch-hunts will have the perfect opportunity to direct law enforcement against their drug business rivals as well as political enemies, and themselves become the top drug capos. Unaccountable police officers officially induced to engage in extrajudicial killings easily succumb to engaging in all kinds of criminality, being uniquely privileged to take over criminal markets. Those who should protect public safety and the rule of law themselves become criminals.

Such corrosion of the law enforcement agencies is well under way in the Philippines as a result of President Duterte’s war on drugs. Corruption and the lack of accountability in the Philippine police l preceded Duterte’s presidency, but have become exacerbated since, with the war on drugs blatant violations of rule of law and basic legal and human rights principles a direct driver. The issue surfaced visibly and in a way that the government of the Philippines could not simply ignore in January 2017 when Philippine drug squad police officers kidnapped a South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo and extorted his family for money. Jee was ultimately killed inside the police headquarters. President Duterte expressed outrage and for a month suspended the national police from participating in the war on drugs while some police purges took places. Rather than a serious effort to root out corruption, those purges served principally to tighten control over the police. The wrong-headed illegal policies of Duterte’s war on drugs were not examined or corrected. Nor were other accountability and rule of law practices reinforced. Thus when after a month the national police were was asked to resume their role in the war on the drugs, the perverted system slid back into the same human rights violations and other highly detrimental processes and outcomes.

WHAT COUNTERNARCOTICS POLICIES THE PHILIPPINES SHOULD ADOPT

The Philippines should adopt radically different approaches: The shoot-to-kill directives to police and calls for extrajudicial killings should stop immediately, as should dragnets against low-level pushers and users. If such orders are  issued, prosecutions of any new extrajudicial killings and investigations of encounter killings must follow. In the short term, the existence of pervasive culpability may prevent the adoption of any policy that would seek to investigate and prosecute police and government officials and members of neighborhood councils who have been involved in the state-sanctioned slaughter. If political leadership in the Philippines changes, however, standing up a truth commission will be paramount. In the meantime, however, all existing arrested drug suspects need to be given fair trials or released.

Law-enforcement and rule of law components of drug policy designs need to make reducing criminal violence and violent militancy among their highest objectives. The Philippines should build up real intelligence on the drug trafficking networks that President Duterte alleges exist in the Philippines and target their middle operational layers, rather than low-level dealers, as well as their corruption networks in the government and law enforcement. However, the latter must not be used to cover up eliminating rival politicians and independent political voices.

To deal with addiction, the Philippines should adopt enlightened harm-reduction measures, including methadone maintenance, safe-needle exchange, and access to effective treatment. No doubt, these are difficult and elusive for methamphetamines, the drug of choice in the Philippines. Meth addiction is very difficult to treat and is associated with high morbidity levels. Instead of turning his country into a lawless Wild East, President Duterte should make the Philippines the center of collaborative East Asian research on how to develop effective public health approaches to methamphetamine addiction.

IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. POLICY

It is imperative that the United States strongly and unequivocally condemns the war on drugs in the Philippines and deploys sanctions until state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings and other state-authorized rule of law violations are ended. The United States should adopt such a position even if President Duterte again threatens the U.S.-Philippines naval bases agreements meant to provide the Philippines and other countries with protection against China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea. President Duterte’s pro-China preferences will not be moderated by the United States being cowed into condoning egregious violations of human rights. In fact, a healthy U.S.-Philippine long-term relationship will be undermined by U.S. silence on state-sanctioned murder.

However, the United States must recognize that drug use in the Philippines and East Asia more broadly constitute serious threats to society. Although internationally condemned for the war on drugs, President Duterte remains highly popular in the Philippines, with 80 percent of Filipinos still expressing “much trust” for him after a year of his war on drugs and 9,000 people dead. 19 Unlike in Latin America, throughout East Asia, drug use is highly disapproved of, with little empathy for users and only very weak support for drug policy reform. Throughout the region, as well as in the Philippines, tough-on-drugs approaches, despite their ineffective outcomes and human rights violations, often remain popular. Fostering an honest and complete public discussion about the pros and cons of various drug policy approaches is a necessary element in creating public demand for accountability of drug policy in the Philippines.

Equally important is to develop better public health approaches to dealing with methamphetamine addiction. It is devastating throughout East Asia as well as in the United States, though opiate abuse mortality rates now eclipse methamphetamine drug abuse problems. Meth addiction is very hard to treat and often results in severe morbidity. Yet harm reduction approaches have been predominately geared toward opiate and heroin addictions, with substitution treatments, such as methadone, not easily available for meth and other harm reduction approaches also not directly applicable.

What has been happening in the Philippines is tragic and unconscionable. But if the United States can at least take a leading role in developing harm reduction and effective treatment approaches toward methamphetamine abuse, its condemnation of unjustifiable and reprehensible policies, such as President Duterte’s war on drugs in the Philippines, will far more soundly resonate in East Asia, better stimulating local publics to demand accountability and respect for rule of law from their leaders.

• Neil Jerome Morales, “Philippines Blames IS-linked Abu Sayyaf for Bomb in Duterte’s Davao,” Reuters , September 2, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-blast-idUSKCN11824W?il=0.
• Rishi Iyengar, “The Killing Time: Inside Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s War on Drugs,” Time , August 24, 2016, http://time.com/4462352/rodrigo-duterte-drug-war-drugs-philippines-killing/.
• Jim Gomez, “Philippine President-Elect Urges Public to Kill Drug Dealers,” The Associated Press, June 5, 2016, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/58fc2315d488426ca2512fc9fc8d6427/philippine-president-elect-urges-public-kill-drug-dealers.
• Manuel Mogato and Clare Baldwin, “Special Report: Police Describe Kill Rewards, Staged Crime Scenes in Duterte’s Drug War,” Reuters , April 18, 2017, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-duterte-police-specialrep-idUSKBN17K1F4.
• Clare Baldwin , Andrew R.C. Marshall and Damir Sagolj , “Police Rack Up an Almost Perfectly Deadly Record in Philippine Drug War,” Reuters , http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/philippines-duterte-police/.
• See, for example, Human Rights Watch, “Philippines: Police Deceit in ‘Drug War’ Killings,” March 2, 2017, https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/03/02/philippines-police-deceit-drug-war-killings ; and Amnesty International, “Philippines: The Police’s Murderous War on the Poor,” https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2017/01/philippines-the-police-murderous-war-on-the-poor/.
• Reuters , April 18, 2017.
• Aurora Almendral, “The General Running Duterte’s Antidrug War,” The New York Times , June 2, 2017.
• “A Harvest of Lead,” The Economist , August 13, 2016, http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21704793-rodrigo-duterte-living-up-his-promise-fight-crime-shooting-first-and-asking-questions.
• Reuters, April 18, 2017.
• Vanda Felbab-Brown and Harold Trinkunas, “UNGASS 2016 in Comparative Perspective: Improving the Prospects for Success,” The Brookings Institution, April 29, 2015, https://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Papers/2015/04/global-drug-policy/FelbabBrown-TrinkunasUNGASS-2016-final-2.pdf?la=en.
• See, for example, Paula Miraglia, “Drugs and Drug Trafficking in Brazil: Trends and Policies,” The Brookings Institution, April 29, 2015, https://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Papers/2015/04/global-drug-policy/Miraglia–Brazil-final.pdf?la=en .
• James Windle, “Drugs and Drug Policy in Thailand,” Improving Global Drug Policy: Comparative Perspectives and UNGASS 2016, The Brookings Institution, April 2015, https://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Papers/2015/04/global-drug-policy/WindleThailand-final.pdf?la=en .
• James Windle, “Drugs and Drug Policy in Vietnam,” Improving Global Drug Policy: Comparative Perspectives and UNGASS 2016, The Brookings Institution, April 2015, https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WindleVietnam-final.pdf.
• Aurora Almendral, “As H.I.V. Soars in the Philippines, Conservatives Kill School Condom Plan,” The New York Times , February 28, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/world/asia/as-hiv-soars-in-philippines-conservatives-kill-school-condom-plan.html?_r=0.
• Nicole Curato, “In the Philippines, All the President’s People,” The New York Times , May 31, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/opinion/philippines-rodrigo-duterte.html.

Foreign Policy

Southeast Asia

Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology

August 27, 2021

March 26, 2019

October 22, 2017

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• School Education /

Essay on Drug Abuse in 250 and 500 Words in English for Students

• Updated on  
• Apr 2, 2024

Drug abuse refers to the excessive and frequent consumption of drugs. Drug abuse can have several harmful effects on our mental and physical health. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the USA, passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and initiated the War on Drugs . He said, ‘Let us not forget who we are. Drug abuse is a repudiation of everything America is.’

Consuming drugs not only harms the individual himself but also affects society as a whole. Studies have shown that people who consume drugs become addicted to it. This addiction turns into substance abuse, resulting in self-damage, behaviour changes, mood swings, unnecessary weight loss, and several other health problems. Let’s understand what drug abuse is and how to fight it.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Drug Abuse in 250 Words
• 2.1 Why Do People Consume Drugs?
• 2.2 Why Is Drug Abuse Bad?
• 2.3 Laws in India Against Drug Consumption
• 2.4 Steps to Prevent Drug Addiction
• 2.5 Conclusion
• 3 10 Lines Essay on Drug Abuse

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Essay on Drug Abuse in 250 Words

‘When people consume drugs regularly and become addicted to it, it is known as drug abuse. In medical terminology, drugs means medicines. However, the consumption of drugs is for non-medical purposes. It involves the consumption of substances in illegal and harmful ways, such as swallowing, inhaling, or injecting. When drugs are consumed, they are mixed into our bloodstream, affecting our neural system and brain functioning.

The Indian government has taken significant steps to help reduce the consumption of drugs. In 1985, the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act came into force. This act replaced the Opium Act of 1857, the Opium Act of 1878, and the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1930. 

Drug abuse can lead to addiction, where a person becomes physically or psychologically dependent on the substance and experiences withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop using it. 

Drug abuse can have serious consequences for the individual and society as a whole. On an individual level, drugs can damage physical health, including organ damage, infectious diseases, and overdose fatalities. Not only this, a person already suffering from mental health disorders will face more harmful aftereffects. Addiction disrupts our cognitive functioning and impairs our decision-making abilities.

To fight drug abuse, we need collective action from all sections of society. Medical professionals say that early intervention and screening programmes can identify individuals at risk of substance misuse and provide them with the necessary support services. Educating people, especially those who are at-risk, about drug abuse and its harmful effects can significantly help reduce their consumption.

Drug abuse is serious and it must be addressed. Drug abuse is killing youth and society. Therefore, it is an urgent topic to address, and only through sustainable and collective efforts can we address this problem.

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Essay on Drug Abuse in 500 Words

Drug abuse is known as frequent consumption. In time, these people become dependent on drugs for several reasons. Curiosity drives adolescents and teenagers, who are among the most susceptible groups in our society. Cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, etc. are some of the popular drugs consumed. 

Why Do People Consume Drugs?

The very first question about drugs is: why do people consume drugs? Studies have shown that more than 50% of drug addicts consider drugs as a coping mechanism to alleviate emotional or psychological distress. In the beginning, drugs temporarily relieve feelings of anxiety, depression, or trauma, providing a temporary escape from difficult emotions or life circumstances. 

Some consume drugs out of curiosity, some under peer pressure, and some want to escape the painful experiences. Some people enjoy the effects drugs produce, such as euphoria, relaxation, and altered perceptions. Recreational drug use may occur in social settings or as a form of self-medication for stress relief or relaxation.

Why Is Drug Abuse Bad?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that drugs can worsen our eyesight and body movement, our physical growth, etc. Marijuana, one of the most popular drugs, can slow down our reaction time, affecting our time and distance judgement and decreasing coordination. Cocaine and Methamphetamine can make the consumer aggressive and careless.

Our brain is the first victim of drugs. Drugs can disorder our body in several ways, from damaging organs to messing with our brains. Drugs easily get mixed into our bloodstream, and affect our neural system. Prolonged and excessive consumption of drugs significantly harms our brain functioning.

The next target of drug abuse is our physical health and relationships. Drugs can damage our vital organs, such as the liver, heart, lungs, and brain. For example, heavy alcohol use can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, while cocaine use can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Laws in India Against Drug Consumption

Here is an interesting thing; the USA has the highest number of drug addicts and also has strict laws against drug consumption. According to a report by the Narcotics Control Bureau, around 9 million people in India consume different types of drugs. The Indian government has implemented certain laws against drug consumption and production.

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS), prohibits the production, sale, purchase, and consumption of narcotics and other illegal substances, except for scientific and medical purposes.

Also, Article 47 of the Indian Constitution states that ‘ The State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health.’

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Steps to Prevent Drug Addiction

Several steps can be taken to prevent drug addiction. But before we start our ‘War on Drugs’ , it is crucial to understand the trigger point. Our social environment, mental health issues and sometimes genetic factors can play a role in drug abuse.

• Education and awareness are the primary weapons in the fight against drugs. 
• Keeping distance from people and places addicted to drugs.
• Encourage a healthy and active lifestyle and indulge in physical workouts.
• Watch motivating videos and listen to sound music.
• Self-motivate yourself to stop consuming drugs.
• Talk to a medical professional or a psychiatrist, who will guide you to the right path.

Drug abuse is a serious problem. The excessive and frequent consumption of drugs not only harms the individual but also affects society as a whole. Only a collective approach from lawmakers, healthcare professionals, educators, community leaders, and individuals themselves can combat drug abuse effectively. 

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10 Lines Essay on Drug Abuse

Here is a 10-line essay on drug abuse.

• Drug abuse can significantly affect our physical growth
• Drug abuse can affect our mental functioning.
• Drug abuse may provide instant pleasure, but inside, it weakens our willpower and physical strength.
• Educating people, especially those who are at-risk, about drug abuse and its harmful effects can significantly help reduce their consumption.
•  Drugs easily get mixed into our bloodstream, and affect our neural system. 
• Prolonged and excessive consumption of drugs significantly harms our brain functioning.
• In 1985, the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act came into force.
• The USA has the highest number of drug addicts and also has strict laws against drug consumption.
• Drug addicts consider drugs as a coping mechanism to alleviate emotional or psychological distress.
•  Adolescents and teenagers are the most vulnerable section of our society and are driven by curiosity.

Ans: Drug abuse refers to the excessive and frequent consumption of drugs. Drug abuse can have several harmful effects on our mental and physical health.

Ans: ‘When people consume drugs regularly and become addicted to it, it is known as drug abuse. In medical terminology, drugs means medicines. However, the consumption of drugs is for non-medical purposes. It involves the consumption of substances in illegal and harmful ways, such as swallowing, inhaling, or injecting. When drugs are consumed, they are mixed into our bloodstream, affecting our neural system and brain functioning.

Ans: Drug abuse is known as frequent consumption. In time, these people become dependent on drugs for several reasons. Adolescents and teenagers are the most vulnerable section of our society who are driven by curiosity. Cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, etc. are some of the popular drugs consumed.  The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS), prohibits the production, sale, purchase, and consumption of narcotics and other illegal substances, except for scientific and medical purposes.

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Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Home / Essay Samples / Government / War on Drugs / War on Drugs in the Philippines: Exploring Both Sides of the Issue

War on Drugs in the Philippines: Exploring Both Sides of the Issue

• Category: Government , World
• Topic: Philippine Government , Philippines , War on Drugs

Pages: 2 (756 words)

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Introduction

War on drugs allows the country to be on danger, counter argument: war on drugs is effective, conclusion .

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