The War on Drugs
So we’re in the middle of a discussion about the history of opiate laws in the United States and yesterday we tackled the issue of heroin, the 1924 Heroin Act and the legality/medical purposes issues of the drug. Today, we’re moving on to (drum roll, please) The War On Drugs.
The War on Drugs I: The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986
During the eighties, two laws were passed that helped solidify the United States’ stance against drugs and other substances that it considered to be illegal. The first of these acts was the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. This helped to strengthen the Federal Government’s efforts at encouraging other nations to search out and destroy illicit and illegal drug crops, as well as to reduce and slow the international drug traffic. The act also helped improve the enforcement of the Federal drug laws, as well as to help cut down on the amount of illegal drug shipments, provide leadership in establishing drug abuse and prevention programs and to expand Federal support for such programs. This act also helped to re-impose mandatory sentence minimums for people, depending on what drug they were caught in possession with and how much of it was involved in the incident.
The War on Drugs II: The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988
The second act, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, expanded upon the previous act by providing funds for Federal, state and local drug enforcement agencies to fund activities, school-based drug prevention programs and drug/substance treatment programs. There was a special emphasis on programs that specialized in injecting drug abusers who were at a high risk for AIDS and HIV. All in all, both of these acts helped to strengthen the United States’ approach to combating illicit drug abuse as well as providing funding for the treatment of people suffering from drug-related addictions. Because of these kinds of positive aspects, these laws have been arguably successful, and I’m certain that people who have successfully gone through treatment programs would attest to that fact.
A True Representation of the Facts
Federal laws like the Anti-Drug Abuse acts can sometimes be misrepresented in the media and minds of individuals. I definitely have a few opinions on the regulation of addictive drugs and how the government treats those who fall victim to addiction. However, when such laws contain provisions for the help and treatment of substance abuse issues instead of just punishing those who illegally possess and use these substances, I get stuck.
What is their true goal with these laws? To punish or protect? And whatever it is, is it working? We’ve all been touched by the anti-drug use campaigns of the last 20 years. What do you think?
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