Reagans War on Drugs Essay

The phrase sex, medicates, and rock and roll held true to its substantially-earned spot in 1970s and 1980s community. With a new, looser culture, explicit music, raunchy and rambunctious movies as hale as a societal focus on some(prenominal) things immoral, it was an duration of challenging social norms. As the use of recreational and psycho subprogramive medicines, as well as alcohol, increased, a new problem arose how does law enforcement and the political sympathies undo the damage being do by this new society? Laws were passed, bureaus and commissions were formed, and the president of the joined States began what he rallying cryed The fight on medicates.Over the years, virtually of these solutions have proven to actualize some impact. The initiation, tactics, and attempts at dealing a major blow to drug abuse have all touch the bearing the States sees drugs directly. A new type of warfargon had made its de stand foror into the state of matter, and after all these years, it has made its fair share of haughty and negative effects. Just say no. (Reagan Declares struggle on do drugss, 1982). This was sensation of the numerous scare tactics used in the Statess new war on drugs. The president accepted to construct a plan to detract the public eye from drugs fame.Nancy Reagan was equally as relentless about keeping America safe and clean. She traveled to and spoke at many schools, enforcing the idea of simply refusing the temptation of drugs. Before the Reagans began their war clip, Richard Nixon introduced his have got war on drugs, stating, Americas public enemy fall one is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is indispensable to wage a new, all-out offensive. (Remarks About an Intensified Program for Drug Abuse legal community, 1971).This mindset was yet another strategy used to make America energized and willing to fight this war. Nixon passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in the 19 70s as a way to keep a constant eye on the drug industry. This act required the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and unmitigated record keeping for certain types of drugs. When Reagan became president he gave a speech, announcing, We are taking down the surr sacker flag that has flown oer so many drug efforts were running up a battle flag. (Reagans cont intercept on Drugs Speech, 1981).Americas go one clear fervor on the use of drugs was verbal this strategy temporarily affected the rural, besides more had to be done to combat this enemy. The United States and its presidents had to take a fighting stance if they wanted to decrease drug abuse. One of the first instances of this was President Nixons process Intercept. Announced even before the ex officio war on drugs began in September 1969 this campaign focused on reducing the sum of money of cannabis entering the United States from Mexico. Following this effort, the United States g overnment funded the controversial Methadone Maintenance Program.Methadone Maintenance treatment, a program in which addicted individuals receive daily doses of methadone, was developed as part of a broad, multicomponent treatment program. (Center for Disease Control, 2002). After Nixons trials and failures, President Carter went at the fight with a different, looser approach. Carter called for the decriminalization of marijuana. With a less immoral outlook, Carter believed that the punishment of a crime should not be more roughshod than that said crime. President Carters tactic proved unworthy, as time he was in office, use of cocaine increased dramatically.Finally, as Reagan took common snapping turtle stage and stepped into presidential office, he kept a strong look against this criminal act. Reagan created the Office of National Drug Control Policy to abate illicit drug use, manufacturing and trafficking of drugs, as well as drop an end to drug related violence and crimes. Reagan put pol icies in place to beef up his deadly grasp on drug-ridden society. He required mandatory marginal prison sentences for drug dealers a policy he initiated in hopes of reservation drugs seem less glamorous and infinitely more criminal.He began the siemens Florida Task Force, which dealt with the increase of drug trafficking in Southern Florida. This force worked transcend in hand with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Operation Swordfish was put in place by the DEA to attack planetary drug organizations. The operation was dubbed operation swordfish because it was intended to snare the extended fish in drug trade. (Drug Enforcement Agency, Operation Swordfish, 1980). Vice President George H. W. render began insisting that the CIA and U. S. Military become involved in drug interdiction efforts.The Drug-Free Media Campaign Act of 1988 was passed in hopes to convince Americas youth and future generations to stray away from drugs. After all of these battles, did America finally win this war? The U. S. Federal Government spent over $15 billion in 2010 on the War on Drugs, a rate of about $500 per second. (The Budgetary Impact of Drug Prohibition, 2010). This is a sign that perhaps Reagans War on Drugs wasnt instead as effective as he had so hoped. The United States today has the highest incarceration rate and prison population of any country in the world.This is provided in part by the amount of arrests and incarcerations due to drug sentencing guidelines and policies. In the 1980s, while the number of arrests for all crimes had risen by 28%, the number of arrests for drug offenses rose 126%. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010). This did not specifically mean that at that place were more drug-related crimes, notwithstanding that law enforcement had simply cracked down on the arrests of said crimes. In comparison, Time Magazines study states, Drug convictions went from 15 inmates per 100,000 adults in 19 80 to 148 in 1996, an almost tenfold increase.More than half(prenominal) of Americas federal inmates today are in prison on drug convictions. In 2009 alone, 1. 66 million Americans were arrested on drug charges (Time Magazine, 2012). magic spell this war on drugs whitethorn still be in effect, it may have authoritative outcomes for further in the future. As for the time being, America has two main stances on the subject some call for further reparations in the war on drugs, while others believe the war is unsuccessful, and the focus needs to be shifted to more important and dire issues. The War on Drugs has failed. (19 Member Commission, June 2, 2011). In another instance, a poll was interpreted throughout the country, and its results, three in four Americans believe that the War on Drugs is failing. (October 2008 Poll). Suggestions of decriminalization have been made by many. The legalization of drugs is claimed to have many positive effects on the country as a whole, includin g positive economic effects.While this war on drugs started off as a full-fledged attack on all users and distri neverthelessors of illegal narcotics, it seems to have modify into a war against itself will continuing these attacks help the country, or will allowing certain, less harmful drugs to be legal prove to be a more reasonable solution? Legalizing drugs would save taxpayers $76. 8 billion a year in the United States $44. 1 billion from law enforcement savings, and at least $32. 7 billion in tax revenue (Harvard theatre by Jeffrey A. Miron, 2008). In addition, the policies put into effect by Nixon and Reagan may ave had a positive impact on crime in the United States, but it may not have been in the way they had wished.Drugs got enormously cheaper so users didnt have to hit as many old ladies over the head and steal their pocketbooks. (Travis Wendel, More Drugs, Less Crime, 2010). Murders, robberies and other dotty crimes seemed to decline as the price of drugs went down could this happen if drugs were legalized as well? America in this day and age has a vast amount of governmental and international issues in desperate need of resolution is drug control still one of them?The United States of America is a country k without delayn by many as land of the free, but does this mean that its citizens should be allowed to participate in activities such as drug use with such a negative connotation? Did Reagans War on Drugs really make an effective impact on the way America sees drugs today? The answer to that question is this while his tactics may not have worked the way he had desired, America as a whole has indeed seen less drug related crime. This does not mean it does not exist, nor does it mean that by legalizing drugs will solve all of the countrys problems.What this does mean is that Reagans war on drugs did not put an end to drug use, but it just may have open(a) Americas eyes to more clear and present danger. While drugs are in no way going to s olve Americas problems, the once War on Drugs may now need to be adjusted to a name more fitting. A War on Crime as a whole perhaps? A War on Drug Related Violence? Reagan had the correct idea, now the country can put it into proper use. His War was not an end all war, but it just may have been enough to put forward America as a whole.