The International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (ICSDP), a nonprofit organization of scientists, health care practitioners, and academics based in Canada and Britain, released a report this week that found that when government cracks down on the drug trade the result is an increase in violence. by Kenn Jacobine
(libertarian)
Friday, April 30, 2010
The group reviewed over 300 international studies from the last 20 twenty years. 87 percent of the studies reviewed show a direct correlation between intensified drug law enforcement and drug market violence.Â
Of course, this should come as no surprise since even without scientific literature anyone can point to examples from history. The largest lesson to be learned from the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s was that when government bans a demanded commodity consumers will find a way to get it and suppliers will find a way to supply it – unfortunately more often than not through the use of violence. Thus, prohibition was a boom to organized crime in the 1920s as its profits soared and crime rates rose. Similarly, the Drug War in the United States has had few if any victories in regards to reducing drug use and violence on our streets continues to be its biggest shortcoming. Finally, the current Drug War in Mexico has been a catastrophe for that country. There have been massive increases in gun violence, beheadings, and kidnappings since Felipe Calderon started the crusade. Close to 23,000 deaths are attributed to the intensified drug law enforcement. Worst yet, Mexico's Drug War no longer threatens to spill over into our country, it is already here.
But, of course the drug warrior class in America, whose very livelihood relies on perpetuating the Drug War, denies the findings of the report support calls for ending drug prohibition. Former drug czar, John Walters, said that increases in violence after law enforcement crackdowns usually only affect criminals and thus might be in a strange way a reflection of success for anti-drug efforts. But, this ignores the fact that many who die are innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of a turf battle. In Mexico, a U.S. Embassy family, police, soldiers, politicians, and journalists have been killed by drug violence. Besides, even if only the criminals are dying from shootouts on our streets, who wants that kind of atmosphere and the inherent threats to innocent people it presents in their neighborhood?
Then, there is the current drug czar Gil Kerlikowske, whose reaction to the report was "I don't know of any reason that legalizing something that essentially is bad for you would make it better, from a fiscal standpoint or a public health stand point or a public safety standpoint". Any reasonable person should be incredulous at the drug czar's remark. How can he believe that in the face of this study and obvious historical examples of drug prohibition causing violence.
Now, we can do what Czar Kerlikowske would like and stay the course on the Drug War. That means we will continue to spend $33 billion a year to fight an unwinnable war. And we will continue to treat folks with severe drug abuse problems like criminals instead of allowing them to get the help they need to become productive citizens. Lastly, we will continue to cause violence on our streets by keeping something demanded illegal which raises its costs thus attracting the criminal elements to enter the market with deadly force in seeking high profits.
There is a better way. Decriminalize drugs and drop the law enforcement savings into treatment programs for those that really need it. Private advertisers should proclaim the dangers of drug abuse in the same way it was proclaimed about cigarette smoking. Finally, abolish the drug czar position altogether since its occupants are nothing more than advocates for the police state and violence on our streets. Given the findings of the ICSDP report and what we can observe from historical examples, we seem to have no other choice.
Kenn Jacobine teaches internationally and maintains a summer residence in North Carolina.
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Posted By: malcolmkyle
Date: April 30, 2010 10:19:44 AM
Prohibition is a sickening horror and the ocean of incompetence, corruption and human wreckage it has left in its wake is almost endless.
Prohibition has decimated generations and criminalized millions for a behavior which is entwined in human existence, and for what other purpose than to uphold the defunct and corrupt thinking of a minority of misguided, self-righteous Neo-Puritans and degenerate demagogues who wish nothing but unadulterated destruction on the rest of us.
Based on the unalterable proviso that drug use is essentially an unstoppable and ongoing human behavior which has been with us since the dawn of time, any serious reading on the subject of past attempts at any form of drug prohibition would point most normal thinking people in the direction of sensible regulation.
By its very nature, prohibition cannot fail but create a vast increase in criminal activity, and rather than preventing society from descending into anarchy, it actually fosters an anarchic business model - the international Drug Trade. Any decisions concerning quality, quantity, distribution and availability are then left in the hands of unregulated, anonymous, ruthless drug dealers, who are interested only in the huge profits involved.
Many of us have now, finally, wised up to the fact that the best avenue towards realistically dealing with drug use and addiction is through proper regulation which is what we already do with alcohol & tobacco, clearly two of our most dangerous mood altering substances. But for those of you whose ignorant and irrational minds traverse a fantasy plane of existence, you will no doubt remain sorely upset with any type of solution that does not seem to lead to the absurd and unattainable utopia of a drug free society.
There is an irrefutable connection between drug prohibition and the crime, corruption, disease and death it causes. If you are not capable of understanding this connection then maybe you're using something far stronger than the rest of us. Anybody 'halfway bright', and who's not psychologically challenged, should be capable of understanding that it is not simply the demand for drugs that creates the mayhem, it is our refusal to allow legal businesses to meet that demand.
No amount of money, police powers, weaponry, diminution of rights and liberties, wishful thinking or pseudo-science will make our streets safer, only an end to prohibition can do that. How much longer are you willing to foolishly risk your own survival by continuing to ignore the obvious, historically confirmed solution?
If you still support the kool aid mass suicide cult of prohibition, and erroneously believe that you can win a war without logic and practical solutions, then prepare yourself for even more death, corruption, terrorism, sickness, imprisonment, unemployment, foreclosed homes, and the complete loss of the rule of law and the Bill of Rights.
"A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."
Abraham Lincoln
The only thing prohibition successfully does is prohibit regulation & taxation while turning even our schools and prisons into black markets for drugs. Regulation would mean the opposite!
