The Truth About the War on Drugs

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS It could be argued that the War on Drugs is the longest and most expensive war ever fought by the United States. Each and every year, billions of dollars are spent, thousands of arrests are made and countless lives are lost in the name of keeping illegal drugs off the streets. It's no secret that it's a war the government is not winning. But is it a war they should even bother fighting? THE WAR ON DRUGS BEGAN WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970 BY THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION. SCHEDULE I: Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine SCHEDULE II: Dilaudid, Oxycontin, Ritalin SCHEDULE III: Anabolic Steroids SCHEDULE IV: Xanax, Valium, Ambien The act requires the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain drugs and divides controlled substances in five classes bases on their medical usefulness and SCHEDULE V : Codeine potential for abuse. $33 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT MARKETING “JUST SAY NO" AND OTHER PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS TO SCHOOL KIDS SINCE 1970. DECREASE IN DRUG USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SINCE 1970: JUST AY NO 0% $49 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT TO PREVENT THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ACROSS THE MEXICAN BORDER SINCE 1970. U.S. MEX TOTAL SPENDING ON THE WAR ON DRUGS SO FAR IN 2010: INCREASE IN NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO WILL TRY DRUGS THIS YEAR COMPARED TO 1970: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: STATE GOVERNMENTS: $8,111,936,834 $12,451,823,040 10 MILLION SOMEONE IS ARRESTED FOR VIOLATING DRUG LAW TOTAL DRUG EVERY 17 SECONDS. OFFENSE ARRESTS SO FAR IN 2010: 746,777 6 37 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN THE U.S. FOR DRUG CRIMES SINCE 1970. MONEY SPENT ON THOSE ARRESTS: $121 BILLION DOLLARS. 10 MILLION OF THOSE 10 MILLION ARRESTS WERE FOR MARIJUANA OFFENSES. OPPONENTS OF MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION IN THE U.S. CLAIM THAT, ABSENT THE THREAT OF PUNISHMENT, THE PREVALENCE, FREQUENCY AND QUANTITY OF CANNABIS USE WILL INCREASE AND WILL THREATEN PUBLIC HEALTH. THE NETHERLANDS ADOPTED DE FACTO DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA USE IN 1976. 76 AMSTERDAM vs. SAN FRANCISCO 16.95 16.43 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF MARIJUANA USE 19.11 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF REGULAR MARIJUANA USE 18.81 21.46 21.98 AVERAGE AGE AT MAXIMUM USE OF MARIJUANA 10% OF MEXICO'S ECONOMY IS BUILT ON DRUG PROCEEDS. RICHARD NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET FOR THE WAR ON DRUGS WAS $100 MILLION. $100 MILLION7 FOR 2011, PRESIDENT OBAMA IS REQUESTING OVER $15 BILLION. EVEN WHEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, THAT'S 31 TIMES MORE THAN NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET. $15 BILLION Sources: http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/tp/War-on-Drugs-History-Timelinehtm http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/act1970.htm http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqMSiLZNYd6CoSGpa2oeiziqT-HKVICQD9FMCM103 http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/full/94/5/836 UnlineSchools www.OnlineSchools.org THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS It could be argued that the War on Drugs is the longest and most expensive war ever fought by the United States. Each and every year, billions of dollars are spent, thousands of arrests are made and countless lives are lost in the name of keeping illegal drugs off the streets. It's no secret that it's a war the government is not winning. But is it a war they should even bother fighting? THE WAR ON DRUGS BEGAN WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970 BY THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION. SCHEDULE I: Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine SCHEDULE II: Dilaudid, Oxycontin, Ritalin SCHEDULE III: Anabolic Steroids SCHEDULE IV: Xanax, Valium, Ambien The act requires the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain drugs and divides controlled substances in five classes bases on their medical usefulness and SCHEDULE V : Codeine potential for abuse. $33 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT MARKETING “JUST SAY NO" AND OTHER PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS TO SCHOOL KIDS SINCE 1970. DECREASE IN DRUG USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SINCE 1970: JUST AY NO 0% $49 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT TO PREVENT THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ACROSS THE MEXICAN BORDER SINCE 1970. U.S. MEX TOTAL SPENDING ON THE WAR ON DRUGS SO FAR IN 2010: INCREASE IN NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO WILL TRY DRUGS THIS YEAR COMPARED TO 1970: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: STATE GOVERNMENTS: $8,111,936,834 $12,451,823,040 10 MILLION SOMEONE IS ARRESTED FOR VIOLATING DRUG LAW TOTAL DRUG EVERY 17 SECONDS. OFFENSE ARRESTS SO FAR IN 2010: 746,777 6 37 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN THE U.S. FOR DRUG CRIMES SINCE 1970. MONEY SPENT ON THOSE ARRESTS: $121 BILLION DOLLARS. 10 MILLION OF THOSE 10 MILLION ARRESTS WERE FOR MARIJUANA OFFENSES. OPPONENTS OF MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION IN THE U.S. CLAIM THAT, ABSENT THE THREAT OF PUNISHMENT, THE PREVALENCE, FREQUENCY AND QUANTITY OF CANNABIS USE WILL INCREASE AND WILL THREATEN PUBLIC HEALTH. THE NETHERLANDS ADOPTED DE FACTO DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA USE IN 1976. 76 AMSTERDAM vs. SAN FRANCISCO 16.95 16.43 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF MARIJUANA USE 19.11 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF REGULAR MARIJUANA USE 18.81 21.46 21.98 AVERAGE AGE AT MAXIMUM USE OF MARIJUANA 10% OF MEXICO'S ECONOMY IS BUILT ON DRUG PROCEEDS. RICHARD NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET FOR THE WAR ON DRUGS WAS $100 MILLION. $100 MILLION7 FOR 2011, PRESIDENT OBAMA IS REQUESTING OVER $15 BILLION. EVEN WHEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, THAT'S 31 TIMES MORE THAN NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET. $15 BILLION Sources: http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/tp/War-on-Drugs-History-Timelinehtm http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/act1970.htm http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqMSiLZNYd6CoSGpa2oeiziqT-HKVICQD9FMCM103 http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/full/94/5/836 UnlineSchools www.OnlineSchools.org THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS It could be argued that the War on Drugs is the longest and most expensive war ever fought by the United States. Each and every year, billions of dollars are spent, thousands of arrests are made and countless lives are lost in the name of keeping illegal drugs off the streets. It's no secret that it's a war the government is not winning. But is it a war they should even bother fighting? THE WAR ON DRUGS BEGAN WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970 BY THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION. SCHEDULE I: Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine SCHEDULE II: Dilaudid, Oxycontin, Ritalin SCHEDULE III: Anabolic Steroids SCHEDULE IV: Xanax, Valium, Ambien The act requires the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain drugs and divides controlled substances in five classes bases on their medical usefulness and SCHEDULE V : Codeine potential for abuse. $33 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT MARKETING “JUST SAY NO" AND OTHER PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS TO SCHOOL KIDS SINCE 1970. DECREASE IN DRUG USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SINCE 1970: JUST AY NO 0% $49 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT TO PREVENT THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ACROSS THE MEXICAN BORDER SINCE 1970. U.S. MEX TOTAL SPENDING ON THE WAR ON DRUGS SO FAR IN 2010: INCREASE IN NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO WILL TRY DRUGS THIS YEAR COMPARED TO 1970: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: STATE GOVERNMENTS: $8,111,936,834 $12,451,823,040 10 MILLION SOMEONE IS ARRESTED FOR VIOLATING DRUG LAW TOTAL DRUG EVERY 17 SECONDS. OFFENSE ARRESTS SO FAR IN 2010: 746,777 6 37 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN THE U.S. FOR DRUG CRIMES SINCE 1970. MONEY SPENT ON THOSE ARRESTS: $121 BILLION DOLLARS. 10 MILLION OF THOSE 10 MILLION ARRESTS WERE FOR MARIJUANA OFFENSES. OPPONENTS OF MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION IN THE U.S. CLAIM THAT, ABSENT THE THREAT OF PUNISHMENT, THE PREVALENCE, FREQUENCY AND QUANTITY OF CANNABIS USE WILL INCREASE AND WILL THREATEN PUBLIC HEALTH. THE NETHERLANDS ADOPTED DE FACTO DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA USE IN 1976. 76 AMSTERDAM vs. SAN FRANCISCO 16.95 16.43 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF MARIJUANA USE 19.11 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF REGULAR MARIJUANA USE 18.81 21.46 21.98 AVERAGE AGE AT MAXIMUM USE OF MARIJUANA 10% OF MEXICO'S ECONOMY IS BUILT ON DRUG PROCEEDS. RICHARD NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET FOR THE WAR ON DRUGS WAS $100 MILLION. $100 MILLION7 FOR 2011, PRESIDENT OBAMA IS REQUESTING OVER $15 BILLION. EVEN WHEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, THAT'S 31 TIMES MORE THAN NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET. $15 BILLION Sources: http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/tp/War-on-Drugs-History-Timelinehtm http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/act1970.htm http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqMSiLZNYd6CoSGpa2oeiziqT-HKVICQD9FMCM103 http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/full/94/5/836 UnlineSchools www.OnlineSchools.org THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS It could be argued that the War on Drugs is the longest and most expensive war ever fought by the United States. Each and every year, billions of dollars are spent, thousands of arrests are made and countless lives are lost in the name of keeping illegal drugs off the streets. It's no secret that it's a war the government is not winning. But is it a war they should even bother fighting? THE WAR ON DRUGS BEGAN WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970 BY THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION. SCHEDULE I: Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine SCHEDULE II: Dilaudid, Oxycontin, Ritalin SCHEDULE III: Anabolic Steroids SCHEDULE IV: Xanax, Valium, Ambien The act requires the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain drugs and divides controlled substances in five classes bases on their medical usefulness and SCHEDULE V : Codeine potential for abuse. $33 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT MARKETING “JUST SAY NO" AND OTHER PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS TO SCHOOL KIDS SINCE 1970. DECREASE IN DRUG USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SINCE 1970: JUST AY NO 0% $49 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT TO PREVENT THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ACROSS THE MEXICAN BORDER SINCE 1970. U.S. MEX TOTAL SPENDING ON THE WAR ON DRUGS SO FAR IN 2010: INCREASE IN NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO WILL TRY DRUGS THIS YEAR COMPARED TO 1970: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: STATE GOVERNMENTS: $8,111,936,834 $12,451,823,040 10 MILLION SOMEONE IS ARRESTED FOR VIOLATING DRUG LAW TOTAL DRUG EVERY 17 SECONDS. OFFENSE ARRESTS SO FAR IN 2010: 746,777 6 37 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN THE U.S. FOR DRUG CRIMES SINCE 1970. MONEY SPENT ON THOSE ARRESTS: $121 BILLION DOLLARS. 10 MILLION OF THOSE 10 MILLION ARRESTS WERE FOR MARIJUANA OFFENSES. OPPONENTS OF MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION IN THE U.S. CLAIM THAT, ABSENT THE THREAT OF PUNISHMENT, THE PREVALENCE, FREQUENCY AND QUANTITY OF CANNABIS USE WILL INCREASE AND WILL THREATEN PUBLIC HEALTH. THE NETHERLANDS ADOPTED DE FACTO DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA USE IN 1976. 76 AMSTERDAM vs. SAN FRANCISCO 16.95 16.43 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF MARIJUANA USE 19.11 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF REGULAR MARIJUANA USE 18.81 21.46 21.98 AVERAGE AGE AT MAXIMUM USE OF MARIJUANA 10% OF MEXICO'S ECONOMY IS BUILT ON DRUG PROCEEDS. RICHARD NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET FOR THE WAR ON DRUGS WAS $100 MILLION. $100 MILLION7 FOR 2011, PRESIDENT OBAMA IS REQUESTING OVER $15 BILLION. EVEN WHEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, THAT'S 31 TIMES MORE THAN NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET. $15 BILLION Sources: http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/tp/War-on-Drugs-History-Timelinehtm http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/act1970.htm http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqMSiLZNYd6CoSGpa2oeiziqT-HKVICQD9FMCM103 http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/full/94/5/836 UnlineSchools www.OnlineSchools.org THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS It could be argued that the War on Drugs is the longest and most expensive war ever fought by the United States. Each and every year, billions of dollars are spent, thousands of arrests are made and countless lives are lost in the name of keeping illegal drugs off the streets. It's no secret that it's a war the government is not winning. But is it a war they should even bother fighting? THE WAR ON DRUGS BEGAN WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL ACT OF 1970 BY THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION. SCHEDULE I: Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine SCHEDULE II: Dilaudid, Oxycontin, Ritalin SCHEDULE III: Anabolic Steroids SCHEDULE IV: Xanax, Valium, Ambien The act requires the pharmaceutical industry to maintain physical security and strict record keeping for certain drugs and divides controlled substances in five classes bases on their medical usefulness and SCHEDULE V : Codeine potential for abuse. $33 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT MARKETING “JUST SAY NO" AND OTHER PREVENTION CAMPAIGNS TO SCHOOL KIDS SINCE 1970. DECREASE IN DRUG USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SINCE 1970: JUST AY NO 0% $49 BILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT TO PREVENT THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL DRUGS ACROSS THE MEXICAN BORDER SINCE 1970. U.S. MEX TOTAL SPENDING ON THE WAR ON DRUGS SO FAR IN 2010: INCREASE IN NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO WILL TRY DRUGS THIS YEAR COMPARED TO 1970: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: STATE GOVERNMENTS: $8,111,936,834 $12,451,823,040 10 MILLION SOMEONE IS ARRESTED FOR VIOLATING DRUG LAW TOTAL DRUG EVERY 17 SECONDS. OFFENSE ARRESTS SO FAR IN 2010: 746,777 6 37 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN THE U.S. FOR DRUG CRIMES SINCE 1970. MONEY SPENT ON THOSE ARRESTS: $121 BILLION DOLLARS. 10 MILLION OF THOSE 10 MILLION ARRESTS WERE FOR MARIJUANA OFFENSES. OPPONENTS OF MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION IN THE U.S. CLAIM THAT, ABSENT THE THREAT OF PUNISHMENT, THE PREVALENCE, FREQUENCY AND QUANTITY OF CANNABIS USE WILL INCREASE AND WILL THREATEN PUBLIC HEALTH. THE NETHERLANDS ADOPTED DE FACTO DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA USE IN 1976. 76 AMSTERDAM vs. SAN FRANCISCO 16.95 16.43 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF MARIJUANA USE 19.11 AVERAGE AGE AT ONSET OF REGULAR MARIJUANA USE 18.81 21.46 21.98 AVERAGE AGE AT MAXIMUM USE OF MARIJUANA 10% OF MEXICO'S ECONOMY IS BUILT ON DRUG PROCEEDS. RICHARD NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET FOR THE WAR ON DRUGS WAS $100 MILLION. $100 MILLION7 FOR 2011, PRESIDENT OBAMA IS REQUESTING OVER $15 BILLION. EVEN WHEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, THAT'S 31 TIMES MORE THAN NIXON'S FIRST BUDGET. $15 BILLION Sources: http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/tp/War-on-Drugs-History-Timelinehtm http://nationalsubstanceabuseindex.org/act1970.htm http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqMSiLZNYd6CoSGpa2oeiziqT-HKVICQD9FMCM103 http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/full/94/5/836 UnlineSchools www.OnlineSchools.org