The Winds of Truth Start to "Blow"

For years, we've heard people on the left proclaiming that drug abuse is a victimless crime. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton echoed my own statements by saying that Americans' "insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade." Illegal weapons coming across the US border are also an issue for Mexico, who like Canada has strict gun laws. Often, drug lords out-gun police and army troops, resorting to high powered assault weapons such as the infamous AK-47, which cannot be legally obtained in Mexico. Clinton noted that she feels the US attempt to ban narcotics has been unsuccessful. The Obama administration is pledging $80 million to help the Mexican government buy Blackhawk helicopters to assist them in their war against the drug cartels. Many believe Mexico is at risk of becoming a failed state due to this narco-war. 8000 people have died in the part two years, more than all the coalition troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

This begs the question as to what America's next move is. If the Democrats are even considering legalizing it, they would be fools. Cocaine is not like marijuana. It is highly addictive and toxic. It would be too dangerous and irresponsible to allow people to freely and legally use it. Many former coke addicts would probably agree with this. The war on drugs should not be abandoned but it has to take a domestic approach and has to focus on new tactics. The way drug education is handled needs to change to dispel the commonly held belief that narcotics abuse only harms the user. I remember the anti-drug programs in the schools and most of the information given only delt with consequences to the user. Teenagers of course think of themselves as invincible so this means little to them. Abuse of hard drugs can be directly linked to a huge number of societal problems we are facing today. I would conservatively estimate that 90% of crimes committed within the US and Canada are drug related. Most of the income made from organized crime groups, such as the Crips and Bloods, comes from dealing drugs. When someone does a hard drug like cocaine, they are not only hurting themselves but their family, those involved in dealing it, those who produce it, and those who get in the way of the cartels who ship it from them to your powdered nose. On the legal side, governments need to take a no-nonsenes approach to drug trafficking by making it an offense punishable by 25 years in prison. Furthermore, perhaps increased jail time is needed for those caught in possession of hard narcotics such as cocaine and haroine. It would get them away from the junk and would open up access to rehabilitation programs. It seems harsh to jail junkies but most drug addicts admit they're the last to know they're addicts. Serious jail time may just be the tough love they need to encourage them to seek help. Lastly, drug rehab programs need more funding and need to be expanded to make them more accessable. Combined with education, users must be encouraged to try and seek a way out of their addiction.

Source: BBC News