The Economic Implications Of The War On Drugs

32 Pages 7913 Words

Here in lies a detailed analysis of the longest ongoing war in the history of the United States, the War On Drugs. This paper will demonstrate that there is no right or wrong way to approach the problem of drug use in this country but that there are better alternatives then the current policies. This will be demonstrated through an in-depth look at the history of prohibition of drugs and alcohol in the U.S., analysis of the social costs of the current underground economy, pros and cons to the legalization of drugs and a detailed analysis of the benefits to our nations economy if some drugs do become legal.
The United States of America’s war on drugs today is very similar to America’s Prohibition of Alcohol in the 1920's. These two major issues of their time may not seem like they can be logically compared, but statistics for usage and a correlating rise in crime for both eras show a strong relationship. There is also a tendency for an outright defiance of the laws and lawmakers of the United States government in both cases. Most people today think that the prohibition of the 1920’s and the current war on drugs has many contrasting points. The opposite is true. However, the points that do contrast are more opinion-based than fact oriented. The following will attempt to clearly and effectively show a comparison and contrast between America’s famous Prohibition era and the War on Drugs being waged today.
First, a general comprehension of how Prohibition came about is necessary to the understanding of the effects it had on the general population. The anti-drinkers started to become organized around the turn of the century and formed the Anti-Saloon League. This very vocal group was fed up with the constant public drunkenness and the fights that were caused. They spent millions of dollars between 1900 and 1919 in an attempt to try to persuade people to stop drinking. Two and a half million dollars were rose in the effor...