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Drug Politics

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Submitted By 2020202
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As public attitudes towards drugs begin to change, and the failure that is prohibition slowly dies, the populace is demanding a better drug policy from the state. The status quo of developed nations’ drug policies is prohibition, which has had minimal success to date. It continues to unfairly punish those who choose to use narcotics, and only harming themselves. In 2008, the United Nations estimated that globally, approximately 200 million people took illicit drugs at least once in the past year. The use of illicit drugs has proven to be nearly impossible to control, and the state would be better off allocating its drug enforcement resources to other sectors, such as drug treatment. Portugal portrays an accurate depiction of the effectiveness of a decriminalized state focusing on harm reduction. The state’s drug policy should be a total legalization of all drugs, with an emphasis on harm reduction, public health, and strict regulations. Prohibition has caused more harm than good for minorities and developing nations. For over a century, prohibition was believed to be the only effective method of controlling drug usage; this is no longer the case. Thus, the main objectives of prohibition are pointless to begin with. The current prohibition laws have created vast economic disparities for millions of minorities. The skewed enforcement of drug laws on minorities allows for discretionary arrest, making victimization is all too easy. Tougher drug laws are the reason why 29% of black American men spend some time in jail, compared to 4% of white males. The profiling of drug users has created an immense socio-economic issue for minorities, creating a continual cycle of poverty and crime. The model of a democratic society, of all equal citizens is not possible with prohibition. Most opponents of prohibition are concluding that the effects of our current drug policies are

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