NCJ Number
172381
Date Published
1998
Length
3 pages
Annotation
America's "war" on drugs, however high-minded, cannot be moral if it leads to widespread corruption, imprisons so many, has so racist an effect, destroys inner cities, wreaks havoc on misguided and vulnerable individuals, and brings death and destruction to foreign countries.
Abstract
In drug-law enforcement, the required use of informers and the immense sums of money at stake inevitably generate corruption, as during Prohibition. Drug laws also lead to violations of the civil rights of innocent people and to the practices of forcible entry and forfeiture of property without due process. Further, the attempt to prohibit drugs by punitive measures has led to the horrendous growth in the prison population and the disproportionate imprisonment of blacks. The criminalization of drug use and drug dealing has also produced an inner city infested with drug dealing and drug-related violence. A user must associate with criminals to get the drugs, and many are driven to become criminals themselves to finance the habit. An addict who seeks treatment must confess to being a criminal in order to qualify for a treatment program. In addition, America's drug policy has led to thousands of deaths and enormous financial loss in countries such as Colombia, Peru, and Mexico and has undermined the stability of their governments. Finally, the government's pressure on physicians who prescribe narcotics has led to the undertreatment of chronic pain.