A Drug War

THE WAR ON DRUGS

Mark R. Horvath
Ethics 215
July 13, 2004

The War on Drugs

Whenever one hears the word war many images come to mind. Tanks, automatic weapons, smart bombs, and other massive displays of force flash about in our minds eye. There is a war going on right at this very moment. It is a war that the government has spent about 20 billion dollars on in this year so far. It is a war that arrests one million people a year (http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm). It is not a foreign war, but a domestic one. It is the war on drugs. I vehemently oppose this war. Follow me on this journey and I will show you why.
The war on drugs is not designed to protect you from the harms and evils of illicit drugs. It is designed to imprison minorities, and to collect tax monies and donations from giant pharmaceutical firms. The facts make the case. In 2002, 400,000 people died from tobacco use (www.cdc.gov/tobacco/issue.htm). Alcohol attributes to 100,000 deaths a year (Scientific American December 1996). According to The Journal of American Medical Associates, adverse reactions to prescription medication kill another 100,000 people a year (JAMA Vol.279 No.15,4/15/1998). Illicit drug use whether abusing prescription drugs or using hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine, cause about 20,000 fatalities a year(http://www.drugwarfacts.org/causes.htm). Not a single death can be contributed directly to Marijuana use (http://www.drugwarfacts.org/causes.htm). If the government were truly concerned about your health, why would tobacco and alcohol be legal?
Minorities suffer most from this war. In 1998 there were an estimated 9.9 million whites and 2 million blacks using illicit drugs in the US. You would think the incarceration rates would reflect this. They sadly do not. In 2001, the number of whites serving time for drug related offenses was 57,300. The number of blacks serving for drug related offenses was 139,700 (www.hrw.org/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00-05.htm). Why do the numbers not match up? Why does the usage rate not reflect the incarceration rate? Only the powers that be know these answers, and they are not talking.
Governments are not elected by and for the people. This is a myth. Only the weak and un-informed believe this lie. Government is bought and sold by big business. Sure, you and I may vote them in, but they follow their wallets. One of the government owning businesses is the business of pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical companies patent their drugs, and pass on the cost of research and development to you. They can not patent a plant. Something that grows in a temperate climate, without hardly any human intervention, is a threat to them. In 1999, Pharmaceutical companies donated more than 1.9 million dollars to political parties in the state of New Jersey alone (The Philadelphia Inquirer 9/24/2003). Politicians know who pays their bills. Who cares if Marijuana helps AIDS patients live out the rest of their days in less pain? Who cares if it alleviates nausea associated with chemotherapy? Who cares if it stimulates the appetite in the sick and infirm so they want to consume nutrient rich foods? I care. Do you?
In closing, I want the public to be educated about this war. I want you to know that you pay to imprison minorities. I want you to know that you vote to put big companies like Pfizer in power. The only way to stop this madness is to become educated, and then to stand up. Please help America help its minorities and it’s sick. With all the money saved from the war, and the money saved from arresting, trying, and incarcerating people, we could one day have a free health care system. We could have a free University system. The possibilities are endless. Please, for our children’s sake, make a difference.
References
Corey PhD, Paul N; Lazarou MSc, Jason; Pomeranz MD, PhD, Bruce
(1998) Incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalized Patients JAMA Vol.279 No. 15 April 15, 1998
Doyle, Rodger (1996) Deaths due to Alcohol Scientific American December 1996
Gurney, Kaitlen (2003) Industry Gave Big to State Politicians The Philadelphia Inquirer September 24, 2003
Web page www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm retrieved July 12, 2004
Web page www.cdc.gov/tabacco/issue.htm retrieved July 12, 2004
Web page www.drugwarfacts.org/causes.htm retrieved July 12, 2004
Web page www.hrw.org/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00-05.htm retrieved July 12, 2004