Drug Addiction The United States War On Drugs - 930 Words

The decades-old United States war on drugs has not been successful and very cost ineffective (Madden, 2008). Today, drug addiction continues to be an important public health problem in our nation. The U.S. spends more than $700 billion dollars annually in costs related to substance abuse (National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2015). Drug-related costs include abuse of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, crime, lost work productivity, and health care (NIDA, 2015). And the costs corresponding to those whose lives are ruined or whose death is premature, are too immense to be measured. Collateral damage such as that of family members who have to endure witnessing these experiences is not just unfortunate; it is also priceless. Treatment programs for drug addiction are available, and psychosocial approaches have demonstrated to be better than no-treatment controls (Madden, 2008; Silverman, Roll, Higgins, 2008). Unfortunately, currently available treatment programs are not effective in al l individuals, and high relapse rates are typical (Silverman et al., 2008). Considering the immense impact drug addiction has on individuals as well as society, the development of a treatment program that produces long-term abstinence outcomes is of paramount importance. The work of behavior analysts has suggested that drug addiction is an operant behavior that is shaped and maintained by interactions with environmental contingencies (Bigelow Silverman, 1999). As such, alternative non-drugShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay On War On Drugs1515 Words   |  7 Pages War On All Drugs The War on Drugs has been a long and difficult road for humankind. So many drugs exist today, from street drugs to recreational use to prescription and over-the-counter medications. They all affect anyone who uses them. Some give you an inebriated high and if overused and can lead to death. Drugs that were originally intended to cure an illness or disease are being combined to form an illegal substance. When it comes to curing the illness that was made by the drug, rehabilitationRead MoreDrug Addiction : History, Laws, And Treatment Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pages Drug Addiction, History, Laws, and Treatment Drug Addiction itself affects almost  ­Ã¢â‚¬ Twenty-three million Americans are currently addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs. Only one in 10 percent of them (2.6 million) receives the treatment they need. The result: a treatment gap of more than 20 million Americans†(Writer, B. J. 2010). Drug Addiction is it truly a disease or a choice? Many state authority figures say it s a choice not a disease much of science says it s a choice disease, both inRead MoreThe War on Drugs1350 Words   |  6 Pages For several years the United States of America has been struggling with the problem of drug addiction of its citizens. This has led the federal government to take measures to restrain the problem of addiction in the United States. However, after observing these measures, such as the ‘War on Drugs’ and its consequences, scholars now question the effectiveness of the drug policy implemented. Some scholars even argue that the War on Drugs has been more harmful to American citizens than helpful. AlsoRead MoreDrug Addiction Is A Problem For Many Countries861 Words   |  4 Pages Drug addiction have been a problem for many countries. People lose their family, going into prison and even losing their life because of drug addiction. Countries like the United States have been working very hard on trying to prevent drug from importing to their countries illegally and they also open programs that prevent and treat people from using illegal drugs. Base on the Office of Nati onal Drug Control Policy the United States have spent 15billion dollar on drug prevention and treatmentRead MoreNew Rehab Programs Should Be Introduced1420 Words   |  6 Pages Since the start of the Drug War, which was the motion to use more policing in order to end the illicit drug market, the amount of arrests have increased for drug possession. Rehab programs in state and federal prisons have helped people overcome their addiction and relapse. The same way that King Leonidas in the graphic novel, 300, went about his Spartan initiation, it portrays the way a drug addict tries to overcome their addiction. By continuing to arrest people for substance abuse, it makesRead MoreThe War On Drugs And Its Effects On The United States1324 Words   |  6 Pagesnon-violent drug charges (drug policy, 2015). These people’s lives are now forever changed because of a mistake they made. This mistake is continually made every single day and Americans are being punished in extreme ways f or a non violent crime. The United States needs to decimalize all drugs because the drug war is costly, causes high incarceration rates, and isn’t effective as European drug solutions. In the 20th century, the United States would begin a disastrous campaign called the War on Drugs, thisRead MoreThe Drug War On Drugs1378 Words   |  6 Pagesnon-violent drug charges. These people’s lives are now forever changed because of a mistake they made. This mistake is continually made every single day and Americans are being punished in extreme ways for a non violent crime. The United States needs to decimalize all drugs because the drug war is costly, causes high incarceration rates, and isn’t effective as European drug solutions. In the 20th century, the United States government led a major renewed surge in drug prohibition called the War on DrugsRead MoreThe Flawed Drug Policy of America1691 Words   |  7 PagesFlawed Drug Policy Introduction: As a major policy issue in the United States, the War on Drugs has been one of the most monumental failures on modern record. At a cost of billions of taxpayer dollars, thousands of lives lost and many thousands of others ruined by untreated addiction or incarceration, Americas policy orientation concerning drug laws is due for reconsideration. Indeed, the very philosophical orientation of the War on Drugs and of the current drug policy in the United States has beenRead MoreThe Drug War Of The United States1626 Words   |  7 PagesThe drug war in the U.S. has been waged on civil fronts for over four decades and has not only proven to be not only futile but at times even more damaging to society than the drugs themselves. The once virtuous intent of this ‘war’ has been corrupted by police unions and dirty politicians who have turned it into a carefully crafted system of capitalistic enterprise, designed push their political agenda by perpetuating the myth that drugs ar e the primary threat to our nation. Zero tolerance lawsRead MoreThe Journey Of Fighting The Addiction For Addicts869 Words   |  4 Pagesjourney of fighting the addiction for addicts is not only against the chemical drugs or the addiction behaviors, but also against the judgment from the people and the community against the addicts. As MateÃŒ  (2010) states â€Å"were to judge according to ethics and human feeling, we would find the ware abhorrent† (p. 287). The people who are making this war do not see that this war is against the addicts not against the addiction. If they will not change their strategies on this war, they are going to lose