Find Laws Find Lawyers Free Legal Forms USA State Laws
Home » Find Laws » Criminal Laws » Controlled Substances » DEA » The Drug Enforcement Agency's War on Drugs

The Drug Enforcement Agency's War on Drugs

Drug Enforcement Agency War On Drugs

The War on Drugs is the cohesive effort of many countries of the world that stresses the strict regulation or ban of certain drugs or controlled substances. The United States has been the country leading the charge against the war on drugs, ever since President Richard Nixon first used the term in 1969. The United States Government has allowed for providing military and economic aid to certain countries in attempts to reduce drug trafficking as well as curtail crimes of violence due to illegal drugs throughout the globe. The United States Government can be said to begin the war on drugs as early as the turn of the 20th Century, with provisions such as the Narcotics Tax Act of 1914 and the National Prohibition Act of 1919, which restricted the use of certain drugs and completely banned the use of alcohol respectively. However, the current state of the war on drugs can be said to have begun with implementation of the Controlled Substances Act and the formation of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA's sole purpose was to implement the legislation and regulations of the Controlled Substances Act in an effort to curtail illegal drug or controlled substance distribution and/or use, as well as drug-related crime. Throughout the decades since the inception of the Controlled Substances Act and the birth of the DEA, arrests and incarcerations in the United States have steadily risen, hitting a tremendous rise at the start of the 1980s. Out of the one million incarcerations in the country, the fourth most common is the arrest due to the possession of marijuana or cannabis. Drug offenses lead to some of the highest arrests rates in the nation. Furthermore, since Nixon's declaration of war on drugs, it seems as if the crime rates have steadily gone up, many blaming the restrictions of controlled substances as a main cause for more illegal drug and substance criminal activity. Many who oppose the DEA's current efforts will constantly remind the public that the war on drugs has not been effectively fought by any of the factions involved. Increased gang activity and criminal violence and the lack of overall effectiveness of the DEA are cited through various statistics and facts. Though the DEA has proven to have some advancement on the war on drugs, their ultimate efforts prove to be minimal when drugs are still finding their way into the country and drug cartels do not seem to be deterred from their illegal practices nor show signs adhering to governmental threats imposed by laws or even actual military force. Such is evident with current events involving the drug cartels in Mexico and the nation's own drug war. The United States has allowed for a commitment of $1.4 billion dollars in aid to Mexico to help arm, train, advise their military and law enforcement organizations in order to help combat some of the drug cartels that are violently opposing the country's efforts to shut down their illegal drug trafficking and trade. The United States holds the drug war in Mexico in high priority because of its proximity, and more importantly, because it has proven to be the gateway to illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and methamphetamine to enter the country, regardless of efforts by the DEA, CIA, FBI, and the U.S. Border Patrol. The DEA's effectiveness in the war on drugs is still unclear, but what is apparent is that the violence and bloodshed continue, while drug cartels and kingpins still manage to stay in business, lining their pockets with money.

Related Articles

Link To This Page

Comments

Find an CA Lawyer
Guide to Finding a Lawyer
Tips