The use of illicit drugs has become a problem in the United States, with the number of people convicted of illegal drugs increasing each year. For instance, Opioid use has been the issue under discussion in the country over the last three years. The problem continues to grow as over 22 million people are engaged in substance abuse, including alcohol and hard drugs. The issue of drug abuse extends to the health department as people develop different types of diseases that need to be catered. According to a survey conducted by Rud et al. (2016), over 4.5 million people in the United States are treated for health disorders related to the use of illicit drugs. The increasing threat and adverse consequences indicate that the drug-fighting approach used in the US is ineffective.
The issue of drug abuse in the United States has led to health problems as the number of patients with drug-related health problems is on the rise. For instance, illicit drugs and drug abuse contributed to more than 70,000 deaths in the country in the year 2017 (Rudd et al., 2016). Compared to the previous years, this number presents more than doubling the deaths that were associated with drug abuse and the use of illicit drugs. For example, mental health issues facing most of the people in the United States are associated with drug abuse. Approximately 8 million individuals in the United States are admitted to the hospital to minimize the psychological impacts of drug abuse in the country.
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The drug problem in the United States has both positive and adverse economic consequences. The adverse impacts reveal through the money that the country directs in searching drug traffickers and users as well as keeping such people in jail. This approach affects diverting resources towards the fight against drugs rather than implementing developmental projects. Putting people in prison and sentencing such people has the effect of minimizing productivity in a nation as it encourages absenteeism in the workplace. The trade of illegal drugs in the United States indicates that people spend approximately $100 billion to purchase cocaine, Heroin, and Marijuana (Bagley & Rosen, 2015). However, the benefits go to the drug cartels, and they fail to generate income to the country as the business is not recognized and taxed through the legal system. Instead, the government only lays a role in fighting against the use of such drugs in the country by enforcing the different strategies implemented by the federal government.
Federal Government response to the Drug Problem
The federal government in the United States has played an essential role in controlling and combating the flow of illicit drugs in the country. The first approach focuses on implementing a mechanism that is designed to arrest and convict people found to have hard drugs in the region. For instance, the USSC upheld the decision by the federal judges to sentence Derrick Kimbrough for five years on 24th December 2007 (Mack, Jones, & Ballesteros, 2017). The department of defense, homeland security, Justice, and State conducts international operations that try counteracting the flow of narcotics from different countries into the United States. For example, such activities are witnessed in Mexico and Colombia, where there is a disruption of illicit drug trafficking and dismantling of drug dealing organizations. However, it is undeniable that the government has failed to consider the benefits ad adverse impacts associated with this decision.
The federal government agencies have collaborated to limit the supply and availability of illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. For example, the Drug Enforcement Agency has been witnessed to collaborate with foreign governments and law enforcement departments to limit the availability and consumption of drugs in the United States (Bagley & Rosen, 2015). The impact of this approach is witnessed through the increased arrests associated with the possession of illicit drugs. The Drug Enforcement agency remains responsible for addressing the issues that are associated with drug abuse. Over the last decade, most of the arrests that have been established in the United States are associated with Drug abuse making it easy for the public to see the efforts made by the federal government in an attempt to handle the drug abuse issue.
The federal government provides financial and personnel support to the local government in an attempt of fighting against the harm caused by drugs in the United States. The primary objective for the coordination is to promote the reduction of the production and trafficking of drugs by seizing the different drugs possessed by people in different regions in the United States. For example, marijuana has proved to be the most traded illegal drug in the country because it accounts for the most significant percentage of all drugs that are seized in the United States. In the year 2013, seized marijuana contributed to 95% of the total drugs seized during this period (Sacco, 2014). However, the ineffectiveness of the federal drug enforcement policies has contributed to the rise in the trade of illicit drugs such as Cocaine and Heroine at the national and international levels.
Analysis of the Federal Government Enforcement on the Problem of Drugs
The federal government enforcement approach in fighting against drug problems has failed to meet the expected outcomes because of the following weakness. For instance, the law enforcement agency targets the wrong people, thus creating a room for people found in possession of drugs to continue with the drug trafficking activity. The law enforcement intervention strategy creates a gap because the manufacturers and producers of drugs remain free within the country, creating an opportunity for recruiting other traffickers (Mack, Jones, & Ballesteros, 2017). In situations where the government targets drug traffickers, they contribute to the increased rate of drug issues. The number of African Americans in jails because of drug trafficking is higher than that of the Native Americans. This gap shows that judges do not adhere to the stipulated laws, and they can easily alter the constitution to serve their interests. For example, the minimum sentence for an individual found in possession of drugs is 15 years. Therefore, judges find it easy to go by the minimum sentence, thus increasing the rate at which people violate the law.
The law enforcement agencies ease the charges for individuals found in possession of illicit drugs at a time when the problem in on the rise. Over the previous years, the sentencing commission has minimized the penalties and fines for people found to possess Marijuana and OxyContin. This decision has increased the number of people trading marijuana because the law has eased the consequences of possessing such drugs. For example, 19,500 inmates saw their sentence lifted with African Americans representing 86% of the total population (Sacco, 2014). This weakness, accompanied by the disparity between judgments for crack and cocaine, indicates that there is a lack of commitment by the relevant agencies to fight against drug trafficking.
In conclusion, the strategies applied by the federal government to fight against the presence of drug trafficking has been ineffective in the country. The rising expenditures by the government to control drug trafficking and possession indicate that illicit drugs are causing adverse impacts on the nation’s economy. Additionally, spending on treating illegal drug-related disorders has also shown the severity of the problem. The federal government has implemented law enforcement approaches through the department of homeland security and the drug enforcement agency to fight against drug trafficking and possession. However, the policies have failed to achieve desired results because of high levels of biasness and disparity in implementing the strategies.
References
Bagley, B. M., & Rosen, J. D. (2015). Drug trafficking, organized crime, and violence in the Americas today. University Press of Florida.
Mack, K. A., Jones, C. M., & Ballesteros, M. F. (2017). Illicit drug use, illicit drug use disorders, and drug overdose deaths in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas—United States. American journal of transplantation, 17(12), 3241-3252.
Rudd, R. A., Aleshire, N., Zibbell, J. E., & Matthew Gladden, R. (2016). Increases in drug and opioid overdose deaths—United States, 2000–2014. American Journal of Transplantation, 16(4), 1323-1327.
Sacco, L. N. (2014). Drug enforcement in the United States: History, policy, and trends.
