The phrase “War on Drugs” is used to refer to the initiative by the government that was meant to stop the illegal use, distribution, and trade of drugs. The term became popular after the press conference by President Nixon on June 18, 1971. The media used to refer to the initiatives that were set as the “war on drugs”. The policies that were put into place were aimed at discouraging the consumption, distribution, and production of drugs that the government and the UN had made illegal. The result was that there were increased prison sentences and arrest for drug users and drug dealers.
The declaration of the war on drugs meant that the main enemy for the initiatives was illegal drugs and the abuse of these drugs. However, it was soon established that the purported war had been declared towards the citizens of the United States. The main enemy thus shifted from drugs to individuals that were in possession of drugs, used drugs, or were involved in any trade involving the illegal drugs. With the citizens being the enemy, this raises the question of who wins in the war on drugs.
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The war on drugs can be regarded as a failure as the supposed war has not been war and drugs continue to cause havoc and misery in the United States and the world at large. There has been a significant increase in the abuse of different illegal drugs over the past decades. The drug business continues to be one of the biggest businesses in the United States and the world. The war on drugs has also resulted in an undesired effect where there has been an increase in the number of incarcerated individuals. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world and this can be attributed to the war on drugs. This shows that there is a need to approach the issue of drugs from a different perspective to win the war.