Is the War on Drugs Working?

America’s war on drugs began in the early 1970s as a reaction to the country’s counterculture movement. Tough laws enacted at the state and federal levels intended to crack down on drug users and suppliers, with the goal of curbing addiction and use. Forty years later, drug use in the United States is at an all-time high , and more troublingly, more than half a million Americans are incarcerated solely because of drug-related offenses.

IS THE WAR ON DRUGS FAIR?

In 2011 (the most recent year for which statistics are available), 45% of the 225,000-plus inmates in state prisons for drug-related offenses were African American, while just 30% were white. Consider that African Americans account for only 13.3% of the U.S. population, while whites comprise 76.9%. These numbers indicate justice system bias against minorities. The system appears to favor incarceration rather than medically based intervention and treatment for minority drug users.

WHAT DOES THE WAR ON DRUGS COST?

The United States spends millions each year on drug enforcement. Millions more are allocated to house individuals convicted of drug crimes. In fact, the average cost to house a prison inmate is $25,000 per year, which is at least double the amount spent to educate a public-school student. Unfortunately, around 77% of drug users released from jail or prison are re-arrested within five years.

WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM EFFECT OF THE WAR ON DRUGS?

The drug war in the United States appears to be unwinnable. The government’s objective has been to curb or cease the use of drugs by criminalizing addictive behavior. The opportunities for disadvantaged populations decrease when the justice system treats people with addictions as criminals rather than as people with a disease. Continuing this path will see incarceration costs increase, along with additional drug addiction.

WHAT COULD WE DO INSTEAD OF FUNDING THE DRUG WAR?

Laws on drug policy could instead aim to prioritize community safety, human rights and development, and public health over criminalizing addictive behavior. Evidence-based health and social interventions, such as the following, could help end the war on drugs.

• Opportunity: Implement a generational shift, focusing on K-12 education and mentorship programs centered on disadvantaged populations in vulnerable cities and states.
• Diversion: Employ sensible judiciary guidelines for all offenders, opting for rehabilitation over incarceration. Decriminalizing additive behavior and focusing on evidence-based rehabilitation would divert the focus from imprisonment to treatment.
• Rehabilitation: Increase access to distance-learning and vocational programs for incarcerated inmates to set them up for success post-release. Each person kept out of prison would save the government at least $25,000 a year. Consider the long-term cost-benefit: improved addiction services (even if the upfront costs seem high) may decrease the prison population and reduce recidivism, which is the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend.

The war on drugs continues, but support for it has waned in recent years. Policy makers continue to debate the issue—some support it and others believe it has been ineffective. The legalization of marijuana has affected public views of recreational drug use, and these views will likely continue to shift with time.