United States News
See other United States News Articles
Title: The US Federal Government Finally Admits the War on Drugs is a Failure
Source:
Activist Post
URL Source: http://www.activistpost.com/2015/12 ... war-on-drugs-is-a-failure.html
Published: Dec 17, 2015
Author: Dylan Charles
Post Date: 2015-12-18 09:50:34 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 474
Comments: 15
The war on drugs officially kicked off in 1971 when president Richard Nixon addressed the nation in a press conference explaining how the recent passage of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 would provide the legal framework and material support for a new kind of war, the war on drugs. We must wage what I have called total war against public enemy number one in the United States, the problem of dangerous drugs. –Richard Nixon, 1972 His address spoke of the need for a coordinated federal response that addressed both the demand side, and the supply side of the issue, noting that although America had the highest rate of heroin addicts in the world, the drug was not grown or sourced in the United States. The door was thereby opened for the destructive interventionist policies that have since greatly affected mostly Latin American nations. Fast forward forty plus years and for anyone who is not making a profit in the global drug trade, the war on drugs looks like one of the greatest human tragedies of all time. Billions of dollars spent, hundreds of thousands of deaths, millions of people incarcerated, countless lives and families shattered, higher than ever rates of addiction, billions in foreign military aid spent, and the availability of drugs is higher than ever before. During his conversation with CBS’ Scott Pelley, Botticelli first remarked that he didn’t like the title ‘Drug Czar,’ because the title had become antiquated and linked to the failures of the policies of strict prohibition and open war that are closely associated with the US’ decades long war on drugs. From the interview: Michael Botticelli: It’s actually a title that I don’t like. Scott Pelley: Why? Michael Botticelli: Because I think it connotes this old “war on drugs” focus to the work that we do. It portrays that we are clinging to kind of failed policies and failed practices in the past. Scott Pelley: Are you saying that the way we have waged the war on drugs for more than 40 years has been all wrong? Michael Botticelli: It has been all wrong. Blunt force didn’t knock out the drug epidemic. 21 million Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol. And half of all federal inmates are in for drug crimes. Michael Botticelli: We can’t arrest and incarcerate addiction out of people. Not only do I think it’s really inhumane, but it’s ineffective and it cost us billions upon billions of dollars to keep doing this. Scott Pelley: So what have we learned? Michael Botticelli: We’ve learned addiction is a brain disease. This is not a moral failing. This is not about bad people who are choosing to continue to use drugs because they lack willpower. You know, we don’t expect people with cancer just to stop having cancer. Scott Pelley: Aren’t they doing it to themselves? Isn’t a heroin addict making that choice? Michael Botticelli: Of course not. You know, the hallmark of addiction is that it changes your brain chemistry. It actually affects that part of your brain that’s responsible for judgment. Here is a preview of the 60 Minutes interview: Botticelli devoted considerable time in this interview discussing the growing social epidemic of opiate abuse, noting that heroin is now a drug that people turn to after becoming addicted to prescription pain medications. While telling of his personal journey of recovery from alcoholism he remarked that it is the legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco that do the most damage in our society, furthermore voicing his disapproval of cannabis legalization. Michael Botticelli: You know, even kind of feeling that moment of hesitation about saying that I’m in recovery and not about being a gay man shows to me that we still have more work to do to really de-stigmatize addiction. But it’s addiction to legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco that kill the most Americans, over half a million a year. Botticelli does not believe in adding another drug to that cocktail with the legalization of marijuana. Scott Pelley: You’re not a fan? Michael Botticelli: I’m not a fan. What we’ve seen quite honestly is a dramatic decrease in the perception of risk among youth around occasional marijuana use. And they are getting the message that because it’s legal, that it is, there’s no harm associated with it. So, we know that about one in nine people who use marijuana become addicted to marijuana. It’s been associated with poor academic performance, in exacerbating mental health conditions linked to lower IQ. Now that the US federal government has publicly admitted that the war on drugs is indeed a failure, it remains to be seen what changes in policy will be made. For a full transcript of Botticelli’s interview, visit CBS News, here, but for a real, hardcore look at the truth of the war on drugs, watch this important film by Kevin Booth, American Drug War:The Last White Hope: 
Now, the nation’s newest ‘Drug Czar,’ and recovering alcoholic, Michael Botticelli, is going public with the message that the war on drugs is a failure and that it cannot continue as is. He says it’s time to change our approach to how we treat addiction, and in an appearance on the CBS program 60 Minutes which aired in December of 2015 entitled A New Direction on Drugs, president Obama’s recently appointed drug boss is making an attempt to change the tone of this colossal disaster. 
Overall the message from the new Drug Czar appears to be a reflection of his personal experiences with the demons of addiction, but it lacks any mention of the systemic corruption and problems that make the war on drugs much more sinister than just a fight against addiction. Drug running is big business, and there are many elements within our own government that facilitate this trade and profit immensely from it, including but certainly not limited to the ever-growing private industrial prison complex.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Deckard (#0)
We are not incarcerating addicted drug users. We are incarcerating drug manufacturers, drug traffickers, and drug dealers. And they don't have a drug addiction.
BWAHAHAHAHA! Poor Deckard. Here he thought he finally found an article that called for the legalization of his pet drug.
One of the reasons so many big shot politicians, governors, chiefs of police, leaders of the welfare movement, hate Donald J. Trump is because of his wall. Building the wall will stop a huge portion of underage children coming into the country as sex toys for the powerful political elites to use and hand out to their followers. It, the wall, will cut down greatly on the illegal drugs coming in. Folks, money cannot stick to a politicians hands unless the money goes thru his or hers hands, in other words to skim they have to spend. By building the wall, drugs coming into the country go down, with less drugs coming in, fewer get addicted, and there is less need for more cops, not more, there is less need for social welfare services for drug addicts and their families, not more. Think of the money Maine is spending on this so called war on heroin, think of how many in state government are fighting Donald tooth and nail, think of how much money building that wall will save us. I reckon that's why the political ruling class hates Donald John Trump. Eli, Eli, nai erchomai Kurios Iesous.
Oooh. Sounds like a big number until you break it down -- 18 million alcoholics and 3 million addicts. Of course, if the article had simply stated there were 3 million addicts out of 320 million people, we'd simply say, "F**k 'em". These are adults who made a choice.
Yep. All 98,000 of them. Out of 2.3 million total prisoners. Let all of them go free and we'd knock that number all the way down to 2.2 million.
Still delusional you are. I advocate ending the war on ALL drugs. Personally, I don't use any drugs, rarely even alcohol. Oh wait - I drink caffeinated energy drinks. In misterwhite Bizzaro World, those are equal to heroin. It's a freedom thing for me paulsen. fed.gov does not have the right to tell free American adults what they may or may not ingest. If you weren't such a statist tool, you'd see the logic. In a Cop Culture, the Bill of Rights Doesn’t Amount to Much It's not the war on drugs that has failed. Several generations of Americans have failed and become perpetual adolescents who rely on drugs.
In our representative republic the fed.gov is "the people", and we have every right to decide how we will live together. If we want all drugs to be legal, then they will be.
Yep, --- we live together bound by our Constitution. - And nothing in the Constitution gives governments the power to prohibit drugs. 'Reasonable regulations' can be written. All drugs have always been legal. Prohibitions on them are unconstitutional.
You should be arrested. Drug use is incompatible with informed citizens of a constitutional republic. You should be arrested per your own anti first amendment position. I
Especially the date rape drugs, huh?
All drugs have always been legal. Prohibitions on them are unconstitutional. Not true. Most informed citizens use drugs of one type or another, quite legally. My position; -- We need local laws saying that ANY anti-constitutional teachings (at any venue, public or private) will not be tolerated, and will be prosecuted as a misdemeanor - (inciting to overthrow legitimate government).. Thirty days in a local jail would cool down a lot of wannabe anti- constitutionalist terrorists. Inciting to riot laws are not a violation of the 1st. -- Thus, inciting to overthrow constitutional government laws would not be a violation of the 1st.--- And informed jury's would/could decide what is constitutional...
My point is not rioting. You just made that up. A constitutional amendment would overthrow "constitutional government laws".
My position; -- We need local laws saying that ANY anti-constitutional teachings (at any venue, public or private) will not be tolerated, and will be prosecuted as a misdemeanor - (inciting to overthrow legitimate government).. Thirty days in a local jail would cool down a lot of wannabe anti- constitutionalist terrorists. Inciting to riot laws are not a violation of the 1st. -- Thus, inciting to overthrow constitutional government laws would not be a violation of the 1st.--- And informed jury's would/could decide what is constitutional... No, I cited an example. Inciting to overthrow, and inciting to riot, are perfectly constitutional misdemeanor laws.. --- And my point was finding a way to stop Islamic terrorist teachings... Who's talking about an Amendment?
Before we can win a war on anything else, we need to win a war on perpetual adolescence and irresponsibility.
"We can’t arrest and incarcerate addiction out of people."
#2. To: Deckard (#0)
But it’s addiction to legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco that kill the most Americans, over half a million a year. Botticelli does not believe in adding another drug to that cocktail with the legalization of marijuana.
#3. To: Deckard (#0)
#4. To: Deckard (#0)
"21 million Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol."
#5. To: Deckard (#0)
(Edited)
"And half of all federal inmates are in for drug crimes."
#6. To: misterwhite (#2)
Here he thought he finally found an article that called for the legalization of his pet drug.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Americans who have no experience with, or knowledge of, tyranny believe that only terrorists will experience the unchecked power of the state. They will believe this until it happens to them, or their children, or their friends.
Paul Craig Roberts
#7. To: Deckard (#0)
The US Federal Government Finally Admits the War on Drugs is a Failure
#8. To: Deckard (#6)
"fed.gov does not have the right to tell free American adults what they may or may not ingest."
#9. To: misterwhite (#8)
In our representative republic the fed.gov is "the people", and we have every right to decide how we will live together.
If we want all drugs to be legal, then they will be.
#10. To: tpaine (#9)
All drugs have always been legal. Prohibitions on them are unconstitutional.
#11. To: Deckard (#6)
I advocate ending the war on ALL drugs.
#12. To: A K A Stone (#10)
You should be arrested. Drug use is incompatible with informed citizens of a constitutional republic.
You should be arrested per your own anti first amendment position.
#13. To: tpaine (#12)
Inciting to riot laws are not a violation of the 1st. -- Thus, inciting to overthrow constitutional government laws would not be a violation of the 1st.--- And informed jury's would/could decide what is constitutional...
#14. To: A K A Stone, y'all (#13)
You should be arrested per your own anti first amendment position.
My point is not rioting. You just made that up.
A constitutional amendment would overthrow "constitutional government laws".
#15. To: Deckard (#0)
The US Federal Government Finally Admits the War on Drugs is a Failure
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]