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Running Head: SOLVING THE WAR ON DRUGS 1
Solving the War on Drugs
Christopher Lukachie
LBSU 300: Liberal Arts Core Foundation
Prof. David Wilkerson
April 12, 2013
SOLVING THE WAR ON DRUGS 2
Solving the War on Drugs
In June of 1971, President Richard Nixon declared a “War on Drugs” and labeled drug abuse
as public enemy number one in the United States. Now after over four decades it seems that we
are no closer to solving the war on drugs than when the United States declared their intention to
solve the drug problem in America. Given the huge lucrative market for drug trafficking in the
United States, there does not seem to be an end to the amount of individuals willing to risk the
penalties of the law to make the large amounts of money that come from drug trafficking. Even
though legalizing drugs could increase drug use, the government should legalize the illegal drug
industry as a way of solving the drug trafficking problem in the United States because it would
take the money away from the drug cartels, provide much needed tax revenue for the country’s
economy, and it would eliminate the violence associated with the industry.
The demand for illegal drugs has existed since the creation of the illegal substances. It was
not until the late 1960’s, during the cultural changes in the United States, that drug use and the
demand for them became more fashionable with the social rebellion of the time (PBS, n.d.). It is
this increased demand and the prohibition of the illegal substances that has given birth to a huge
underground industry of drug producers and drug traffickers globally. It has also merged with
other fringe markets, such as human trafficking and the arms trade, as criminal organizations
expand their power and profits. The drug industry today ranks in the world’s top 5 largest
industries with an estimated net worth of $500 billion annually (Jenner, 2011). It is easy to see
with these statistics, the large draw this industry has for any criminal organization willing to take
the risks for possible large profits.
SOLVING THE WAR ON DRUGS 3
Before taking a deeper look into the possible solutions to the large drug trafficking problem in
the United States, an examination into the causes of the problem should be conducted. Like any
other business market in the world, the illegal drug market relies on the simple three categories
of a successful market, which is buyers, sellers, and distribution. The most critical part of the
illegal drug industry is drug distribution or trafficking, which is the distribution and sale of
illegal drugs. The drug trafficking market in the United States is one of the largest drug
trafficking markets in the world, due to the high demand and availability of transportation.
According to the U.S. customs service:
Each year, 60 million people enter the United States on more than 675,000 commercial
and private flights. Another 6 million come by sea and 370 million by land. In addition,
