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International Drug Interdiction Still Not Working

By TChris, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 08:00:30 AM EST
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by TChris

The government spent more than a billion dollars last year in its international effort to stop drugs from entering the country, money that could have been used to help rebuild New Orleans or to fund medical research. Was it money well spent?

[P]erhaps the most important measure of the programs' efficacy was issued just a few weeks ago, when the White House drug-policy office reported that "cocaine is widely available throughout most of the nation." The office offered similar assessments for heroin and marijuana.

Drug warriors argue that the drug problem in this country would be even worse without international drug interdiction efforts. The argument is unconvincing.

The antidrug campaigns have run for more than 25 years, but, officials acknowledged, traffickers have almost always been able to meet American market demands.

After a quarter century of failure, isn't it time to consider a different approach?

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    • International Drug Interdiction Still Not Working | 6 comments (6 topical)
    Re: International Drug Interdiction Still Not Work (none / 0) (#1)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 08:42:58 AM EST
    They are trying to divert as much heroin to Iran as possible.

    Re: International Drug Interdiction Still Not Work (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 08:49:40 AM EST
    1 billion dollars...and I can get you any drug you can imagine in a few hours...most within minutes. Money well spent? Please.

    Re: International Drug Interdiction Still Not Work (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 09:22:56 AM EST
    Just read what the CIA And the Bush boys are doing? one word "nothing" the reason why bush and many big government boys make a hell of a-lot of money on drugs. Start to read people who have been on the inside of government and know full well what its all about, read the "why" its big business, and ask one thing "who is really behind", the drug dealers of the world? Bush the guy who wants you dead just like bin laden.

    Re: International Drug Interdiction Still Not Work (none / 0) (#4)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 11:11:30 AM EST
    Walter Cronkite said this but hey, he hates windmills so his credibility is zilch. I think I'm turning libertarian I think I'm turning libertarian I really THINK so.

    Re: International Drug Interdiction Still Not Work (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Mar 02, 2006 at 11:39:09 AM EST
    the White House drug-policy office reported that "cocaine is widely available throughout most of the nation." The office offered similar assessments for heroin and marijuana.
    Sooo... what I want to know is, what are the few places where these drugs aren't available? Disneyland? Cause I'll bet the mouse is dealing too.

    Re: International Drug Interdiction Still Not Work (none / 0) (#6)
    by SeeEmDee on Fri Mar 03, 2006 at 10:53:18 AM EST
    Soooo...how long until we win? How many more of our already tattered civil liberties need be shredded in order to 'win'? How many more billions of taxpayer's dollars must be flushed down a commode labeled "War on Drugs"? How many more otherwise law-abiding citizens must have their lives destroyed, not by drugs (i.e. natural cannabis by itself has killed exactly zero people in 5,000 years of human history) but by the laws making them illegal? How many more little kids like Alberto Sepulveda must die at the hands of police in oops-wrong-house drug raids...to (ahem) 'protect' them from illicit drugs? Let's hear from the DrugWar apologists as to how they think a policy that has wasted billions of dollars and God knows how many lives since its' inception needs to be continued with such a poor result. Their silence is deafening...

    International Drug Interdiction Still Not Working | 6 comments (6 topical)