America has a pool of experience of drug interdiction. Even though it is not a new entrant to the war on drugs, its achievements are not significant. As such, there is a series of critical problems that needs to be discussed.
The principal reason why it might be claimed that America is not winning the war on drugs is that a large scope of drugs remains beyond the US legislation. It means that their use is not legally restricted notwithstanding the harmful effect these substances cause. What is more, the use of these substances is often encouraged by the pharmaceutical community that targets to push up the sales at the account of the consumers’ ignorance. As such, Abadinsky points out such substances as amphetamines and barbiturates that are recommended as sedative medicaments aimed at helping with nervous system disorders.
From this perspective, the key sign that America is not a winner in this war is the abundance of drug advertising in the media. On the face of it, mass media advertisements do not contain any drug promotion. In the meantime, a closer look at the object of advertisements helps to realize that a large scope of the substances offered on television and the Internet might be classified as drugs. In this frame, Abadinsly refers to the examples of products that are said to raise consumers’ energy, sex, and positive enforcement potential. Meanwhile, the author explains that a significant percentage of these products are ephedra-based, and their consumption causes strong addiction in a short period.
It might be suggested that the anti-drug policy that the government pursues is not as effective as they want to present it. Thus, the attempt to reduce the flow of drugs inside the country through the intensification of drug arrests has failed. Abadinsy notes that these measures have led to prison overcrowding and court overloading, while the main problem has remained unresolved. The author likewise elucidates the example of a recent heroin overdose within one of the American prisons. This example illustrates the government’s incapacity to address the problem effectively even within a narrow environment that is supposed to be controlled flawlessly.
Finally, it is essential to note that the failure to win the drug war has a particularly adverse effect on minority communities. The increase in the legislation pressure results in the fact that ex-prisoners are deprived of all the financial support from the government so that they see no other alternative but to return to criminal activity. Abadinsy describes the example of people who turn out to be completely excluded from the American social system after receiving probation. In other words, instead of facilitating a shift from criminal activity to normal life, the government seems to do the contrary by leaving the low-income class without the required support.
Therefore, it might be concluded that America is not winning the war on drugs because of the inefficacy of its anti-drug policy. Thus, the government makes varied attempts to resolve the problem. However, practice shows that these attempts result in worsening of the situation rather than its improvement. In certain cases, such as the active promotion of drug substances at the marketing level, the government might be disinterested in resolving the drug problem.