In 2006, Felipe Calderon declared the war against drug trafficking in Mexico. Since then the warhas ignited a civil war among its citizens which has caused numerous casualties in the fight against the drug lords. Border cities, for example Ciudad Juarez, have suffered most of its effects by deaths of around an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 in 2009 alone making the city the most dangerous city in Mexico according toBBC News from the United Kingdom. Though the problem with drug trafficking is not only ignited by Mexican drug lords it, is also organized by drug dealers located in the United States that purchase the drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. The drug industry has become a problem that has both countries not only spending millions of dollars but also people’s lives that cannot be replaced for the effort to eradicate this issue. Because of these results, it is necessary that the United States and Mexico come to an agreement and construct a policy that will legalize drugs such asthe drug policies in Portugal.
In the 1990’s Portugal was riddled with an abomination of drug use that the government could not control. To combat this issue, in 2001 Portugal became the first country in the world to fully decriminalize the possession of all drugs.In this country it is legal to possess, consume and sell drugs. Its’ citizens enjoy the freedom of smoking marijuana in public places, inhale cocaine and in some cases even injecting heroin. According toJaoGulau (2009) head director of the drug policy in Portugal, it was necessary to make a change because enforcement of the same policies resulted in futile efforts.
Ten years after the Drug policy in Portugal,the CATO Institute released the first results based on studies and tests performed.From 2001 to 2006 the total numberofdrug users reduced by nearly a half. Teenagers from 7rd to 9th(13-15 years old) that had used any kind of drug reduced from 14.1 in 2001 to 10.6 in 2006 and teenagers in the 10th to 12th grade (16-18 years old) reduced from 27.6 in 2001 to 21.6 in 2006.
During 1999 and 2000 the Institute on Drugs and Drug Addiction of Portugal also reported that the number of intravenous drug users had doubled, makingit a threat for the spreading HIV and ADIS. After the policy changed, the users who shared syringes decreased by more than half from approximately 1,280 reported HIV cases in 2000 to less than 200 reported HIV cases in 2006. Reported AIDS cases dropped from approximately 550 in 2000 to approximately 200 in 2006.Moreover, not only has this new policy decreased the number of users but also has helped in reducing the number of people with HIV and AIDS among drug addicts.
In my perspective, the drug policy has worked in Portugal because it has made drugs a normal part of people’s life, and decreased the desire to do drugs to break the law. In other words, physiologically in the human mind if an object or a certain topic becomes prohibited, human nature is to desire it more. Nevertheless, let’s take for example marijuana which is consumed by most teenagers in America. In the United States, marijuana is legal in few states, and it is very controlled with heavy restrictions. According to some students at the University of Texas at El Paso, one of the reasons why they would buy or try any sort of illegal drug is because they are curios or because of peer pressure.
The implementation of this policy in the United States and Mexico will not only reduce the percentage of people that use illegal drugs but also boost the economy. By decriminalizing drugs, the government can implement taxes on drugs such as those on alcohol and tobacco, which can later then, beinvested in social programs to benefit the public. The government would also be able to raise taxes to help promote social welfare. However, some of the downfalls of legalizing drugs would be a huge increase in drug rehabilitation. According to studies done in Portugal, drug rehab patients more than doubled from 2001 to 2006.
All of these policy changes would have to be performed at the federal level, because if they were performed at the state level or county level, the United States would have a large issue with many different policies on drugs around the country. Some states would pass the legalization, while others would not. Meaning for some state border cities, there would be a large issue traveling for drug users. If implemented at the county level, there would be an even larger issue considering there are more than 90 counties in Texas alone.
I believe that if implemented, these changes would benefit the country in a very positive way. It would not only help eradicate the drug problem currently experienced by the United States and Mexico, but would also save many lives that may be lost to future wars over drugs, and also raise money to help promote social well-being.
References
Beaubien, J. (2006, August 6). As The Drug War Rages On, Will Mexico Surrender?Retrieved from npr:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12900962
Greenwald, G. (2009). Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for creating fair and successful
Price, M. (2009, March 23). Inside Mexico's most dangerous city [Video file]. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7959247.stm Put the gangs out of business: LEGALIZE DRUGS [Cartoon]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/375/legalizedrugsnationalposq2.jpg/sr=
Regan, T. (2010). CNBC - After 10 Years Portugal's progressive drug policy is proven success [Video film]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOqLc_3RfGs&feature=related
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