Drugs and Society Discussion Post Responses

According to Johann Hari, our legal system regarding the war on drugs is completely missing the mark. We waste so much money keeping individuals arrested for drug-related crimes in prison. The penalties are so harsh, and the sentence does nothing but put these individuals in more difficult situations. Even in prison, drugs are still smuggled inside. Also, the ban on drugs pushes more extreme versions of the drug, which are laced or less pure, into the drug market. Another negative effect of under-the-table drug consumption is the lack of legal protection that cartels receive during drug distribution. Since they can't report any type of crime that occurred at their business, they have to resort to drastic measures to prevent crime by themselves. They do this by making themselves appear extremely threatening. So, they resort to publicizing and participating in heinous acts to let everyone know they shouldn't be messed with. This does nothing but increase crime rates. Therefore, I believe that drugs should be decriminalized.

I think drugs should be left to be monitored by pharmacists, psychiatrists, doctors, etc. Hari mentioned that Portugal tried this approach, and crime rates went down. Drug use did go up slightly, but that is to be expected. We already tried prohibiting alcohol, and that didn't work out. This is the next step. Some states in the US have already begun legalizing marijuana. If we quit viewing drug use in such a negative light and start viewing it as we do drinking alcohol in public settings, then we can start to alter how drugs are used in the United States.

Haley Ruth:

One of the earliest examples of xenophobia shaping U.S. drug policy can be seen in the late 1800s when opium became associated with Chinese immigrants. During this period, sensationalized media portrayed Chinese communities as morally corrupt and responsible for spreading addiction, despite little evidence to support these claims. These narratives were rooted in broader anti-Chinese sentiment and fears that immigrants were threatening American jobs and culture. Drug use became a symbolic justification for exclusion and control, contributing to discriminatory measures like the Chinese Exclusion Act. Rather than addressing substance use as a social or public health issue, policymakers framed it as a foreign threat.

This pattern continued throughout the War on Drugs, where drug panics were repeatedly linked to marginalized communities and framed as invasions rather than structural issues. Recognizing these racist and xenophobic foundations challenges the idea that drug policy has always been neutral or evidence based.

If early drug laws were shaped by fear of immigrants rather than science, how much of today’s enforcement strategies are still influenced by those same narratives?