Cultural beliefs, expectations, and ideals - how they contribute to drug use.
Why they cause certain anti-drug efforts to fail
The extermination of illegal drugs has always been one of our most
important, worldwide issues. Ending the existence of drugs is one of the
toughest and most complicated goals we face. Despite our constant battle
against them, illegal substances continue to exist and thrive in our culture.
With all the effort we put into the war against drugs, why is there little success?
Lack of effort is not a major reason our attempts are failing. It is the lack of
understanding that leads to the misdirection and failure of our attempts.
Obviously a strong desire to use drugs exists, and it is the prevention of this
desire that we need to focus on in order to wipe out drugs from our lives.
In fact, our focus is strongly on punishing drug users, yet applying laws
against committed drug crimes has not proven to be an effective solution.
Drugs
are still produced and distributed everywhere, and are taken by many. -- despite
Obviously our focus is mid-directed. Because all types of people use
illegal substances, pinpointing one specific group to "bust" is not effective.
Recently, we have tried to track the location of drug use. We find places where
drugs tend to be, and seek to close them down as an effort to decrease the overall
use of drugs.
This has proved to be an ineffective technique because it does not change
people's craving for drugs. Reasons leading up to drug use still exist. Arresting
people for drugs does not kill their desire to use them. Closing down a crack
house does not end the residents addiction, it just forces them to move.
Reprimanding committed crimes does not eliminate the...