Question by Just My Luck: Basic questions about the War on Drugs?
I’m trying to study for a course and I’m watching a documentary “American Drug War: The Last White Hope.” I’m not getting any specifics to answers my questions though. Does anyone have any quick answers to these questions?

oHow is the ‘war on drugs’ a war on the poor?
oHow is the ‘war on drugs’ a race war?
oWho benefits from the ‘war on drugs’? How?
oWho suffers most from the ‘war on drugs’? How?

I’m thinking
The war on drugs is a war on the poor because the richer in society can afford their addictions and therefore hide it well: possible bribes, don’t end up living on the street, prostitution, etc.
The rich benefit as addictions to legal drugs- such as alcohol and drugs- and the higher end rich companies own these companies and therefore profit from peoples addictions.

I know it doesn’t all have to do with legal drugs…but this video is really interesting but not giving me the answers I need.

Best answer:

Answer by Russell Smiley
1. People that are addicted to drugs, but can’t afford rehab suffer. They don’t really have a choice because addiction is a medical chronic disease, so their free will is compromised. So they keep on doing the drugs and don’t have thousands of dollars, so they can get the treatment they deserve, so they lock them up instead. This is the number one reason why jails are full and real criminals get off, while the drug user rots in prison.

2. I believe that blacks and Latinos are much more likely to get searched, stopped and harassed by the cops. Therefore they are more likely to get arrested.

3. The drug dealers and gangs benefit from drugs being illegal. If every drug was legalized, then drug dealers would be put out of business. Gangs would also lose a lot of power.

4. People that are hopelessly addicted suffer the most from the war on drugs.

ADD: They also have legal synthetic drugs out now. One popular drug is Mephedrone. They also have bath salts and other drugs. Its legal because they get around the law by calling it something else and changing the formula. These drugs are even more dangerous.

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