The intent on the War on Drugs was to reduce illegal drug users in teens and availability to all. which can affect everyone in their families. Legal drugs have become an even bigger problem than illegal drugs are. “Since 1999, deaths from legal drugs have increased by as much as 400% among women and 265% among men” (Banks). By ending the War on Drugs and legalizing all drugs possibly will make it even worse than it already currently is because it will cost more tax revenue and be forced to use more of it on therapy and rehab when we already spend 72 billion every year, drug-related deaths will increase, and crime and violence will only increase. America has a huge drug problem, and by just removing the War on Drugs will do nothing but it will just make the epidemic even worse.
If the War on Drugs were to end, more people would have access to it which increases the number of people who become addicted. Which will not only deeply affects families who are vulnerable to teenagers who have addictive tendencies and are very naive because of their age will ruin their development and will affect families for the rest of their lives (Gardner). There are going to be irresponsible people that have a low income will be more inclined to sell to teenagers who are looking for them and for example will essentially being the same way on how teenagers already go to gas stations and ask strangers to buy them bottles of alcohol in exchange for more than what the bottle costs or whatever it may be.
With millions of people becoming addicted, the death rates will skyrocket with addiction as well. “More than 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017” (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Death from Drug overdoses from prescription drugs like painkillers have been a huge epidemic in America alone. That is only from legal drugs, and drug overdoses in america have already been the leading causes of death in America for years now. If the War on Drugs were to end, more people will become addicted which will raise the death rate even higher every year.
Teenagers already have easy access to prescription drugs and alcohol that already have millions of teens addicted by ending the War on Drugs and decriminalizing illegal drugs will just make the situation far worse than it already has become (Recovery Ways). “We spend about $72 billion every year on treating prescription painkiller addiction” (Banks). With having drugs decriminalized will again, give more people access to it making them addicted. Which will greatly increase the amount of patients in therapy and rehab when already are spending on 72 billion from prescription drugs alone (Addiction Treatment). It may not seem a lot in terms of in the U.S’s tax budget, but they only make back approximately 32.7 billion of the tax revenue from sales which makes the government in more debt each year by 39.3 billion dollars annually just from having them attempt to treat people from prescription drugs.
With having illegal drugs decriminalized the amount of spending on tax budgets will dramatically increase than it already has. That will put our government in even more debt than it already is making the hole deeper as well. “Studies show having all legalizing all drugs will not make people more responsible” (Banks). DFC is a program that is based around making communities that are drug-free that have been known as drug area to help prevent and reduce the drug use rate in youths as much as possible into it becoming a drug-free area that also has shown to reduce drug-related crimes like in high schools and even middle schools (CADCA).
Its partially funded by the government and by ending the War on Drugs it can put the program out of business. Which is really bad because it has been working. “High schools prescription drugs has dropped 18 to 15 percent from only the last 30 days in 2014” (CADCA). This program has been proven that it works effectively and if changed it can affect all the progress that has been done and will bring the drug use back up in youth communities and to where youth students are the most vulnerable (Recovery Ways).
The War on drugs is not working in a lot of aspects across this country, but abolishing it will only make the situation far worse because it gives people easier access to them. With easier access, addictions, drug-related crimes, and death tolls from overdosing around America will only continue to rise each year at an alarming rate if its completely removed and because its shown that many people in America are just not responsible enough to use legalized drugs responsibly today (Banks).
