Why U.S. Presidents Can’t Win The War On Drugs

Since 1971, America has spent over a trillion dollars fighting the war on drugs started by President Nixon. But the national attitude towards drug use and abuse has changed. Marijuana has been legalized in 15 states and Washington D.C. Meanwhile, drug use and overdose death rates are rising with the opioid crisis. And the U.S. has locked up more people in prison than ever; one in five of the almost 2.3 million incarcerated people are behind bars for a drug offense. So did the war on drugs work? Did the U.S. win the war on drugs? Watch the video to find out.
This June marks the 50th anniversary of the war on drugs, an ongoing campaign that has to a large extent reshaped American politics, society and the economy.
″[The goals of the war on drugs] were to literally eradicate all of the social, economic and health ills associated with drugs and drug abuse,” said Christopher Coyne, professor of economics at George Mason University. “It doesn’t get much more ambitious than that.”
Since 1971, America has spent over a trillion dollars enforcing its drug policy, according to research from the University of Pennsylvania. Yet many observers, both liberal and conservative, say the war on drugs has not paid off.
The campaign, launched by President Richard Nixon, has spanned multiple administrations and led to the creation of a dedicated federal agency, the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Law enforcement was given an unprecedented level of authority with measures like mandatory sentencing and no-knock warrants, recently reevaluated after the death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police in a botched drug raid.
“The drug war is a failed policy and the things that they said would happen - people would stop using drugs, communities would get back together, we’d be safe, they’d get drugs off the street - those things didn’t happen,” said Kassandra Frederique, executive director at the Drug Policy Alliance, a national nonprofit that works to end the war on drugs.
Despite a steep decline in illicit drug usage in the earlier years, drug use in the U.S. is climbing again and more quickly than ever. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the number of illicit drug users rose to 13% of Americans 12 years or older in 2019, nearly reaching its peak from 40 years ago. If the goal of the war on drugs was to decrease drug usage and prevent drug-related deaths, it hasn’t made much progress.
“We are still in the midst of the most devastating drug epidemic in U.S. history,” according to Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow at the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at Brookings Institution. In 2020, overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 90,000, compared with 70,630 in 2019, according to research from the Commonwealth Fund.
Yet, the federal government is spending more money than ever to enforce drug policies. In 1981, the federal budget for drug abuse prevention and control was just over a billion dollars. By 2020, that number had grown to $34.6 billion. When adjusted for inflation, CNBC found that it translates to a 1,090% increase in just 39 years.
According to the White House, the national drug control budget is estimated to hit a historic level of $41 billion by 2022. The largest increases in funding are requested to support drug treatment and drug prevention.
“In the overall scheme of how much the U.S. government spends, it’s not a huge amount,” said Coyne. “The bigger issue is that there’s a burden from an economic perspective because when you make something illegal, it has a series of consequences that affect all areas of life.”
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Did The War On Drugs Work?

[@travismiles5885]

"The government doesn't want you to use your drugs, they want you to use their drugs." - Chris Rock

[@richhauxwell7848]

Ask yourself, why are we in Afghanistan?

[@DarkShroom]

@@richhauxwell7848 that was 911 actually, yunno that Osma Bin Laden guy and Al-Qaeda sometimes the boring simple explanations are the correct ones, Afghanistan isn't the only place in the world you can grow poppies

[@sallyjanecampos5241]

Drugs are always faster too get money in our hands

[@lukefrance9558]

@@DarkShroom wasn’t he in Pakistan.

[@MikeOxhard69420]

@@DarkShroom true but we have soldiers protecting said poppy fields so what does that say

[@jameysummers1577]

First thing we have to stop doing is calling taking drugs "drug abuse". That sets the tone of the conversation right away, and it sends the conversation in the wrong way.

[@imcomingforyou.3245]

Right? Also makes it seem like there’s a right and wrong way to take these drugs. So if I’m a high functioning drug user/taker it would be fine by their way of thinking? Nope, they say abuse to demonize the people who use them recreationally. Addiction is a horrible disease but it should be treated like a disease, not a heinous crime. You wouldn’t throw someone in prison for having a disease. Especially non violent drug “crimes”. It’s ridiculous. There needs to be more accurate drug portrayal, rehabilitation, and harm reduction. All those things would help users safely take their drugs and seek actual help to prevent OD’s etc.

[@nathanielsingleton6302]

“I want to congratulate drugs for winning the war on drugs” - Vice media

[@israelarana5283]

Haha true

[@MichaelLee-nn9fo]

😂😂😂😂

[@varangianwolf6128]

Vice lie !!!

[@nathanielsingleton6302]

@@varangianwolf6128 oh so we won the war on drugs??? Where and when???

[@wolfepak1224]

@R Black go watch tucker he will tell you what you want to here 😂

[@jeffsilverman6104]

There's no "war" on drugs, because you can't have a war when everyone is on the same side. The only losses are the people who spend years in prison for low level drug crimes.

[@gooblob4188]

Do you know one thing a lot of those surveys leave Out when they talk about how more people are in for possession than distribution is the fact that 97% of drug charges never go to trial So what happens most of the time is that a charge of distribution is pled down to possession.

[@ingdiaz12]

Or the people in Mexico and Central America who have to endure so much violence and so much blood shed because the US can’t stop snoring so much crap

[@MrCristianposso]

Ah, the long standing American tradition of making war against abstract concepts... and losing...

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@user-gl9mf3zo7r]

They aren't losing if you know the true purpose of the 'war on drugs'. Some might say, they've been very 'successful'.

[@war8036]

That’s right more people use drugs now then any time in history except for the mid 80s during the cocaine epidemic.

[@chiquita683]

Now we're fighting systemic racism lol

[@pretentiousprogressive1949]

War is money.

[@casandrala8370]

Maybe because officials at the highest levels are in on it, ya think?

[@stevenwilkerson2372]

You're right, all I could think of when Bush was fondling that cocaine was how much of it went up his sons nose.

[@Carnageloser7]

it's the CIA.

[@casandrala8370]

@@Carnageloser7 all the abc's.

[@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403]

Nope! That's not the reason why. As a few people have mentioned, the war on drugs was never meant to be "won"! The question is a simple one: why was the war on drugs ever created? Well, let's read the words of the creator, shall we? From qz.com/645990/nixon-advisor-we-created-the-war-on-drugs-to-criminalize-black-people-and-the-anti-war-left/ “You want to know what this was really all about?” he asked with the bluntness of a man who, after public disgrace and a stretch in federal prison, had little left to protect. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” Destroy black families and profit off of the resultant prison labor. It's modern day slavery and it is very profitable.

[@0000song0000]

a lot of police dpts get $ to look the other way

[@54tristin]

I would imagine at this point someone would recognize, that drug use goes down when people have jobs, can educate their children, feed their families, and wake up with afeeling of self respect and dignity.

[@phulioyuong3659]

Instead of continuing the War On Drugs, the US should really start a new war: The War On Drugs' [PRICES]. Maybe they will have better success there but highly doubt it.

[@BMoneyTSM]

Nothing will stop me from my godforsaken right for booger sugar!

[@jimziemer474]

Trump started to do that by trying to increase competition among drug manufacturers.

[@bespinoza66]

Nah, it'll decrease profits lol

[@sweetdreamer3352]

Hmmm.... nice 🤔

[@RedRose4141]

cost per inmate every year is over 4x what the government expects a disabled person to survive on with SSI per year.

[@stevenwilkerson2372]

Yes, it's almost like the war on drugs has nothing to do with health and safety or doing anything to actually protect the American people and it is more about spending taxpayer money on brainwashing people into hating other people meanwhile allowing politicians to target and remove certain groups disproportionately right to vote. Just like Nixon intended.

[@armadilllo]

thank a democrat, you get what you vote for

[@sepg5084]

@@armadilllo the decriminalization of drugs is mostly a democratic/centrist agenda. It was Nixon, a Republican, who "declared" the war on drugs in 1971. Watch the vid, kid.

[@ahadumer418]

@Ivan Mektyn what about progressive

[@sethrawbass]

@@sepg5084 democrats started the kkk. You can keep painting a boogie man. Its not going to help the problem.

[@GinodiFonzo]

“The war is not meant to be won; it is meant to be perpetual to keep the present and prevailing social order intact.” (Paraphrased)

[@natesmodelsdoodles5403]

When people talk about those who don't study history being doomed to repeat it, this is why.

[@dickbutt7854]

Same with any war. There's literally no point. And it's not "America wants that oil" it's that the globalist military industrial complex want money. War pays. It pays big. It also scares. Scared people are easy to control

[@Centre14]

same as 1984

[@rs72098]

U.S. crime rates have fallen since the 1970s. So has life expectancy. In my opinion the war on drugs is successful, but many channels like Vice want to convince you otherwise. Vice is funded by George Soros.

[@bullterror5]

Exactly And that Order is Government Sactioned Organised Crime

[@seanlee3863]

The drug war was never meant to be won, there's no money in winning it and losing it, they're only money in fighting it. The interested that have personal gains the drug war includes The police department gets federal budget, prison industrial complex gets taxpayer money, the DEA need to get paid, america is a massive user of prison labours (slavery in my mind) where the average pay is 10-20 cents per hour aka cheap human labor resource.

[@charkswitlazers]

Prisoners deserve to be free labor, period. Not only that, the vast majority actually choose to have jobs while incarcerated. Let’s worry about the rights of law abiding humans and all animals before we cry about criminals.

[@phillipellison4758]

You are correct sir . There is no budget for a "war" that is won . I don't care what you put in your body . I judge you on your actions . Actions speak louder than any words . Their actions (LEO) speaks volumes .

[@thetachyon456]

@@charkswitlazers "Prisoners deserve to be free labor" aka "Slavery is fine as long as they are criminals"

[@bengaltiger96]

@@charkswitlazers If they are nonviolent drug offenders, whose rights did they violate to end up in prison? If they robbed, beat, or killed someone for those drugs, that's a whole other Oprah, and that deserves time. But I don't want to spend $45k/year to house a weed smoker.

[@darkanglestr8line452]

@@thetachyon456 They are the engine of the Chinese, forced prison labor keeping them dominating the American market for peeled garlic. Worked 18 hour days until their fingers bleed and use their teeth to keep peeling

[@ireaditsomewhere6294]

When the U.S government goes after something, it ends up escalating rather than reducing. The main reason for that is because the U.S government and it policy makers, with their arrogance always approach things negatively and fail to listen to numerous on ground reports on how to approach things differently.

[@JakeWitmer]

100% right

[@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403]

No, you don't get it. Unfortunately, the video never talked about why the war on drugs was actually created in the first place. Let's read from the man who actually created it, shall we? From qz.com/645990/nixon-advisor-we-created-the-war-on-drugs-to-criminalize-black-people-and-the-anti-war-left/ “You want to know what this was really all about?” he asked with the bluntness of a man who, after public disgrace and a stretch in federal prison, had little left to protect. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.” You're making the assumption that they're "losing the war" when in reality, they're getting EXACTLY what they want. Prison labor is very profitable, along with destroying black families in the process.

[@monsterx3055]

our govenment is made up of a bunch of old white dudes.

[@GAURAV25855ify]

Cause they don’t know how to approach it diffrently

[@nochance5704]

The war on drugs is designed to cause death, suffering and chaos. How can people not see this? Drugs illegal to save loves from overdose and destruction? Hahahahah keep taking your boosters. The people who hide behind the curtain are controlling all of this. There is no war on drugs, all drugs should be legal it would end almost all war.

[@joshuagharis9017]

Literally, legalize drugs, so hard drug users come in contact with health professionals, gangs and cartels are defunded, and law enforcement can focus on violent/victim driven crime

[@georgegerman9009]

Hard drug addicts don't want any help. I know that for self experience They rather die of od Like my brother did.

[@triadwarfare]

@Stephen Anthony that's something of a plot for the Kingsman 2

[@stevenwilkerson2372]

@@georgegerman9009 Haiti use this argument on you but that is anecdotal evidence. I'm sorry your brother died from use and I don't know the particular circumstances. One of the things that we do know is many addicts often use drugs to deal with other problems, often mental health. This is one of the primary reasons why detoxes don't often work because they don't go hand-in-hand with the long-term mental health that individuals need. Another thing that decriminalization would do would also allow for regulation. We need to be honest many of these drugs really aren't that bad when used responsibly and most individuals use them fairly responsibly like most people use alcohol responsibly. By decriminalization and legalizing the safest forms is really the best way to protect everyone.

[@armadilllo]

most violent criminals are violent from using drugs

[@sm3675]

@Stephen Anthony Covid was like poison. Many drug addicts died. I kinda like the idea. Less drug use. Lol

[@Semelem]

It’s a shame how many lives have been ruined over something I can literally go through a drive-thru and get all day, 7 days a week

[@indigenousamerican3148]

It was Russia who hacked USA, USA has to realize that Russia is our enemy #1 and China #2

[@freepalestine2434]

@Chett Baker We lose 600k people every year in the US to heart disease, let alone the many other diseases like cancer caused by fast food. That's double the losses we saw in WW2, every year.

[@freepalestine2434]

@@indigenousamerican3148 I'm sick of realizing enemies. America was built on people from all over the world, so why not love people from all over? Enough killing. We're at war with seven countries, and for what?

[@Apex8r]

If you watched and listened, it’s only 1 in 5, meaning 4 of 5 are in jail for other crimes. Keeping drugs the resource for arrests is working, nuff said! And I am a user, abuser, seller, and manufacturer from the streets! Go head

[@Apex8r]

@@indigenousamerican3148 lol that’s cute! A lil puny country with big land and lil computers take over America pipe. Tell me why Biden handed him a list of 16 targets NOT to target? LMAO

[@bakedbeansbaby3908]

You don't end addiction by giving fine and arresting them to release them. It's a health care issue but they find a way to profit from arrest rather than deal with the root cause

[@nenmaster5218]

Yes, Some More News just covered this and so do some Science-Youtouebrs. May i suggest checking that out?

[@johnk6324]

I was surprised to learn some European countries actually legalized drugs,and have had far fewer overdoses and problems related to it than here in the US. John Stossel did an interesting report on it,and America's drug war.

[@nenmaster5218]

The War-on-Drugs cant ever be Won, BECAUSE the very Idea shows a total Misunderstanding of the Situation. As YT-Channel Some More News pointed out "Data and Science clearly show that Drug-Addiction is nothing more and nothing less than a Disease by all Wikipedia-Defintions of the Word. It even, in fact, CHANGES YOURE BRAIN-WIRING... ...How messed up is it that we send Policemen to Schools to explain Drugs instead of Scientists and Doctors who actually know it?!" Objective fact is, Drug-Addiction is a MEDICAL PROBLEM. Objective fact as in 'this aint up for Debate. You either know this or you dont'. And our beloved, great, beloved Politicans do not know this.

[@royaltyblessed2454]

Portugal is a leader on drug combatence

[@Acteaon]

@@royaltyblessed2454 it’s true. And they did it approximately 20yrs ago. Why is America so bloody stupid?

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Love it when the thumbnail asks and the video title answers.

[@richardwainwright507]

@CNBC° lol

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@Tox1cAshes]

That drug use graph at 3:44 lines up perfectly with the start and end of the DARE program's federal funding.

[@rs72098]

Wow, I didn't notice that. It started in 1983 and ended in 1998. It looks like it did work to an extent. Perhaps rebranding it and restarting it would help.

[@brklynbomber]

Two words: Supply/Demand. No president or government or organization will EVER be more powerful than those two words. But that wont stop them from trying tho.

[@Ngamotu83]

What's truly unfortunate is that for the billions of dollars spent on the war on drugs, that spending would be far more effective at reducing drug crime if it was put towards healthcare and education. The problem with the war on drugs is that it is very much a matter of putting an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, albeit with a tank in place of an ambulance. In fighting a war on drugs nothing is done to reduce the motivation for using drugs, which is what focusing on healthcare and education would actually do.

[@prcekcz908]

One would say that US will learn from alcohol prohibition in 1920s... Or from drug policy in Portugal.

[@jorgemanso521]

From Portugal here...I have not heard of drug-related problems in this country forever...12..15 at least...

[@beojack4592]

@@jorgemanso521 I think OP probably knew that. Portugal's decriminalization of drugs in 2001 has been much talked about and envied in the US over the years as good policy. As opposed to US prohibition which was a disaster.

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@sugarplumchum421]

You can't get rid of them until you decriminalize the use of drugs. See Portugal for example.

[@Mitaka-Asa]

Saying "Don't do drugs" creates a "don't tell me what to do" psychology. So once its legal, people will get tired of it and eventually stop using it.

[@georgebalan6201]

@@Mitaka-Asa Umm… is that true? Please link a study showing that drug rates in places like Oregon (not Portugal) have significantly fallen since they decriminalized ALL drugs.

[@TheBooban]

I keep hearing this about Portugal. You are still forced to go to rehab there. Its not like they are selling joints like cigarettes there.

[@Pedro-tm6ue]

@@TheBooban yes, joints are not like cigarrettes here 😅 About rehab: you may be required to go there (it's one of the possibilities) but the system often serves as a way to get help when it's very rare that drug users would search for it. We used to have a massive problem with drug use in the 80s, which decriminalization helped to alleviate. We also have for example facilities where they'll offer you supplies so that you can shoot up while avoiding getting HIV, hep c and such from sharing needles.

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

President James Madison ::: " If man were Angels, no government would be necessary." yep.

[@engineeringreality7878]

God made man above angels. That's why satan got mad at god

[@paultowns]

So basically it costs more to lock a person up than it would to get them some real help.

[@AliHau275]

They can't win because they're funding it 🤣🤣🤣

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@gchdufdi]

@@dragonlore8484 you telling me that duterte’s war on drugs is any better than the American one? Lmao

[@AliHau275]

@@dragonlore8484 why would they want to stop it when they benefit so much from the drugs?

[@juju35888]

The language of declaring “war” on drugs is indicative of the problem- we need to be healing, not fighting these issues. And that comes with an entirely different approach which decreases policing and increases examination of all the varying levels of social influences. But that ain’t gonna happen bc the people who want to declare “war” are benefiting from the current system *sipping my tea*

[@gensnature-techworkshop]

I completely agree. All I can do as an outsider (I'm not from the US) is laugh at how wrong the government and other policy makers are. Drugs aren't the problem, the United States system and societal structure is the problem. Drugs do one thing, they "free" people from their ugly reality. If you want to make people stop using drugs, all you have to do is give them a better life. Instead of asking: "how many millions of pounds of drugs did we take off the streets?" or "how many drug users/sellers did we catch?" The government should be asking: "how many millions of people are happy, safe and living comfortably in my country?". Countries that don't have drugs are countries that have happy people with stable lives, that's it.

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@denverscott37]

I just finished 2 years probation, got caught with literal dust in a baggie, any amount of cocaine is in fact cocaine in the state of Kentucky, there is no "usable amount" law like there used to be. For 2 years I was told repeatedly that I have a disease, I would ask if the cure is too throw me in a little cage like an animal? Or be forced to attend some sort of religious program such as AA? Where I'm forced to admit I'm powerless, and that a God I don't believe in is my only hope.

[@dwaynetherock4716]

Hello I'll like to know more about you

[@rs72098]

@Steven Wilkerson If there was a "War on Fraud" That unfairly targeted my race. I would want changes, but guess what? *I'D STILL WANT FRAUD TO BE ILLEGAL.* I wouldn't change laws in order to legalize fraud everywhere, and claim that my freedoms were being unfairly taken away.

[@vxxiii4160]

As someone from Mexico I can say crackdowns and use of force has lead to more deaths than lives saved, in both countries. We need smarter tactics vane a robust regulation, only that way we'll win against this plague

[@nenmaster5218]

The War-on-Drugs cant ever be Won, BECAUSE the very Idea shows a total Misunderstanding of the Situation. As YT-Channel Some More News pointed out "Data and Science clearly show that Drug-Addiction is nothing more and nothing less than a Disease by all Wikipedia-Defintions of the Word. It even, in fact, CHANGES YOURE BRAIN-WIRING... ...How messed up is it that we send Policemen to Schools to explain Drugs instead of Scientists and Doctors who actually know it?!" Objective fact is, Drug-Addiction is a MEDICAL PROBLEM. Objective fact as in 'this aint up for Debate. You either know this or you dont'. And our beloved, great, beloved Politicans do not know this.

[@anujnair2333]

The United States on the fight against cannabis-first, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Third, they fight you. Then they tax you.

[@ousmanedanfo6304]

The Real question is : Why the USA doesn't want to win the war on drugs?

[@justicematters5447]

? what does winning the war mean?

[@bbe3034]

$$$

[@katyungodly]

@@justicematters5447 it means no illegal drugs whatsoever making it into the country, which is a fantasy.

[@justicematters5447]

@@katyungodly Right so there is no end to it. Agreed sounds like a failed plan to me.

[@Krynale]

Because it's too lucrative to incarcerate blacks and Brown...#privateprisons

[@yeetian2774]

The big winner is those law enforcement officers who bought nice houses in Florida after the retirement. Guess where the money come from?

[@rddrpar8349]

No that actually pensions and 401ks I don’t think the pay for cops change due to war on drugs

[@Van420Dal]

@@rddrpar8349 if you don't think the pay for police officers and the funding they get is directly tied to the war on drugs then you clearly are just not well read on this issue. The majority of increases in police department budgets over the last 40 years have overwhelmingly been driven by drug enforcement. That overwhelmingly accounts for the vast majority of police budgets. It's really easy go and look up your local police department and then look up their spending and what they spend the money on The vast majority of their money goes to fighting drugs not violent crime

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@sallyjanecampos5241]

Drug's Drug's

[@CACoons07]

@@Van420Dal if you could post up some of that data, I’d appreciate it.

[@benjaminh1034]

I highly recommend the book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari. I think he gets it wrong about discounting genetic factors of addiction, but the history primer of the war on drugs is among the best you’ll find.

[@salami99]

Generics can play a factor for addiciton in my experience i have seen family memebers get addicted

[@josegzysegun8528]

I love that book. Also check out lost connection by him also

[@ludokerfluffle6232]

"Last days" ?

[@JakeWitmer]

Hari is kind of an anti-liberty dunnock(victim of the cuckoo bird). He's "a progressive" who is libertarianish only on drug rights. For a more consistent view, it's better to go with Radley Balko, Carl Hart, Jacob Sullum, Thomas Szasz, Andrew Weil, Hamilton Morris, Vin Suprynowicz, Clay Conrad, John Stossel, etc.

[@nenmaster5218]

@@JakeWitmer The War-on-Drugs cant ever be Won, BECAUSE the very Idea shows a total Misunderstanding of the Situation. As YT-Channel Some More News pointed out "Data and Science clearly show that Drug-Addiction is nothing more and nothing less than a Disease by all Wikipedia-Defintions of the Word. It even, in fact, CHANGES YOURE BRAIN-WIRING... ...How messed up is it that we send Policemen to Schools to explain Drugs instead of Scientists and Doctors who actually know it?!" Objective fact is, Drug-Addiction is a MEDICAL PROBLEM. Objective fact as in 'this aint up for Debate. You either know this or you dont'. And our beloved, great, beloved Politicans do not know this.

[@mikeray2275]

The guy who got 40 years in prison for a cocaine offense while under house arrest. I have to be honest, that might be one of the most corrupt examples of our goverment. Keep in mind it was an offense. So it was just a small personal amount. We all need to pray for that man and hope he gets out way sooner. Please.

[@xaifer2485]

just clicked on the video, no idea whats in it. but I'll answer the question and save you quarter of an hour. *N O*

[@jakephreel]

Lol thanks for the summary

[@hourbee5535]

The drugs won. They always win.

[@Forbidden-Pre-Workout]

“Death solves all problems - no man, no problem.” -Joseph Stalin

[@lori8880]

I don’t think we’ll ever stop it.

[@ryandavis8245]

Notice how the president said drug users first and drug dealers second.

[@guyski666]

The most dangerous drug in the World is alcohol - and I can buy that everywhere :)

[@shaider1982]

I was thinking absolute power but not everyone can get that so, yeah, alcohol it is🤣

[@Artman1]

3 million deaths a year makes it a crime against humanity bigger than the Holocaust. The Alcoholocaust.

[@EliteClinicalResearch]

No it’s actually sugar, you can buy that even more places lol

[@DavidRanalli]

Alcohol turns you into a straight up idiot. That’s why they want it on every corner. Pot and psychedelics are freedom. Stay away from white powders

[@meoff7602]

@@EliteClinicalResearch Which also has severe negative health consequences at the end of your life. Type 2 diabetes anyone?

[@Eravel]

Stop treating addiction and drugs as a criminal problem and start treating it as a social one. Look to countries like Portugal for their drug policies and see how they succeeded. Policies like harm reduction work. Police should not be used as a bludgeon to 'fix' social problems. In many cases of addiction, it's as Gabor Mate said: "Not why the addiction, but why the pain?"

[@karenmessinger9609]

I totally agree

[@danki2000daniel]

We pay them with our tax dollars to stop something the majority of people , DON'T want stopped.

[@jostsomuan8012]

Who is the majority of people you’re referring to? Literally, most people want drugs out. Even drug addicts want to stop using drugs. Even the sellers themselves would wish to be able to do anything else but they do it people it pays the bills so… I Don’t know who you’re referring to there.

[@rs72098]

You're likely surrounded by people who are for the legalization of drugs, and therefore you assume they represent the majority opinion, which isn't true. This happens both with right-wing and left-wing people, who don't go outside their bubble.

[@leo4KC]

Through out our countries history we've been at War for 268 years, I would argue that we never won a war because it benefits the people at the top.

[@midiplay]

* country’s

[@leo4KC]

@@midiplay thank you I see now

[@dantetre]

The Land of the "Free" has higher incarceration rate than China and also in numbers too.

[@user-dc5fl8ko6k]

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[@willienelsongonzalez4609]

The war on drugs was never about disruption of illicit drug industry; it was always known there would be (and is) a racial bias skewered towards communities of poverty as well as black/ethnic minorities. If it was really about decimating the industry then all energy would have been focused on eliminating the source. Let’s not forget the legitimate opiate crisis either. Various big pharmaceuticals are the biggest and most deadliest drug pushers out there!

[@Thepippinator2]

There are people still serving life sentences for possession of marijuana!

[@angelpaige2143]

crazy when marijuana will be legal soon

[@tgm_rka8888]

Ik your comment is old af but I’m not sure there in for life just for simple possession. They were probably moving tons off weed

[@sonyawilliams4989]

Such a waste, trillions? I don’t even smoke weed, but dismantle the DEA. You will NEVER get people to stop wanting drugs, and as long as there is demand there will always be supply. Arrest all the people you want, there will be another drug user after that one. No one has ever heard of a drug dealer running out of drugs.

[@ericwilliams626]

Because they are a part of the drug running, directly or indirectly.

[@versatileduplicity9313]

Yep, they take drugs also

[@MrPeaceandLiberty]

"The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous." ~George Orwell "I like prohibition." ~Al Capone Just say, "NO" unless it profits alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical corporations.

[@gmfreeman4211]

Bingo. The government makes far too much money off of it to let it stop.

[@whysocurious7366]

I don’t like prohibition- everyone who understands how horrible the war on (personal freedom to use certain) drugs is

[@abelincoln4374]

This comment section gives me alot of hope people are finally realizing drugs are not a crime, at worse its an illness. No one should serve prison time for putting some random substance in their body.

[@dylanpalmer3556]

Right especially if we don't even get the right education bout drugs to begin with "they lied to me bout weed so they probably lied bout crystal meth too pass the pipe" n that's why the truth matters

[@amanhasnoname1510]

The problem with the war on drugs is that it’s not being treated as a war but a law enforcement event.

[@mcozy333]

another way to suppress man and his access to the world around him

[@lexluthor4156]

Work for who? For politicians and judges to have an easier issue to talk about in their campaign, or tunnelling taxpayer's money to contractors(private jails, equipment)? Yeah, it definitely worked.

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@BloodyIron]

The USA lost the war on drugs the day they started it.

[@jimboonie9885]

@Ethan Its a bot

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@ahadumer418]

Dude they were winning but after 1999 they were losing

[@rs72098]

FACT: U.S. crime rates have EXPONENTIALLY fallen since the war on drugs began. Yes, the war on drugs is actually working despite what these channels peddle to you.

[@ludokerfluffle6232]

50 years ago cops planted an once of cannabis on my pops because cop wanted to teach my pops a lesson. Pops joined Navy because the military is the only employer that waves a criminal record.

[@midiplay]

* waives

[@brucelee4996]

Dr. Carl Hart . I love his books about the absurdities around the War on Drugs. Too bad the US couldn't implement drug policies like Portugal or Switzerland.

[@bullterror5]

Soon they will be overcome by the drug war - look at Mexico

[@Ganjor420]

The war on drugs is even less effective than this one time when Australia went to war with Emus (and the Emus won).

[@nickl5658]

Only the first Emu war is remembered by most people. Australia when to war against the Emu no less than 3 times, losing each war. After the third emu war, Australia was forced to build a gate, marking the lands of Emu country and Australians were forced to pay for it among the other harsh reparations. To this day no Emu will go to prison for killing a man in Australia.

[@AO-qy8fp]

Prohibition doesnt work. This has happened already with Alcohol. Blame the government.

[@noneshere]

I remember the fbi catching the cia flying tons of cocaine into America. The war on drugs is fake, its just an excuse to blik money out of taxpayers for something they never want to accomplish anyway.

[@potatoeskimos]

It worked in other countries, if you love drugs and alcohol just say it.

[@AO-qy8fp]

@@potatoeskimos No it hasn't. The rest of the comments agree. Keep your childish ignorance to yourself.

[@NotMyWar]

"There's a war being fought, and people on drugs are winning it." Bill Hicks

[@slevinchannel7589]

As YT-Channel Some More News pointed out "Data and Science clearly show that Drug-Addiction is nothing more and nothing less than a Disease by all Wikipedia-Defintions of the Word. It even, in fact, CHANGES YOURE BRAIN-WIRING... ...How messed up is it that we send Policemen to Schools to explain Drugs instead of Scientists and Doctors who actually know it?!" Objective fact is, Drug-Addiction is a MEDICAL PROBLEM.

[@ninjagator]

In the 1990's the government was investing in educating the public about the damage caused by drug usage with very creative TV commercials and I believe that explains why the use of drugs went down considerably during that period, but for the last 20 years I don't remember seen much focus on education, but only criminalization....

[@randymagnum8721]

"war on drugs" has always been code for increasing police agency revenue and budgets.

[@johannhuff6936]

No, Drugs Won.

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@nootherlikemyownskin3818]

Thank you

[@G-nyc1644]

They need to put this video in a time capsule so they can replay after a few decades when the results of decriminalization fall flat on their face.

[@roxarecool]

Based.

[@YourMom-vl2sp]

Why we losing: Because we America loves drugs

[@CamRStanford]

3:40 "That admitted" to using illegal drugs being the operable phrase.

[@stevenwilkerson2372]

Yeah I found that part funny to. Before the war on drugs a lot of people were probably fairly okay with admitting the fact that they used these illicit substances. Yes there was some social stigma but overall they'd be comfortable with it. After a lot of social stigma was attached to using drugs reporting, self reporting went down. It's almost like focusing on self reporting something wasn't that bad then got worse and then now isn't as bad might not be the most accurate way to track use.

[@jamesl9371]

End the failed war on drugs and take the distribution of drugs away from the criminals. All drugs should be decriminalized and regulated and addicts should be given treatment

[@mcozy333]

there is no need to Regulate plants however

[@paulg8065]

Why the f do we still have people in prison for marijuana offenses?

[@albear972]

"Did The War On Drugs Work" --- No! Just ask Nancy Raygun.

[@dragonlore8484]

They could learn from Philippines as of march 2021 data there is 10 million drug surrendere

[@meejinhuang]

This is like the fight during Prohibition. You'll never win.

[@user-dc5fl8ko6k]

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[@aol11]

That thumbnail of George Bush was one of the biggest drug advertisements of all times.

[@elitequeef]

"I'd like to congratulate drugs for winning the war on drugs"

[@rs72098]

Drug dealers get killed every day, and keep going to jail, so do drug users. Drugs aren't winning anything.

[@jaymatchen6574]

hasn't, can't and never will

[@alek7243]

Maybe starting trying to start a “war” with your citizens regardless of their health or mental well-being it was a bad idea. The war on drugs has escalated the amount of militant force used on American citizens more than any other “problem” in our society.. it’s absolutely disgusting.

[@stevenwilkerson2372]

I hate people that talk about military force and how we have militarized our police. The reason I hate that term is because it is inaccurate. The reality is our military in active war zones overall have to be more responsible and are held to a higher standard than most local law enforcement. One of the things I heard from veterans, particular those that were patrolling or acting as military police was when they came back to civilian and joined the local departments they were appalled at how reckless our local cops actually are. This was a couple years ago I saw an interview with one and they were just shocked that cops were allowed to get away with this stuff because if they would even thought about being this aggressive in an active war zone they would have been not just dishonorable discharge but spent time behind bars yet we think it's completely normal for cops to be violent on the street.

[@imcomingforyou.3245]

@@stevenwilkerson2372 thank you for this comment! So insightful and TRUE.

[@julianj9830]

@@stevenwilkerson2372 The military represents the US government, that’s why. Police represents the county. The shittier the county, the shittier the cop.

[@nealpurdy1202]

Insanity = doing the same thing and expecting a different result!

[@DisabilityExams]

The War on Drugs was launched by President Nixon in 1974. It has been so successful, it's almost impossible to find drugs or addicts in the USA today.

[@xxxenricop]

The war on drugs just like the war on terror started with a good enough intent but ended up just being a work opportunity for too many people & therefore very hard politically to scale down 🤯

[@fighterck6241]

The intent was always political...🤨

[@bcnicholas123]

All non-violent drug offenders should be freed immediately.

[@AC-ro6ib]

Wow! A 40-year sentence for a cocaine offense, meanwhile violent criminals and murderers are only getting 10-15 years.

[@amartyaroy3754]

I am gonna be waiting for the day when a US president rolls a joint in the same position , 2:30🤣

[@ilovecoffeev]

They likely already have, I'm sure of it.

[@adamduzynski]

I miss the most important part in my eyes - how come the DEMAND for illegal drugs is so much higher in the US than in other industrialized countires?

[@julianj9830]

Because nothing makes you want to do something more than when you’re told you cant

[@amygirl1661]

I think that's a great question. Something I'm missing too. Some people might say economic pressures, more mental health issues -- people trying to self-medicate. But there seems to be a market in all economic tiers of society. Rich college kids are a big one.

[@user-sh1yv3gp6p]

I would like to congratulate drugs, for winning the war on drugs.

[@jamesl9371]

End the failed war on drugs!!! This is insane. Excellent book = Chasing the Scream.

[@zacharykeller7243]

There was a movie in 1994 about this: Clear and Present Danger.

[@CRMcGee2]

America claims it's the land of the free. What one chooses to put into their body is the ultimate freedom.

[@alanharrison573]

With freedom comes responsibility. If you use drugs, you bear consequences. Not everyone else.

[@robertriley6779]

I don't know who, but someone actually needs to hear this, you've got to stop saving all your money. Venture into investing some, if you really want financial stability

[@juliermelier6330]

Pure wise comment.

[@joannabrit9938]

I understand the fact tomorrow isn't promised to anyone, but investing today is a hard thing to do because i have no idea of how andthat where to invest in these?

[@esperanzagato7028]

Very helpful, this is what I needed to hear today

[@kennethmcneal8316]

If you think you're too busy to trade or learn how to trade, just know I have some friends who invest in a platform where experts devote their time and help them trade and generate a good ROI

[@lisacampbell5722]

My personal portfolio/investment manager; Mrs Jessica Leigh Caden , after a whole week of research,she runs an investment platform where you don't have to undergo any stress in the trades, she manages my trading account which i opened with a capital of $3000 and now i have grown my portfolio up to over $6500, a huge success.

[@lcj2046]

No one should be in prison for marijuana. Due to the state profiting on taxes of sales.

[@alecschafer1312]

The war that WILL never end

[@johnnydoe2672]

It’s really the war on specific people using specific drugs

[@bevvy.bee9]

Short answer, no

[@AFAndersen]

These people are insane... legalizing and normalization of drug use is not the way to go...

[@VincentValentine33]

Marijuana Prohibition needs to End. I've been on Medical Marijuana since 2019 to treat Epilepsy. My last seizure was November 2020. I'm going to be getting my driver's license back after 10 years of not being able to drive due to the seizures. I'm no longer dependent on medications that have some of the worse side effects and don't even stop the seizures but can be deadly to quit cold turkey.

[@nenmaster5218]

As "Some More News" pointed out "Data and Science clearly show that Drug-Addiction is nothing more and nothing less than a Disease by all Wikipedia-Defintions of the Word.

[@jacquessebastian3633]

Yep

[@Wojtek-420]

I'm moving to Oregon. They know what they're doing.

[@alignedbyprinciple]

Rest in peace.

[@Wojtek-420]

@@alignedbyprinciple same to you.

[@alignedbyprinciple]

@@Wojtek-420 no I am not going to Oregon to enjoy the democrats promised utopia.

[@Wojtek-420]

@@alignedbyprinciple cool man. Enjoy what you can. Rest in peace.

[@atamari101]

Thank you for addressing that drugs can be a useful tool in politics.

[@nidodson]

Meanwhile, countries that legalize it all, use that money on rehab, safe injection sites, and so on are actually seeing a decrease in drug use. Corruption is why the war on drugs still exist, and the people are who are paying for the corruption, not those committing corruption.

[@itsjacob7239]

10:01 I did the math and if that figure is true, America is spending $82961 per prisoner

[@JJVernig]

I do think that can be a correct figure. Buildings, food, guards, overhead and the profits for those for-profit jails...

[@Jlemus01]

The Answer Is Simple, Is Because People Don't Stop Consuming Drugs.

[@chadeller5588]

Prohibition ensure only criminals profit. Legalized drugs can be taxed and regulated. This video barely mentioned: 1) drug cartels exist because the drug war 2) >100,000 deaths in Central America because of drug related violence 3) drug violence is a key reason for immigration from C.A.

[@thetf8142]

thats the point, if you focus on something that's illegal, it will only gain more attraction and cause more chaos, thus banning weapons wont do literally anything but cause more problems.

[@amyjordan1276]

successful people don't become that way overnight .most people you see as a glance-wealth, a great career, purpose-is the result of hard work and hustle over time. I pray that anyone who reads this will be successful in life..

[@ModernHamite]

This comment section makes me smile. It's good to see that people know what's really going on.

[@liker1829]

Contain illegal drug use by dividing the country into "Drug Free Zones" and "Free Drug Zones". Drugs are dispensed by perscription for medicinal purposes to residents within "Drug Free Zones" while drugs are dispensed freely without charge to abusers residing within "Free Drug Zones".

[@pgbpro20]

This is a horrifying violation of our civil rights, and a sign of a very sick society.

[@saagisharon8595]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJCok5mYl76Gj7M