Eric

LULU

I think the War Against Drugs has worked whe it comes to drugs such as crack/cocaine because it has reduced since the 1980's. But, now the gov't has a new drug to control and that is ecstasy. As soon as the gov't gets control on things a new drug will eventually pop up.

Roach

I can go anywhere in Minnesota; St Paul, Minneapolis, or even wealthy suburbs such as Apple Valley or Lakeville and get almost any drug on a regular basis. It is everywhere, under every parent's nose, and no one sees it but those on the other side of the drug war, the ones that are using. They are all over school, in your childs purses, and even at churchs, those others, u r all blind...

anonymous

Bush is a puppet , who is pulling his strings? RAVEON PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darren

Im from the UK, and was never into the drug scene apart from cannabis. I really dont see the problem with it. What effect does it have on society? None really. Its no worst than drinking alcohol, but alcohol is fine, cos alcohol is a taxable drug. Every Friday and Saturday night, thousands of people hit the streets drinking, causing trouble, fighting... but this is ok... we will keep alcohol legal, yet those who choose to relax at home, doing people no harm, sitting in the comfort of their own living room relaxin, are the people that get put in prison. Get fined. For disrupting society with drug use.

As for another drug that I recently came in contact with - MDMA. I had always thought bad of it, but after experiencing the effects myself, and meeting so many people through ecstasy usage. I have reliased that a drug i was terrified of ever being close to for years and years is actually not that bad as long as you stick with the rules. Also, I would think that the law would be better helping people check that their pills are safe than trying to penalise everyobody. It is a fact, that more people take ecstasy each week now than have ever done before. Surely the money should be spent on helping keep it safe. once again the threat to society is just not there. People under the influence of MDMa are just happy with everybody, couldnt get angry, a feeling of love and connection. Where does the disruption come in? And most user return back to work monday morning, uneffected by the weekend activities.

The other thing when it comes to MDMA, is that police say people are stealing and burgling to pay for the drugs. No. this is not right. You may take 2 or 3 ecstasy pills in one night.... £3 a pill = about £10. If you go out drinking, and you arelikely to get drunk. Paying £2.75 a bottle, for about 5 or 6 bottles. Then surely the stealing and burgulary fits in with alcohol drinkers.

What i DO think the police should be targetting are the real threats, such as Heroin and Cocaine. These are the bad drugs, the drugs that have noticable affects on society.

Thw war on drugs such as cannabis and Ecstasy is not working. Money is being wasted. More people take them. The best thing to be done is make it safer to use them, and target heroin and cocaine.

rye

i know for a fact that as soon as there is a big anti drug campaign that more people want to go against it. that just wat i do!

liza

the war on drugs really has had no affect. if you do the research you will find that since programs like DARE drug use has gone up. the problem is that these programs really dont talk about the real issues in drugs. Also drug trafficers have become more sly over the last few years. before battling the drug problem we should learn about whats really going on and then maybe the stats will change

Peter

I think that the war against drugs has been laggin good results! Therefor no it hasnt worked

John M Vincent

I think that the war on drugs is our countrys biggest mistake ever. What they should be doing is informing the public with truth insted of one sided biased information. If people were more educated there would be A LOT LESS people getting hurt because they didnt know what they were doing or because someone gave them missleading information.

Bert M

As my brothers grew up in the 70s and 80s they didnt do to many drugs. Now for my generation in the 90s and 00s more drugs are there and more easier to find and get.

anonymous

a war is defined as a determined struggle for a specific goal. what is the goal of america's drug war? to stop it? why? no drugs equals no drug war equals no one to patrol drug activity equals fewer law enforcement jobs. it's all about job security. the government sponsors the drug war to stay productive. it will never end.

KeleeAnne

personally i think that no matter what our country does people are still gonan do drugs and there is not anything that anyone can do to stop them.. most drugs are really addicting and you cant just stop doing them .. even if you want to.. hopefully the drug use will go down but im pretty sure that it wont at all!

anonymous

President [elect] (since Gore won the race) Bush is not a thinking man. It is too bad we can't get an intellectual into office. His comments on the use of "illegal" drugs as propagating terrorism was by far the most idiotic thing anybody could ever say or think. What keeps the terrorists funded is the simple fact--and I'll repeat the word 'simple' here, for it IS this simple--that he and his right-wing fascist buddies keep drugs ILLEGAL. Making drugs legal would cut off the supply of money upon which terrorists rely; but to realize this would require either too much thinking for a simple mind, or it is already realized, and the politics of a democratic facade just keeps lying and is actually doing everything they can to keep them illegal, thereby perpetuating the funnel of money backing terrorist groups. Since I don't believe anybody can be as dumb as the former scenario implies, the latter is the one that rings most true. Thus, the war on drugs is BS, and there are currently more people using drugs than ever before. It is good to see people thinking of themselves as free, regardless of the fact that their government doesn't want them to be. Remember the bumper sticker: "Only Users Lose Drugs"

Peace,
me

Jack

Stop the war!!! We are adults and can deside on what I want to do/take or not. Teach responsibility.

Kylie

There's still basically the same amount of drug use as there was before, it's just that now people are more aware of how many people are using them. Plus, the majority of the drugs that are now widely used weren't illegal before so there wasn't a big fuss when someone used them. Look around, people! Coke was used in cough medicines for years and was even in Coca-Cola but we never realized how many people used it or were addicted to it because it wasn't against the law. Some of our country's founding fathers grew fields of marijuana. I'm not attempting to justify drug use, but I'm just pointing out the fact that people are only noticing how widespread drug use is now because the majority of them are illegal.

anonymous

if you legalize pot more people will stop using other drugs

Kitty

i really don't belive that it hasn't worked it's just that ppl know they "can't" do it so they want to do it even more, plus it has worked a little but the drugs will more than likely always fluctuate and never disappear. I think it is a great thing that you all are doing htis and want it for your peers and communities. You all really should get more credit for what you all are doing but you don't and that disapoints me in the ppl today! well thanx for your time and be safe. Kitty

Bill

I think your graph should show percentiles.. not just static numbers.. I'm to lazy to use a calculator.

Mr.XX

the government is making tons of money on the illeagal drug trading in america, think about it where does all the drugs go when they bust the major suppliers, I think they redistribute them thru their own dealers so in turn they are the biggest drug dealers of all.

ABBY

the goverments war on drugs
is a goverments war on the poor

the goverments war on the blacks
the goverments war on the latinos
the goverments war on indains

jj

I beleive that the war on drugs is useless. It is in the main stream flow of our society, and always will be. It is the same as when they outlawed cigs. and booze, though not to the same extreme. The more resistance you put up against drugs, the more drugs there will be around. Though not all drugs should be legalized there are some that should not be criminalized, such as pot.

Nick

These results should be sent to the government. It's amazing that they are completely ignorant and blind to what is really going on in this 'great country' and that their efforts are absolutely failing.

Hania

It's unfortunate that all drugs are lumped together, people are arrested and not educated, allowed to make an educated choice and that we have created a system where the beneficial aspects produced by "expanding drugs" are made illegal while our society offers no other means for young people to find connection with each other.

jope ga?

not only has the drug war not worked, it has destroyed the lives of many innocent people who were doing nothing wrong till the govt decided that they think its wrong to use certain things..... what ever, you know how fuckt up it is, i wanna see them sell the drugs, if their bitching about us paying terrorist to use drug, the govt should sell them, .... whatever, sure.... thats exactly why i use drugs ......to help the terrorists, bush is a moron, he wasnt even elected by the american people....

brandon

ya know, if bush wants to cut terrorist funding of drugs, maybe he should provide some...there is no way to get everyone to quit, especially those addicted. the best way to fight it is to legalize it and tax it so WE make the fucking money!!!!

in ohio

I think that many government officials only scratch the surface of the drug problem only to enhance their own political carreers. Most of the time they turn their heads the other way because of their own personal interest with certain people involved or they are blind to the fact of how involved the problem is with everyone in every community. Every time I see a news article they stereotype the drug users and they miss the big picture of why anyone would use drugs to begin with. for young people they are readily available and anything else they might of done has been taken away from them for silly reasons that lack explanation. for everyone else it is for recreation, for the addicts theyre finished unless their willing to help themselves. and most of them dont see a reason to help themselves. if you want to win the war on drugs you have 2 choices take away any value they may have or create alternatives as ways of recreation that a user would rather do.

JWayne

Legalize all forms of the domestic
drug trade and we won't be funding
terrorists.
Let Americans be indepentent.
We are smart enough to make
or grow our own supplies.

anonymous

Of course the war on drugs has had some affect on drug usage in America. There have been many arrests for those who traffic drugs in this, and other countries. I understand that more dealers rise out of the failure of others, but it is virtually impossible to begin a drug empire out of nothing in a short period of time. For all of those who say that the war has had no affect on the amount of narcotics in this country, I ask this one question: Could you possibly feel this way because you have grown into the drug culture that, when younger, you were not aware of? If you never did drugs when the war began, or weren't aware of the situation at the time, how can you possibly know that there are more in circulation now than twenty years ago? Ok, so I asked two questions. I am only writing this because I am ashamed of the youth in America today for not researching the topic more thoroughly before stating an answer. Maybe research is too much to ask, but common knowlege can point out that before there was an attempt to rid the streets of drugs, there must have been a lot of drugs. Now that there is a huge effort put forth to clean up the streets, and since so many arrests of drug lords and dealers have been made, an affect is understood. I do not believe that the war on drugs will ever be won, but there is an effort being put forth that definately has had some affect on the drug situation in this country. Lucey S.
ecstacy lover

David

As a registered pharmacist and a long time drug user, I would say that drugs are much more plentyful now then ever. I have been using drugs since I was 15, and now I am 24. That is a while I think anyway. The "drug war" is a waste of time. No matter how much time and money is put into it, there will always be a demand for drugs, there will always be pure pressure from the old users to the new ones.

There are a few more things that I would like to say to people out there that might read this. I wenrt to school for 5 years to become a registered pharmacist, and that takes a lot of responsibility and time. I must tell everyone that drugs didn't get in the way of my success. There is nothing wrong with having fun. If drugs do that for people, then let them do it. Humans invented them, so lets use them. I have used just about everything out there, except for the Heroin, and I have never robbed, killed, or destroyed anything or anyone. I think that alcohol abuse in this country is far more out of hand then drug use.

I see things everyday in the pharmacy world that are just as sickening as the illegal drug world. Lawmakers and enforcment agencies should really start cracking down on some of these wacked out doctors out there.

From my point of view with my backround in chemisty, and usage, I don't think that there is anything wrong with using as long as out don't get out of hand with it.

In answer to the question... No, I don't think that the "drug war" has done much except for making people very angry.

Lets get real people...
Thanks for your time

Jon nelson

It seems logical to me that the drug war is a crock of shit over a kettle. But how and why more drug usage? It might all go back to the time when President Nixon started the first declared "Drug War". Later he took us off the Gold Standard of our currency (For all the youngins that meens you could actually get gold for your money if you really wanted to, though a dollar would only get you very little). Thereby making our currency useless. But the influx of money from all drug related business, including the deranged people farm we call the Prison Industral Complex plus DEA opperations, CIA smuggling, etc, etc, would more than make up for the diffrence. So basicly you go to work for a useless bit of paper and live in a place that is driven on a drug based economy that fluxuates with the rise and fall of global drug production unstead of relying on any sort of metals like gold (Yha, that might be good if we didn't get put in jail for having the drugs, but that would make the royal scam useless). Therefore the more drug the U.S. and U.N. make illegal the more local revinue they get by arresting local illegal opperations and users and the more the U.S.and U.N. secretly distrubute on to the street the better off the economy is. But its far more multifasited than just this part of it. There is also that hypocritical ellement of having a drug based economy and trying to keep the genie in the bottle by telling people not to take drugs. Which makes alot of money in itself. Not to mention the sheir masses of Telivison addicted and behaviorily addicted people out there that buy all that bull the Government and a vast majorty of religous groups tells them. So they go to the point of putting little Billy Whatshisname in some Twelve Step treatment program, and try to brain wash the poor guy until he thinks just like his parents. Is this just tenderizing the meat for the deranged people farm called the Prison Industral Complex or what? Its not a pretty picture. But prehaps it could be the the starting point for the evoultion of a more aware humanity, if we let it.

Jaymie Pinkston

No, I think there is more drug usage because of it. This silly war has only made more angry people, more deaths and more jam packed prisons. The government's use of intimidation and propaganda to assuay drug using seems to make people more curious and more unprepared for some of those strong effects of drugs. Why not educate ALL people on the good and bad effects of ALL substances and let those people decide what they want to put in their minds and bodies. Instead of keeping everything secret and sweeping the truth under the rug. The government would not be responsible for what those people chose to do or not do with that information.The government makes those junkies and prisoners by not providing them with balanced information. They traffic in cheap drugs to feed America's drug consumers and to fund their war on terrorism, yet they turn their backs on them and runaway scared when they see them on the streets like it's not real. What a waste of money, what a waste of life.

Michael Costello

You have to question whether the people voting in this poll are pre-dominantly users, and are possibly biased in their answers (As they may not have been caught yet!)

face

the gov. know about it, its a total fallicy, drugs should be legalised because law has no effect

tim

This pole has no validity. It takes the opinion of only the people who go on this site, and I'm sure 99% of the people who go on this site are or were drug users. Of course in the mind of the user they are going to think there is more drug use than ever now. I know my opinion is jaded because of it.

tim

This pole has no validity. It takes the opinion of only the people who go on this site, and I'm sure 99% of the people who go on this site are or were drug users. Of course in the mind of the user they are going to think there is more drug use than ever now. I know my opinion is jaded because of it.

Andrew Steen

The war against drugs has tremendously decreased the amount of drug use in America, but what are their intentions with this drug war? It is impossible to fully regulate drug use, so the government must be attempting to reduce drug use. Even if the drug war does limit drug use in America, what about the rest of the people who still use drugs? Also, it's imperative to consider what drugs are being used most frequently. Although I don't have statistical data to prove this statement, as a junior in high school it is easy for me to say, that marijuana is the most frequently used drug. It is proclaimed that marijuana is a "gateway" drug that will lead to use of more deadly substances. What the government doesn't understand is that the reason marijuana is a gateway drug is because the people who are buying pot from these drug dealers, are being exposed to harder drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine etc. If marijuana was legalized, this would significantly decrease the presence of harder drugs, therefore, use of harder drugs would decrease. Of course there are multiple counter-arguments to this proposal, but they could be debated out in favor of legalization. I'm a high school student and I live in a very safe community in northern michigan. Drug use is currently dominating the social scene, to say the least. I believe that drug use will continue to flourish throughout the nation, and there isn't much that can be done to stop it.

Li Li

The more intense they make the war against drugs, the harder they come down on users and dealers, the bigger the thrill they make it to use drugs. I read that Amsterdam, a country that made all drugs legal a few years ago, now has one of the lowest drug abuse rates. Considering the US has one of the highest, that should be something of a clue! I know a large number of potheads and "druggies" in general and many of them have admitted that drugs wouldn't have been nearly as enticing if it was legal. I am a pothead myself and have used many different drugs, including speed, meth, ecstasy, coke, and I can say that i probably would have never been interested if I couldn't have gotten into trouble if I was caught. Making it legal wouldn't end the problem of drug abuse and wouldn't make the effects addiction can have on a person's life any less, but it could prevent a large number of new addicts from arising. But that is the easy way, so naturally, the government doesn't see that or try to use it. Not to mention, making drugs legal would allow the government to tax them, brining in a lot of money for the government, making drugs more expensive, causing people to hit rock bottom and seek help faster! They're going about the war on drugs all wrong, but don't ever try to tell the government that. They know everything.

apl

Unfortunately it does work. I wish it didn't but it does. I don't understand how people can say it doesn't. I can't count the amount of times I wanted to party and haven't been able to get what I wanted. It saddens me. If the police were to let up our dealers would be more supplied, therefore stating that it works. When was the last time you wanted a beer and couln't get one?

luis Antonio

I think we need more people out in
the field. teaching people about drugs and the affects on drugs. Kind of a scare striaght program. that people who have done drugs work with people, and not cops or any other kind of authority figuer. Where I come from I was thought to hate cops by my peers.

greg paterson

i think drugs should be legal cause people are going to do them even if they not legal.

Mr. X

Hi, There , just thought i'd say hey!

RTC

I believe that the war on drugs has been a losing war since it started. I use this analogy to further clarify myself: Human beings can only do what they want, and any negative input from others only stimulates the desire. In fact the reverse psychology affect begins when someone tells you not to do something because it is "dangerous, or illegal". Danger, and illegal are words that can only create an appeal to those who are curious, and eager to try something new So as long as this war exists, drugs will be around. It's as inevidable as cancer (but not as bad as cancer). If the laws, politicians, and efforts to minimize drug use in this coutnry would take an RR for a little while, you would see drug use decline, and the real truth about the war on drugs will be exposed to the whole world as nothing more than our tax dollars going people who don't know how to prioritize. In other words, our tax dollars going to waste. I was going to write more, but I forgot, I have plans to meet with a few buddies of mine at a bar in a little bit. I haven't seem them in a while so chances are, we'll get completely wasted off a drug that is 100% legal, but yet kills more people each year than any other drug combined x2. But that's fine, the tax dollars gained from this keeps those in power's mouths shut

conserned american

THE AMERICAN ECONOMY IS DEPENDENT ON DRUGS WETHER THE GOVERNMENT WILL ADMIT IT OR NOT. THIS SO CALLED WAR AGAINST DRUGS HAS ONLY CAUSED GREATER PRISON POPULATIONS. THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM HAS NOT EVEN BEEN ADDESSED. GREATER PRISON POPULATIONS ONLY MEANS SMARTER CRIMINALS. PEOPLE WHO GO INTO PRISONS ONLY COME OUT MORE EDUCATED ABOUT CRIME. ITS SAD TO SAY IT BUT IF PEOPLE WANT TO DO DRUGS THEY WILL. MAYBE INSTEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO SCARE DRUG DEALERS AND DRUG USERS WITH PRISON SENTENCES THEY SHOULD DO THE STUDIES THAT NEED TO BE DONE ON THE ACTUAL DRUGS SO THAT THEY CAN EDUCATE THE AMERCIAN POPULATION ON THE REAL RISKS INVOLVED. JUST SAY NO DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WORKING. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHY THEY ARE SAYING NO. NOT JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID SO BUT BECAUSE THEY NO THE FACTS!!!

Ted

If George Sr. was so concerned about drugs and enforced the war to its full extent, then why does he hire agents to perform as drugdealers, just to make an ad campaign? Fucking pathetic. Pathetic for gov't power, pathetic for the abuse as president, and pathetic for his war on drugs.

raver_83

I'll beleive it when you say that more and more kids are getting involved with drugs. There is nothing the government can do about that, no matter how hard they try.

anonymous

people are going to do what they want to do

saira

people are going to take drugs, no matter what any1 says. simple as that

Dave

The governments' "war" on drugs has failed. There is more drug use, and stronger drugs than ever. I hope the "war on terror" is more successful.

blake

most of the people taking this poll are kids and have no idea about the drugs in the past or the goverments war on drugs in the past

Will

If anything the drug war has done nothing but cost the nations taxpayers millions of dollars that could have been much better spent, and has almost cost me the lives of some close friends. As an adult I am greatly offended that my government doesn't feel I am responsible enough to run my own life. The only answer to reduce drug related harm, crime, and abuse is regulation, not criminalization.

Niki

The government will never be able to stop drugs from circulating around the world. Drugs keep our economy running smoothly! There are too many users and sellers out there for the gov. to rid the country of drug use. Why can't we be like Amsterdam?

TATA

Hi , well i think that drug use is in right now and even though the government is tring to fight it ,its just getting bigger and bigger of a problem.but i guess thats just my opinion .im just glad u guys r tring to help us learn of all the consequences that way the little ones of us that actually listen will know the bad things that could happen and we know what is right and wrong thanx for everything

Jenny Hyne

Is there somewhere I can get information about where upcoming raves will be held? I live in Reno, NV and there aren't many big raves here as you might imagine. Can you give me any info or tell me where to look for this information? Thanks,
Jenny Hyne

Greta

I can honestly say the war on drugs is a complete failure and always will be. My mother is the antidrug coordinator in our county which means she sets up the DARE programs for our local schools. I went through that program along with others, had my mom and dad constantly telling me drugs were 'bad'. Guess what? I drink, I smoke, I roll. The problem is NOT drug use, it's drug abuse. People should be educated on how to use drugs as safely as possible. I know about the drugs I use, what NOT to mix them with and what to look out for. We might as well legalize drugs. That would allow the government to collect taxes (imagine the revenue) and regulate the drug for purity. People like to be in altered states, we can't help it. Our bodies even naturally produce these states ( which is one of the main reasons people like drugs, they enhance some normal functions) No matter what the government does, people will always do drugs. We were not meant to be drug free.

Jai

the war on drugs is completly useless. the government has no intrest on winning this war. if this war was actually won many people would be out of work. the DEA would no longer be needed. This is a complete waste of money.

chem kidd

this survey is absolutely correct, the war on drugs is a waste of time and money that could be going to rehabilitation and prevention. if legalizing worked in europe why wont it work here. Denver, CO

alfalfa

while the war against drugs does not report great numbers in terms of stooping or even hindering the use of drugs in the united states i still feel that it is a necessary part of our society . Without these organizations the ammount of drug related crimes may decrease, however the use of drugs in such an envirnment would hurt our way of life and hinder our evolution. i do not consider myself a religious person however i do think that whatever created us gave us drugs in a certain as figuretivly speaking "forbidden fruit in the garden of eden. drug use is a way of measuring our character. Keep this in mind as you read this. i am not completly sober at the current momoent.

TRISTAN

I PERSONALLY THINK THE GOVT.'S WAR ON DRUGS HAS ONLY SLIGHTLY EFFECTED DRUG USERS. THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY TO GET WHATEVER U WANT. AND THE GOVT. CANNOT STOP THAT!!!

None

Drug use will never go away sadly enough but the stress factor we have from A.M. till we have are nightly nightmare is what puts the quick and short time they take these things away make the drug,you a xlave to it. We need to get it together just for ourselves first Than to others.

chris

i don't think that the goverment can really stop the war on drugs because the people who need that drug will get it some were. If they can't get it because of the war they have to pay more for it, that is when they start to hurt the people around them( take money , pawn stuff they just happend to find, etc.

i think the goverment should spend more money on rehab and helping the people who have a drug problem get on with there life.

we all make a bad chose i life and everyone needs help sometimes.

the goverment can't stop it only the people who are using can stop th war on drugs by stop using thedrugs

Charles

The drug war in america is usless.
They should just legallize everything.
Our taxes would be cheaper, and our jails would be alot emptier.

brendan

I think this survey is really useless. The real problem of the drug war isn't weather it is working or not. The problem is what is keeping the drug war going and the real reasons behind it ie. prison industrial complex, privatized prisons and fucked up electorial politics. If you're not willing to trully educate people about the real roots of the problem, please just provide links to people who are. Just search the internet. Thanx. This is a very serious issue, much beyond the rave scene.

Joseph

the "War on drugs" should be seen as the disgustingly out of control panic causing propaganda war that it is. War in this case is Hitler and if your not rich than your not a Aryan can you follow.

Arell Taylor

Can you have statistics that correspond to each of the polling questions? Whether or not they support or detract? And maybe some interpretation of diescrepencies, conflicts in the statistics? It seems it might be a good idea to provide substance to augment the quick fun of casting an opinion vote, lest voters believe truth lies in the majority pointof view! Thanks - -Arell Taylor

b

i think that the government just makes it illegal because it is an easy source of income for them when people get caught. and since they cannot regulate it to make money off of it themselves, they make it illegal to make money off of it anyway. So, the government is not really worried about stopping drugs, they dont care. who does? The government just wants money off of every transaction, and illegalizing things gives them their only way to make money off of it...... true true!

~Star~

i think that there is no reason why we can't decied for ourself weather or not drugs are right for us.. it's like choosing a religon and no one thinks you are stupid for what you believe, and if they do.. then they are hypocrits. Everyone is entitled to their own oppion!

phatrat420

I think it just makes people rebel

M. Nelson

Right now the drug herion is at it's purist, stongest, most addictive, and cheapest it has been the entire time that it has been known. Marijuana plants are producing the highest levels of THC ever. People use much greater methods in the cultivation of the plant, and usage has gone up. Although the country Amesterdam is known for the ease with which people can get drugs, but inhabitants of the country have one of the lowest drug addiction rates in the world. The billions of dollars spent in fighting a war that has not seen any marked success could better be spent anywhere else like treatment or fighting the new war of our times, terrorism.

Laura Vessels

The war on drugs is a rediculous waste of time and money. it is not doing a thing to help the country or drug abuse problems. legalization is the way to go! and help for those who actually have problems, not imprisonment.

jimbo

there are more drugs in this country than ever before, and whoever thinks that there arent...should be put down. they are just being ignorant to the issues and problems around them. they should stop for a moment and take a look at their own kids.

Ian

I think the war on drugs is a joke! Its just like the war on terrorism, they are tring find a needle in a hay stack. The problem is its a faceless distribunater and there is nothing that the government can do to stop it...

Doug

By legalizing drugs, it only proves the hypocratic nature of our government. Telling me it is illegal to smoke marijuana, but says it is perfectly fine to smoke a cigarette--when it has been scientifically proven that if you smoke too many cigarettes, you will die. Drugs are here for a reason--they stimulate your mind and open up doors in your brain that usually aren't open, and the sooner our society comes to grips with that, the better. Our laws are made in this country by a bunch of rich white men, that are probably going home and doing the same thing 10 million other American's do when they get home from work...Roll a fat joint and smoke it up. We need to forget about this preconceived stigma our society has with drugs and open our eyes!

Brandi

It really hasn't affected it too much its just made the information available so its done in a safer manner and not just totally abused.

Brecht

Our government insists on this ridiculous idea of a "war". Flushing down the toilet millions of dollars that could be used for better causes, like : airport security, intelligence and so forth.

anonymous

America is losing the drug war. If the government is smart they would legalize it, put a tax on it like cigerattes, and make a quick buck.

JUAMPS

The government has only given people more curiosity about drugs, and young people tase because it is forbidden. I think it would be better to use the money they waste in campaings for drug use, explaining what are its causes and consecuences, this would educate youngs about their consumption.

Manuel Mejia

Well I think that now with the world trade center bombing it is becoming considerably more difficult to smuggle drugs in. I think though that like in Amsterdam (which I am going to go to now that I read that article) we should legalize certain drugs. Like I think E would be a perfectly safe drug to use as long as it was used responsibly. Love the site. Keep up the good work.

MM

vibe master

The drug war hasn't worked! There is more drug use now than ever before!!!!

Arianrhod

They are wasting VALUABLE money that could be better spent in Eduating people about Drugs and treating people...

anthony

I think people us some drugs like (speed and coke) because the real drug they want to do is not there! like (weed) It not there beacuse of the DRUG WAR. the war is just making people do worst drugs.

nathan clark

the government lost the drug war years ago.

Jeanne "Genie"

I believe the "drug war" in America has simply wasted our resources in areas that cannot be controlled. Instead of spending percious time and money warring drugs, which have been around a long time, why not simply work on prevention and not make it a big deal. The bigger the deal made by the media, the larger the problem gets (I have no idea why the government doesn't realize this correlation)!! Spend the money on serious crimes (like rape, murder, and as of recently, acts of terror and violence) and perhaps help the world to see the wonderful America we do have in our possession.

stankydanky

there will always be people who use drugs. The fact that they are illegal doesn't explain WHY people do them, contrary to what most believe.

stankydanky

there will always be people who use drugs. The fact that they are illegal doesn't explain WHY people do them, contrary to what most believe.

Matt

I do believe that the drug war has marginally affected the amount of drugs coming into the United States. I believe this marginal reduction of incoming drugs has marginally, and almost indirectly, reduced the amount of drug users. Unfortunately this reduction is comparable to removing a pebble from a mountain; it is literally marginal. The war on drugs was hopelessly lost before it even began. My personal opinion based upon what I know of the war on drugs is that it is similiar to playing a game of whack-a-mole (where the idea is to "whack" buttons called moles that rise out of the gaming board). As soon as you punch the drug problem down in one area it will just as soon rise in another. A retroactive plan, adressing the problem instead of the source of the problem, will never work. I believe that drug education is preferably to suppression. And I do not mean the kind of education that you recieve in high school health class, where drugs are presented as the cancer of society and family. Facts on drugs should be presented objectively, students should be told drugs will not obliterate your life and students should have a first hand encounter with someone who ruined their life with drugs (possibly at a hospital or recovery clinic). I believe the final answer to the drug problem is legalization and believe that legalizing drugs is the only Constitutional answer to the (I will tentatively call it this) drug problem. There is a myriad of reasons for legalizing drugs but the actual process and affect of legalizing drugs is yet to be tested. Because of this I support the very gradual legalization of drugs so that society will have time to adapt and laws will have time to be configured. Without legalizing drugs gradually, begining with marijuana for example, the government and society might be overwhelmed with unexpected results and catastophe could result. I do not use (what have been labeled) club drugs, I do not use narcotics, I do not use opiates, I don't even smoke marijuana and I don't plan to. But I think it is outrageous for the government to tell us what we can and cannot put in our bodies. I see this as one of the most basic rights of humanity, a right denied on the government's view of what is good or bad for a peson. This is not a right that can be granted to any government, regardless of how many people have concurrent views. No majority should be able to supress human rights. If a Congressman brought up a bill to strike the right to religion from the first amendment he/she would never even be considered for reelection, no matter what popular support carried him/her into office. People would see this as a violation of a human right. Though I, and many others for many reasons, see it this way it is not as cut and dry as that and does encompass many valid arguments. I cannot fit everything I want into this space so I encourge others to research this topic form first and second hand sources with the idea of this article in mind and to come to there own independent conclusion.

Sean

Hello,

I have been in the dance/rave/underground scene for two years. I have managed to hold a full time job, as well as attending full time at a junior college. I take dance drugs such as MDMA and LSD. I never have done cocaine, herione, PCP, Ketamine, even though I have been offered it. I feel that people should have the right to make a decision on whether they want to use drugs or not. I feel that the U.S. makes drugs illegal so they can hold up a certain image that needs to be displayed to the rest of the world.

Damn!

Sean

Chris

I personally think that the Drug War is the stupidest thing in this country since prohibition. First off, I am totally down for getting rid of the crappy drugs that flood our streets. I mean, throw out the coke, heroine, meth, and pretty much any other bathtub drug out there that can become physically addictive, and you would not hear me complain one bit. Hasn't America noticed that nothing they have done has made a dent in the transportation of drugs in this country? It is easier to get a X-tab than it is to get a library card, yet the morons on Capitol Hill think that they have done something profound by makeing raves a prime target in the Xstacy raids. Listen dickheads out there in Washington, why not get off of your fat, rich, lazy asses and actually get out there and find out whats going on before you make illogical assesments to issues that you have no idea about. Bottom line: FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!!!!

Donovan

This is a rather stupid question, since you're asking people's opinions about a simple statistic. The fact is, the war on drugs has worked--drug use is lower than it would be if drugs were illegal. The question is, at what cost? The situation was the same with prohibition--alcohol use plummetted, but at the cost of crime, ODs, etc. A better question would be whether the marginal success the drug war has accomplished is worth the cost in terms of freedom and money.

mimel

People should be responcible for themselves. Lord only knows how much tax money is wasted each year to beat the "dead horse" that is illeagle drug use. Put the same restrictions on recreational drug use as are on alchohol and tobaco. Mimel

brandon oneal

i think the only thing that the
government has had an effect on
is drug awareness . i think they
are waisting time and money on
something we will decide on
ourselves .

Chris

there should be no war on drugs, just education so that people know what they are doing. Everybody has the right to chose what state of mind they want to be in.

secret tweeker

the only thing the war on drugs has done is feed propaganda to young teenagers who therefore have no idea what they are getting into, making it even more dangerous than if they were legal or decriminalized.

jen

You know, it has worked a little bit. Their only grip they have is the "just say no" policy and that only works on really young kids.....!

Joseph

Its sad really, how much people can be misled when they think they are dong whats right.