War on Drugs

1
War on Drugs

• By Big Werm

2
Problems with the War

• Demand Estimated that U.S. citizens spend over
  75 billion per year.
• Profitability kilogram of heroin costs 2,720 in
  Pakistan to make and sells for 129,380 in U.S.
  street value. A kilo of cocaine costs 950 to
  make in Colombia and sells for 25,000 in the
  U.S.
• Meaning ¾ of all drug shipments need to be
  intercepted for the drug business not to be
  profitable.

3
Current Spending

• The U.S. spent 18.1 billion in 2001 18.8
  billion in 2002 and 19.2 billion in 2003
• In 2002 12.8 billion went to law enforcement
  (i.e. drug busts) and 6 billion went to
  education and prevention
• It cost 24 billion for incarceration, parole,
  and probation per year, and 8.6 billion per year
  in court costs to keep drug offenders behind bars
  in 2002.

4
Case Study

• In 2002 there were 1,538,813 drug related arrests
  and 1,235,667 of these were for possession.
• Arizona did a study that sent non-violent drug
  offenders through treatment instead of prison.
  The AZ Supreme court concluded the program saved
  2.6 million in one year, and 77.5 of
  participants tested negative for drugs one year
  after program concluded.

5
National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study

• Study was done for the Center for Substance Abuse
  and Treatment, and it found participants
  decreased drug selling by 78, shoplifting 82,
  64 for any other crime, and the number of
  participants supported by drugs decreased by 48.
  This treatment program cost 1,800-6,800 per
  client, whereas incarceration costs 23,406 per
  year.
• Participants that went through Treatment also
  decreased Welfare claims by 10.7.