Drugs and War on Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Drugs and War on Drugs - Essay Example Introduction:   In the United States, drugs first came into use reportedly during the 1800s.  During the time of the American Civil War, opium as well as cocaine started gaining popularity. In the post-war era, Coca was commonly used as a constituent element in several health drinks. In1906, Morphine was discovered and it was basically used for medical purposes. Doctors made use of Heroin for treating respiratory diseases, and these treatments proved to be successful in most cases. Moreover, they prescribed Morphine as a common pain reliever. The demand for Cocaine increased as the era of junk food and soft drinks was rolling by, especially so in case of Coca-Cola, which used Cocaine as one of its main ingredients. However, these drugs were being misused and the local governments started to prohibit opium dens and opium imports. Additionally, the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 required all physicians to precisely label their medicines and drugs were not considered as harmless rem edies for pains and aches. In 1914, The Harrison Narcotics Act was passed, which is the first federal drug policy of the United States. The act was strictly enforced and it controlled the manufacture and trade of cocaine, marijuana, morphine and heroin. Moreover, physicians who prescribed drugs to addicts, were severely punished by being thrown in jails or paying high fines, especially in the period between 1915 and 1938. So, it can be discerned that through this federal drug policy, the government basically targeted pharmacists and physicians. Furthermore, in 1930, the Treasury Department formulated the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, which would later on shape the American view of drug policies. Various records and data show that drugs were gradually viewed as more offensive in the following years.  In 1951, The Boggs Act radically increased the severity of punishment awarded against the use of marijuana.  In 1956, Narcotics Control Act was passed, which proved to be one of the m ost strongly enforced acts during the time.  In order to make the punishment system more effective, discretion of probation and suspended sentences was removed.  Parole was rendered to those who were only convicted for the possession of drugs, however for those who were caught selling heroin and other drugs to minors, the only option was death penalty. A slinger criticized the judges for being easy on drug dealers and suggested longer minimum sentences.  He established a penalizing drug policy with a spotlight on drug law enforcement.   The Federal Bureau of Narcotics used propaganda also as a preventative measure.  They brought awareness to the people through facts such as  marijuana being responsible for bizarre cases of madness, sex crimes and murder.  There occurred a lot of horrifying incidents as a result of drug abuse and several people suffered in its wake.  During the 1940s and 1950s, people simply did not believe in these incidents and thought them to be ma ke-believe. This resulted in the former failing to heed to the government’s caution about drugs and falling victim to drug abuse on a larger scale.  However, the 1960s gave rise to a rebellious movement, which aimed at popularizing the use of drugs.  The demand for drugs in America reached its peak during this period. The Johnson