The Drug War Of America - 1407 Words

The drug war in America has shaped our society into what we know it as today, the war has so far been a failure where hundreds of millions of dollars, workforce, and policies have only served to maintain the same rates of usage as those in the 1970’s. When the drugs hit America, they hit hard. Overwhelmed by drugs showing up in almost every town, America decided to declare war. Drugs first surfaced in the late 1880’s with Opium. Opium at the time was the most in demand drug choice. Opium comes from a flower called, â€Å"Opium Poppy†, people would take the â€Å"fruit† of the flower, which was the actual opium and let it dry up and then it was either; smoked, injected, eaten or put in drinks. When the drug effects kicks it the user would start†¦show more content†¦Cocaine was cheaper and easier to use, people would find new ways to use it everyday, they would lace everything with it; cookies, brownies, and cigarettes. Most people who used the drug would crush up it up into a fine powder, sort it in small lines, rolled up a five dollar bill, and snort the powder through the bill into their noses to make the high start faster and get the drug straight into their blood system. The outbreak really affected the jail system. People started smuggling the drug in everything; secret underground tunnel systems, beds, pillows, shoes, food trays, and even through the prison guard. Many prisoners’ lives were taken in prison for the drugs they were smuggling in and who they were smuggling in the drugs for. Major smugglers were Al Capone, Pablo Escobar, and Joaquà ­n Guzmà ¡n. Multimillion dollars worth of drugs went through them and into the country’s streets. People got so addicted to cocaine, it would cause fights in the streets, schools, prisons, and in public. People started killing people for cocaine, join mobs just to get the drug, and start leaving their families and responsibilities behind for the drugs, breaking the order of society. When the drugs broke out in the communities, it started the wave of gangs and unnecessary violence. Drugs not only affected the user but everyone around them. Society took a hard hit when drugs came into the