Drugs in United States Essay -- Drug Trafficking Drugs Essays

Drugs in United StatesDrugs are a complex enigma with widespread policy-making, economic and social implications for producing, transit, and consumer nations. In the area of foreign policy, political and economic instability in drug producing areas around the world-and particularly in Latin America is an epidemic that cannot be ignored. The objective of this paper is to asses the agone issues, current status, and future prospects of the US war on drugs in Latin America - specifically Panama. It begins with a brief overview of the basic problems of drug purpose in America, and examines how the United States has handled the specific situation of General Noriega and the Panamanians. Finally, I volition examine an array of policy options presently available to the United States in its campaign against drug trafficking in Panama and other Latin American countries. During the late 1980s, the presence of narcotics trafficking in the world grew rapidly. Many claimed that the United States was set about a national security crisis as far as drugs were concerned. In 1988, as may as 75 percent of more criminals arrested in major American cities tested positive for drugs1. A Justice plane section study backs up this allegation finding that one-half to three-quarters of the men arrested for skillful crimes in 12 major cities tested positive for the recent employ of illegal drugs whereas a similar study done four geezerhood prior showed that only 56 percent of those arrested for serious crimes were abusing drugs prior to their arrest2. In addition, out of 1.2 million intravenous drug users in America, 250,000 of them are septic with AIDS. It was estimated that the cost of drugs to American society measured in terms of death, illness, crime, bewildered ... ...ngton, D.D. (30 September)11 Sciolino, E. & Endelberg (1988) ?Narcotics Effort Failed by US Security Goals.? New York Times (April 10th) Y12 Sciolino, E. & Endelberg (1988) ?Narcotics Effort Failed by US Security Goals.? New York Times (April 10th) Y13 ?Columbia and the War on Drugs.? unusual Affairs, 67, 1 (Fall) 70-92. (1988)14? Drugs, Law Enforcement, and Foreign Policy Panama? Hearings before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Communications of the citizens committee on Foreign Relations United States15 Sciolino, E. & Endelberg (1988) ?Narcotics Effort Failed by US Security Goals.? New York Times (April 10th) Y16 Moss, A. (1988) ?Drugs and Politics in Panama.? story prepared for the ?Drug Trafficking in the Americas? Conference. The Wilson Center, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.D. (30 September)