Abstract

7 million individuals are addicted to illegal drugs, and one out of every four people dies as a result of their use. With 25.8 million people aged 12 and up consuming marijuana, it is the most extensively used illicit substance. More deaths, illnesses, and impairments are linked to drug usage than any other preventable health condition. Instead of boosting the drug supply, the War on Drugs should focus on diminishing it. To combat drug manufacture and trafficking from other countries, the government must scale up its efforts. In order to remove the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and trafficking of illegal substances, nations must increase their cooperation. Many jurisdictions may become complacent in their hunt for alternative initiatives that actually work, secure in their illusory evidence basis. Requiring that publicly funded programs be evaluated and show improved outcomes would reduce the number of promising or evidence-based programs by more than 75%. In High Point, North Carolina, police and prosecutors developed a focused-deterrence strategy. An emphasis on specific drug markets where flagrant dealing leads to violence is an alternative. There is no reason to believe that routine drug-law enforcement may reduce violence. Increased enforcement pressure may make violence more beneficial to those most eager to use it. Focused deterrence is one strategy for achieving this goal. A Ceasefire-style campaign could help to tip the market toward a less violent market. U.S. drug-law enforcement could put the target group out of business by focusing attention on them. With the emphasis on might, the consequence might be a significant reduction in bloodshed. Drugs with higher risks of damage might only be offered for sale on licensed premises. Broadening the current research agenda could result in more intriguing science and more effective policies.

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