"Policies adopted to battle the use and sale of drugs have led to marked increases in arrest rates, in the likelihood of going to prison, and in the length of sentences for drug offenders. Between 1980 and 1997, the number of annual drug arrests tripled to a high of 1,584,000. The rate of drug arrests per 100,000 residents rose from 288 to 661. The rate of commitment to state prison per drug arrest quintupled between 1980 and 1990, rising from 19 prison commitments per 1,000 arrests to 103 per 1,000. The estimated time served by drug offenders in state prisons increased a full year between 1987 and 1996; federal drug sentences doubled."
-- hrw.org
The DEA was created in 1973. In 1989 Bush Sr. declared a new war on drugs. Of course when government ramps up force to target the illicit drug "industry" arrests are going to increase. That shows no causation of reduced drug use. It shows increased drug arrests. After all, that was the intent.
Now, you tell me why it wasn't enforcement.
Typical of you to invert the burden of proof. A negative cannot be proven. It is you that must prove your claim.
And let's not forget the other half of what I mentioned -- the attitude changes in the 80's, the "Just Say No" campaign, the D.A.R.E. program and others. Drug legalization wipes out all of that.
No. Let's not forget them. Those education campaigns may well have educated persons to chose not to do drugs. After all, that was the intent.
Drug legalization wipes out all of that.
I see you think it's the government responsibility to educate children and adults. I see you think the free market is incapable of educating children and adults. Also, repealing drug-prohibition laws does not equate to repealing drug-education campaigns.
tacticalogic, was spot on target, writing: "You haven't figured out that the carefully selected limitations you place on what you will and won't consider as relevant will come back to bite you." 246
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Law Enforcement Against Prohibition -- LEAP. Their member ship is strictly persons that are or have careers in the justice system and fought the war on drugs. Judges, prosecutors, LEOs, DEA, etc.
I give you a link with hard statistics. Those statistics show that annual drug arrests tripled. They show that the rate of commitment to state prison quintupled. They show that time served by drug offenders in state prisons increased. During that same period drug use dropped 60% and you're calling it a mere coincidence!!!!
Look. I'm done with you on this thread. You're a lightweight. You've got your opinions with nothing, nothing to back them up.
Other than your stupid little LEAP advertisement that, quite frankly, should not be allowed on this forum -- unless they're paying for it.