War on drugs: An expensive failure Cassandra Dawson Friday November 7, 2013

As a student who has studied the negative effects that harsh penalties have on individuals convicted of drug-related crimes, there is an undeniable need for a move towards more humane control and regulation. However, despite the global cry for drug reforms, in 2012 the Canadian government introduced a new bill that enforces even more harsh penalties than previous years and longer mandatory minimum sentencing. Globally, hundreds of thousands of people die each year as a result of drug-related disease and violence. Many of these deaths have been attributed to strict penalties put in place by the majority of countries worldwide, especially in communities that are overwhelmed by drugrelated and organized crime. These strict approaches to drug trafficking have been proven to be non-effective, yet countries around the world, including Canada, continue to endorse their principles. The Safe Streets and Communities Act introduced by the Canadian government in 2012 toughens correctional systems and increases punishments. It is surprising that the Canadian Government continues to use tax payers dollars on a strategy that has significant research supporting its ineffectiveness. An increase from $4.3 billion dollars to $9.5 billion dollars will be witnessed by Canadians with this new bill by 2016. With the abundance of research supporting a move toward a public health initiative instead of cracking down on criminals, Canada needs to utilize such knowledge to create a better, less repressive criminal justice system. By moving away from criminalization, Canada will be able to reduce the number of individuals crowding up the prisons and reduce spending on building new facilities for inmates.

This bill is especially harmful to students, according to Eugene Oscapella a criminology professor, as 10 20 per cent of students uses marijuana and would be subject to a minimum of two years in prison if caught with even a small amount of cannabis. Young adults should not fear prison time from something the majority of Canadian and American citizens support legalizing or decriminalizing. By using repressive tactics against minor drug offenses such as small amounts of marijuana, the government criminally labels otherwise law abiding citizens who contribute to the common wealth of society and puts them in correctional facilities for years. Incarceration has also been linked to reoffending and decreased mental and physical health. These citizens could otherwise be working functionally in society and be a potential benefit to their families and communities. However the government insists on spending tens of thousands of dollars a year on their incarceration which supports the cycle of recidivism. These models that promote public health, the regulation of synthetic drugs, harm reduction, and treatment have been used across Europe, New Zealand, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Uruguay with results that signify movement in the right direction. While this isnt a solution to the drug problem that every country faces in some degree, it provides countries and their citizens with an alternative that can reduce drug-related deaths, violence, and trafficking rates.