In the united states and the state of Virginia there is a drug abuse issue. This issue has affected a large amount of people. Both drug users and non-drug users have been impacted in severe ways that cause problems. This issue has affected people at any age. There is a significant impact on employers due to employee drug abuse. It also puts a significant strain on emergency services,
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released the annual UCR in 2017 statistics with table 69 showing that there are “1,972” (table 69) drug abuse arrests in the juvenile category for the state of Virginia and a total of “33,558” (table 69) arrests in 2017. This shows that there is an existing problem with drug abuse and there are many more people who are using drugs that have not been arrested and reported to the FBI. There have been incidents of drugs possessed, sold or even used on schools.
There is a serious economic impact that drug abuse has that would impact lots of people. According to the site drugabuse “Each year, Americans spend nearly $100 billion on illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.” (Guarnotta). This is showing that on illegal drugs alone there is a significant amount of money that the entire united states spend on unlawful drugs. The same site also states, “Meth users spend over $17 billion per year in the United States on the drug alone” (Guarnotta) showing that Meth is an expense dug and there are also costs that the taxpayer would spend. The site says that “Dismantling one meth lab can cost taxpayers anywhere from $3,000 to $25,000.” (Guarnotta) The size of the meth lab effects how much law enforcement spends to have a meth lab removed. There is a significant economic impact to employers. The site EHStoday states “Drugs cost business $81 billion.” (Smith) These numbers show that there is a massive cost to the employers caused by an employee’s drug abuse.
The best example of drug abuse placing a strain on the emergency service system is the opioid epidemic. In prince William county the county government has stated “the number of people in Prince William County who overdosed and required advanced life support increased from 187 in 2007 to 498 in 2016. In 2012, there were a total of 37 deaths in the county caused by opioid overdoses; in 2016, there were 52.” (Prince William County Government) This is showing that the drug abuse of opioids has caused a significant strain on emergency services due to having to respond to over twice the amount of serious calls of drug abuse. This is also present in other states Illinois reports thousands of deaths from opioid overdose. The center for disease control reports has the highest death rate per one hundred thousand people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Some people are trying to push for the legalization of drugs. Some people use Portugal, who had decimalized drugs, as an example to decriminalize drugs. As Portugal has had some positive effects from the decimalization. The site Fortunes states:
The results of this policy have been astonishing. Drug use has declined across all age groups. Overdose deaths have plummeted to just three per million adults, the second lowest rate in the European Union. For comparison, the drug overdose death rate in the U.S. is a staggering 185 per million adults. Portugal’s drug-related HIV infections have fallen by 94% since 2001. And the number of people arrested for criminal drug offenses has declined by over 60%, which has allowed Portugal to channel money once spent on arresting and imprisoning addicts toward more effective treatment programs. (Fortunes)
Even though Portugal has had a decrease in drug related deaths, there are some drugs that are known to be highly toxic for usage like Fentanyl, which is prescribed and can be fatal in large doses. There are also untested or unknown in the side effects or drug interactions. There are also drugs that should remain illegal as it can pose a public safety issue. One drug is meth. The issue is in homemade meth, the labs utilize harmful chemicals like battery acid and the labs are highly flammable and even explosive. A meth lab can pose danger if it burns as it can set nearby location on fire and it can possibly cause an explosion which would throw dangerous material around and make the chemicals that are in the lab release into the environment.
One solution would be to adopt a model like Portugal. The model should elementary mandatory minimum prison sentences and three strike laws. In replacement to the laws and minimum sentences it should follow the Portuguese system of treating drug abuse with treatment programs and not by imprisonment. This would reduce the strain that law enforcement must deal with because of incarceration they would be given to a doctor for a drug treatment program. This model would still retain the possibility for criminal offenses, with some drugs needing to follow specific rules and for setting production centers in locations that meet certain criteria for protecting the public safety. In this model having a meth lab located in a residential neighborhood like a basement or shed would be unlawful as it poses a significant threat to public safety. This model should help reduce the prevalence of the black market as the ability to obtain the drugs would be easier thus reducing cost and being able to push black markets out. This should reduce violence because there would no longer being territory for the dealers to control by violence they have the chance to set up a legal place to sell and they can also promote safe drug use and offer places that a costumer can get treated at. To make this a feasible solution the current drug treatment capability must be expanded to treat more people and at different degrees of addiction
A second solution would be to use the legal system as a deterrent. This would be achieved by increasing the penalties for possession, manufacturing and distribution. Tasking the DEA to set up counter drug teams at schools and arrest anyone who is in possession of any drug, gather collect and utilize the information to determine how drugs get into the country. This would in theory deter people from using drugs because they would fear a lengthy prison time. For this to be feasible the amount of prisons would have to increase and must be able to hold more people.
In short, the drug abuse present in the state of Virginia and across the united states is a difficult issue to be solved. The impacts need to be taken seriously and the ones who cause harm should be held responsible and prevent people from using something that is unlawful and should be held accountable for the crimes, but the casual guy who uses it once in a while to be cool, destress or for a legitimate medical reason should not be treated the same way as one who causes harm. There is no perfect solution and the best would be the middle ground of opposing arguments. The best would have to both protect citizens safety and at the same time uphold the values of personal liberties.