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Drug Abuse Control in America
Thesis Statement: The number of individuals especially the youth and juveniles who are
involved in drug abuse have drastically increased in the US in the recent past. Despite the
government efforts to fight this problem, the number seems to be rising among the youth who
end up in jail. But, therein lies the problem of how juvenile justice is handled. If juvenile justice
is handled in the correct manner then this problem can be dealt with more effectively. The
concerned authorities need to have a clear understanding of how to deal with these crimes that
are essentially victimless. Ultimately, the problem of drug abuse in America can only be
effectively dealt with if the concerned authorities find the right way to handle juvenile justice
and also legalize certain drugs such as marijuana which have been proven to have medical
values.
Drug Abuse Control in America
The number of Americans abusing drugs has increased in the last two decades. The most
significant population that has been involved in drug abuse is the youth followed by the adults.
However, the government has been fighting this drug abuse problem through criminal justice,
but it has not reduced the drug abuse issue in America. There is a massive influx of inmates
convicted of drug abuse and drug trafficking in America. Many drug abuse offenders avoid jail
sentences through corrupt leaders in the criminal justice system (Guerra, 2005. Pg. 5). The
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prosecutors are offered bribes to allow the offenders to move out without clear procedures that
could have facilitated rehabilitation of such drug abusers.
Therefore, the federal government should not stop the war on drug abuse in America but
should establish more policies that will reinforce the criminal justice system to ensure that drug
abuse is controlled accurately. These policies may include the creation of health rehabilitation
centers and drug awareness initiatives. Health rehabilitation centers can help transform
Americans who are addicted to harmful drugs like Cocaine and Heroin. Medical marijuana use
should not be classified under drug abuse since it is used to cure certain diseases. However, the
government should investigate and convict marijuana farmers who are not licensed by the
federal government. The government should consider legalizing it to reduce cases of related
crime.
Legalization of Marijuana as a Remedy to Reduce Crime
The federal government needs to legalize the use of marijuana which is still listed as
alongside other drugs such as cocaine under the Controlled Substances Act that prohibits the
use of such drugs that are listed in Schedule 1. Whereas many states such as Colorado have
enacted laws that legalize the use of marijuana for recreational and other related medicinal uses,
the federal government is yet to do the same despite increasing public demand (Hall & Lynskey,
2016. Pg. 1779). The federal government has the power through the Supremacy Clause of the
constitution to crack down on any people even in the states where there are laws that have
legalized the use of marijuana that go against the established laws of the federal government
and the constitution. If the federal government can legalize its use then it will help reduce the
cases of crime, especially among the youth.
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There has been increasing demand from the public and more and more states are passing
laws in support of the use of marijuana for medical and recreational reasons. The bodies that
are tasked with rescheduling or de-scheduling these drugs at the federal government levels
have been reluctant to reclassify marijuana as a drug which can be used for the purposes that
several states have approved its use for (Hall & Lynskey, 2016. Pg. 1766). The way forward
may be to either reclassify the use of marijuana or to completely remove it from the list of the
substances that are listed under the Controlled Substances Act. It is foreseeable that many states
will continue to pass laws that legalize marijuana and on that not the federal government needs
to also change the laws to reflect what the majority want. Another important way to deal with
drug abuse among the youth in America is through having efficient structures on juvenile
justice and violent crime.
Juvenile Justice and Violent Crime
There is in an increasing trend in the cases of crime among the youth either as victims or
perpetrators. Majority of the crimes committed by the young people are associated with gangs
or groups which are either structured or not very well structured. The gangs or groups facilitate
the increase in the levels of crimes. Factors such as the availability of drugs, exclusion,
inequality, and lack of opportunities for the youth are mainly responsible for the rise in these
cases of crimes among these young people. The lack of education, capital employment, and
proper justice systems especially among the youth is also responsible for the surge in cases of
crimes in the U.S. The increase in crime is associated with an increase in rural-urban migration.
Many cases of crimes among these organized gangs are mostly in urban centers especially in
slums or in informal settlements which are characterized by lack of opportunities and resources
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which in turn cause these young people to turn to crime such as drug abuse. Incarceration is
still frequently used to punish these juvenile offenders even for minor crimes. There is
generally a lack of proper justice systems that are designed for young people between 15 to 24
years and often times they end up sharing detention centers with adults. This leads to increased
risks on these young people as they risk being sexually assaulted, being physically abused, and
even being recruited into other more serious crimes by the adults (Guerra, 2005. Pg. 3-4). The
effect is that these systems that are not suitable for juvenile cases do not end up solving the
problems of crime.
The way forwards for Juvenile Justice Systems
The governments and other stakeholders should come up with ways to invest in the youth
to ensure that cases of drug abuse and other crime among them are reduced. When they are
engaged in meaningful activities such as sports, provision of socio-economic opportunities,
improvements in school qualities, apprenticeship programmes, and creation of awareness by
involving families and communities the cases of crime will go down. The use of punitive law
enforcement methods and tough penalties has been proven not to be effective. In cases where
juveniles have to go through the justice system, there must be facilities and systems that are
well designed for them. I do not support the sharing of facilities with adults as this exposes the
juveniles to many risks. Rehabilitation programmes should be made available and accessible
to them (Sickmund, Sladky, & Kang, 2015. Pg. 55). Holistic programmes need to be developed
to address the root causes of these crimes and ways of dealing with them more effectively.
Metacommentary:
The Image that I created for the Readers
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The focus of this article is to highlight some of the challenges that have contributed to the
rise of cases of drug abuse, especially among the youth. I hoped to portray the youth as a group
of people who can be assisted if the right policies and approaches are put in place. Instead of
condemning and locking them up in jails as a result of drug abuse, the relevant and concerned
bodies should come up with tangible and workable ways that can help them to become better
people in the society (Creese, Takhi & Blackledge, 2015. Pg.268.). I have proposed a number
of ways including proper justice systems and the legalizations of some of the drugs that I
believe will be able to help in creating an environment in which they can live a better life.
The Feeling I hope to Elicit
The story aims to elicit a feeling of hope. Whereas there seems to be an increase in the
cases of drug abuse especially among the youth, my article is aimed at providing a ray of hope
for the youth. But the youth on their own may not effectively help themselves. In order to
achieve this hope for a better future, they must be supported by the government and the justice
system in a manner that will allow them to come as better people in the society and be engaged
in meaningful activities other than drugs (Creese, Takhi & Blackledge, 2015. Pg. 268).
The Purpose
The focus on the youth as the main subjects helped to have a narrative which is about their
lives and how they can be helped to become better people in society. The approach incorporates
aspects of critiquing the current systems that we have with the aim of proposing what I believe
to be the best solution. (Creese, Takhi & Blackledge, 2015. Pg. 271). The approach is important
in ensuring that the readers enjoy the read as they get to learn and understand some vital facts
about drug abuse among the youth and how to best approach it.
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Conclusion
The challenge of drug abuse among youth is a serious problem in America. Despite the
efforts that have been put in place to reduce it, there seems to be a rise in it. This article has
attempted to identify and address the root cause and suggest probable ways to deal with the
problem. Legalizing certain drugs which have been proved to have scientific and health values
such as marijuana is one such proposal (Hall & Lynskey, 2016. Pg. 1765). The other proposal
is to have a better and workable justice system with the main focus on correcting the youth
rather than just jailing them. Giving them opportunities to make them more productive in
society is another way.
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References
Creese, A., Takhi, J. K., & Blackledge, A. (2015). Metacommentary in linguistic ethnography.
In Linguistic Ethnography (pp. 266-284). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Furdella, J., & Puzzanchera, C. (2015). Delinquency cases in juvenile court, 2013. Drugs, 23,
23.
Guerra, Nancy (2005). Youth Crime Prevention: Community Based Crime and Violence
Prevention in Urban Latin America and the Caribbean. World Bank Water, Disaster
Management, and Urban Development Group, Latin America and Caribbean Region.
Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
Hall, W., & Lynskey, M. (2016). Evaluating the public health impacts of legalizing recreational
cannabis use in the United States. Addiction, 111(10), 1764-1773.
Sickmund, M., Sladky, A., & Kang, W. (2015). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. Drugs, 62(55), 52.
OUTLINE
Topic: Drug Abuse Control in America
Thesis Statement: The number of individuals especially the youth and juveniles who are involved
in drug abuse have drastically increased in the US in the recent past. Despite the government efforts
to fight this problem, the number seems to be rising among the you who end up in jail. But, therein
lies the problem of how juvenile justice is handled. If juvenile justice is handled in the correct
manner then this problem can be dealt with more effectively. The concerned authorities need to
have a clear understanding of how to deal with these crimes that are essentially victimless.
Ultimately, the problem of drug abuse in America can only be effectively dealt with if the
concerned authorities find the right way to handle juvenile justice and also legalize certain drugs
such as marijuana which have been proven to have medical values.
I.
II.
Drug Abuse Control in America
Legalization of Marijuana as a Remedy to Reduce Crime
III.
Juvenile Justice and Violent Crime
IV.
Way forwards for Juvenile Justice Systems
V.
Metacommentary:
a. The Image that I created for the Readers
b. The Feeling I hope to Elicit
c. The Purpose
VI.
Conclusion
VII.
References
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