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of coca products is a case in point. The farmers growing coca are generally poor and whether grown for illicit or legal use, coca remains the easiest crop to grow and definitely the most profitable. The war on drugs has caused many coca plantations to be razed to the ground, a huge amount of which will be destined for legal use.

Unfortunately, the drug enforcement agencies have difficulty making the distinction, so consequently many of the poorest coca farmers have been left facing economic ruin. Attempts at getting the farmers to produce other crops on their fields have also failed, as the returns are simply not as great with alternative crops - it appears that unsurprisingly the drug lords pay more than government.

Is the harm caused by drugs themselves in western countries outweighed by the harm caused by the war on drugs in foreign countries notorious for drug production? Take a look at the effect on the streets of western society of drug addiction - many lower class neighbourhoods are saturated with products that continue to get cheaper and more easily accessible.

Drug use is more prevalent today than at any time in the 20th century and the age at which people will be first exposed to drugs is dropping on an almost yearly basis. The effects of drug use such as crime, gun and gang culture, murder and rises in the numbers of addicts are seen at first hand by what are usually the poorer and most effected members in society. Media coverage of drug deaths, overdose and gunfights perpetuated by drug gangs trying to wrest control of lucrative areas from each other, ensure that society perceives the war on drugs to be one that needs urgent re-evaluation of its policies.

It is difficult for governments and narcotic control agencies to have any long term strategy for dealing with the war on drugs. Take away one drug lord and the vacuum created is soon filled by another only too happy to take their place. Intelligence changes on a daily if not hourly basis and the drug lords have the money, technology and arms to remain at similar strength to the agencies fighting them.

Until focus is placed on changing legislation around the usage of narcotics and it is somehow made a less lucrative activity, therefore ensuring that drugs as an industry will become less of an attraction to criminal factions and consequently less of a burden on the poorest in our society, the harm caused by drugs on our streets will vastly outweigh the harm caused by the war on drugs.

Learn more about this author, Wayne Clist.
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