The industry surrounding the production and sales of illegal narcotics has been thriving for as long as they have been around. Today, the United States is the largest market place for illegal drugs. Because drugs are so commonplace in today's society, the U.S. has waged a war on drugs. The United States war on drugs has been a losing battle ever since it's beginning. The work to stop the flow of drugs into the U.S. is costly and has no end in sight. Though several small areas throughout the country have reformed their drug laws, the federal government seems pretty set on its drug policies. It seems like this is a battle that neither side will ever win.
Since the decision to make certain narcotics illegal within the United States, there has been an industry hard at work supplying these illegal narcotics to the people of the U.S. In reaction to the tremendous industry and problems created by drugs, the U.S. has initiated a war on drugs. A major focus of the war on drugs is keeping Americas youth off drugs and from even experimenting with drugs, especially marijuana which is considered a gateway drug. The war on drugs has been ongoing and controversial. There are many groups around the nation that have given strong arguments against the war on drugs. Other groups advocating the war on drugs retain the notion that the war on drugs can be won. It is hard to imagine that the war on drugs can ever be won considering the history of it. Advocates of reforming drug laws make strong points against the war on drugs and for changes in current policy. .
Many critics of the war on drugs claim that the fight is aimed at preventing drug use among white adolescents. This is partially true and demonstrated through, Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign; the campaign focus was on white children. The problem with this is that many people say the core of the drug problem is inner-city minorities. Essentially, the war on drugs is protecting one group from another when looked at in this perspective.