The War on Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints

Discusses drug use and addiction, the success of the war on drugs, and how legalization of drugs could affect crime and the economy, including arguments by former drug czar Robert DuPont and former Harlem police officer Joseph McNamara.

Gr. 7^-12. Last year, the federal government allocated $16 billion to combat drug abuse, which statistically has decreased by more than 40 percent since 1979. Apparently, such facts demonstrate progress only to those who perceive drug addiction as an enemy to be defeated rather than as a cancer to be treated. This difference in perspective lays the foundation for debate in another excellent entry in the Opposing Viewpoints series, which builds on the questions of whether the current war on drugs is succeeding and how legalization of drugs would affect crime and the U.S. economy. Brief introductions clarify the five impeccably organized sections. Leading into each essay are summaries and high-and low-level questions to help students discern the main ideas as well as recognize inflated claims and fallacious overgeneralizations. Throughout, dynamic arguments are offered by both sides on every issue, with especially compelling essays by Joseph McNamara, once a Harlem police officer, and by former "drug czar" Robert DuPont. Roger Leslie