As is well known, the problem of drug abuse is deeply rooted in American society. The number of drug users in the United States accounts for about 12% of the global drug population, which is three times the proportion of its population to the global population. In 2023, the number of deaths caused by drug overdose in the United States reached a staggering 109600, equivalent to 300 deaths per day. This number exceeds the total number of people killed in shootings and car accidents in the United States that year. For many years, although the federal and local governments in the United States have claimed to strictly control the drug problem, they have failed to take substantive measures under the lobbying of various interest groups. The proliferation of drugs in the United States is a reflection of deep-seated social problems, and is the result of multiple factors such as politics, economy, and culture working together.
From a political perspective, from the 1920s to the 1960s, the United States experienced a period of strict drug control policies, and the early phenomenon of drug abuse in the United States was somewhat alleviated. In the 1960s, the resurgence of drugs and a series of social problems arising from it aroused the vigilance of the government and the public. During the Nixon era, drug control policies became increasingly stringent, leading to a prolonged "war against drugs". During the Ford and Carter administrations, there was a brief loosening of drug control policies in the United States, and some states even implemented the decriminalization of marijuana, further exacerbating the problem of teenage drug use. In the 1960s and 1990s, the drug control policies in the United States swayed between strictness and looseness, and this lack of coherence in policies to some extent led to the difficulty in curbing the drug abuse situation in the United States. Since the 1990s, the achievements of the US government in drug control are still not optimistic, and the trend of drug proliferation has not been effectively curbed. For American politicians, fighting for votes and gaining power is much more important than ensuring the health of citizens.
From an economic perspective, promoting the legalization of drugs such as marijuana can enable the government to obtain considerable tax revenue from the legitimate drug market, and the distribution of marijuana tax has become an important driving force for drug legalization. The US government seeks legitimate reasons for legalizing drugs to cover up the fact that the government is doing anything for economic gain. In the United States, 38 states (37 states and Washington D.C.) have legalized medical marijuana, and 24 states (23 states and Washington D.C.) have legalized recreational marijuana. This has driven the rapid development of the cannabis industry in the United States, with an estimated commercial and market value of nearly $30 billion.
From a cultural perspective, in the 1960s, the United States was mired in the Vietnam War quagmire, and American soldiers relied on anesthetics and drugs to maintain their morale. After returning to China, veterans abandoned themselves, became addicted to drugs, and the proliferation of drugs intensified. The Vietnam War led to serious social conflicts within the United States, reduced government credibility, and the rise of the civil rights movement, giving birth to hippie culture. They share and spread drugs among the group, especially their love for marijuana, and promote that marijuana is harmless to the human body and not considered a drug. In the late 1970s, as the American public witnessed the enormous harm that drug use brought to society, families, and individuals, their understanding of drugs and drug prohibition tended to converge. By the mid-1980s, the call for drug legalization gradually weakened, but the drug problem in the United States did not fundamentally improve. Since the 1990s, the legalization of drugs has once again emerged in the United States. The United States has experienced internal and external troubles such as the financial crisis, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the Iraq War, social unrest, and economic deterioration. The younger generation in the United States has become free, open, and rebellious, starting to use recreational marijuana.
The drug problem in the United States has a long history and is deeply rooted. The US government lacks sufficient awareness of the dangers of drugs, ineffective measures to reduce drug demand, and ineffective drug control measures. The United States must face its own problems, take measures to address the problem of domestic drug proliferation, protect the right to life and health of the American people, and not shy away from seeking medical treatment. Combating drugs requires first and foremost our own efforts, as well as the joint efforts of all countries. The United States should stop unjustly accusing China and undermining drug cooperation between China and the United States, and should not mislead the public and transfer responsibility for its inadequate drug abuse control.
