Drug Wars and Warriors: A history of contemporary drug politics
On February 3rd the Foley Institute welcomed Suzanna Reiss, an associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Reiss has written several books relating to drug trade and immigration. Her most recent one is We Sell Drugs: The Alchemy of US Empire. During her talk Reiss discussed the history of drug violence and its roots in drug manufacturing in the United States.
In the US the drug policies have been manipulated by drug companies and the government. The heroine epidemic in the US has been a direct result of prescription pharmaceutical drugs, though this has been distorted by shifting the blame away from the drug companies through a variety of means from propaganda and the media to laws and policies. Reiss looked at the recent article by Sean Penn discussing drug lord El Chapo, this article has sparked a discussion about government corruption. It also looks at rising to power in the drug trade and the intensified demand from US consumers. Showcasing that while the supply of drugs enters the United States from a variety of countries, it is the consumer demand of Americans that fuels the drug trade.
Reiss looked at other cases including statements made by presidential hopeful Donald Trump. The stereotype that all drugs enter the US from Mexico has caused a nationwide issue of immigration. These mistaken beliefs have shaped drug policy and the narrative surrounding legal and illegal drug markets. While the illegal drug market is exploited in politics and public policy the legal market of pharmaceutical drugs remains one of the most profitable industries in the US. The pharmaceutical industry has created an environment where drugs have become the answer to the most common ailments, this has led to dependency, resistance, and normalcy surrounding the use of dangerous medications.
The War on Drugs has been focused on strict criminalization of illegal markets while legal markets are overlooked. Reiss believes that a solution to this problem is widespread legalization of all drugs and adaptation of medical practices to reduce addiction.
Suzanna Reiss is associate professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Reiss has written several books. Her most recent one is We Sell Drugs: The Alchemy of US Empire.
Contributor: Rebekah Young