The war on drugs has had a similarly malignant effect on Latin America. The war on drugs has also had a negative impact on human rights, as it has led to attacks on civilians in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico. In addition, the eviction of peasants from their lands and the spraying of toxic chemicals that are prohibited in the United States have served to exacerbate social and environmental problems in several Latin American countries, says Larry Birns, the director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Perhaps most pernicious of all, the war on drugs is preying on the addicted. African Americans have 3.5 times the rate of drug fatalities of whites.
Sharpe points out the absurdities in the way our society treats addicts.
Many cannot receive treatment for their addictions unless they are in prison, and the line in prison is long, so sometimes judges give addicts stiffer sentences to ensure that they will eventually get treatment. For many addicts, access to treatment is easier if you're in the criminal justice system. Even so, treatment in prisons is on the decline. D.C. Today, the rhetoric of prohibition often gets in the way of public health. For instance, Mayor Giuliani of New York last year tried to withdraw methadone treatments from heroin addicts, and the U.S. government refuses to provide funds for needle-exchange programs, though its own studies demonstrate that such programs would save lives.