The Role of the United States in the World Drug Trade

The United States has for a long time been the largest illegal drugs market in the world. Because of this massive demand for illegal products the economies of countries like Bolivia and Afghanistan are becoming more and more reliant on growing things like coca and poppies used for drug production. And although the United States have already been taking steps to try to fight the war against drugs, the figures from law enforcement agencies attest to their failure.

The argument that some in the United States have taken up is that they should concentrate on the war on drugs in their own country. And that it was up to other countries to police their own drugs producers. However the fact is that without the demand generated by the United States for illegal drugs, there wouldn't be enough of a demand for a lot of the farmers of marijuana, poppies or the coca leaf to make a living. But the situation at the moment is that often growing these kinds of crops is the easiest option available to the farmers, which will ensure that their families have food and clothing.

Although Bolivia and Afghanistan don't actually produce much of the heroin and cocaine that is consumed in the Unites States, there is still a general feeling that America should still be the ones to act. This is because geographically they are the closest large stable democracy to Bolivia and the other South American countries such as Venezuela that produce large amounts of drugs. And Afghanistan of course because of the war against the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks.

Following the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan for example there was help promised by the United States to the farmers of the poppies if they would grow other crops. However that help seemingly never materialized and so the poppy cultivation increases even now. As well as being in demand, poppies are also very easy to cultivate in the Afghan climate, where other crops aren't.