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Prepare a slideshow presentation based on your research paper Drug Trafficking” which this research paper has been done in the prior weeks. Your slideshow should contain 4 to 6 slides that contain the following information:
- Title and author
- Thesis sentence
- Major points made in your paper (one per slide)
- Graphics and/or animation (for a higher grade)
Please follow the APA Format!
Due Saturday 7/6/2013
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Carlos Galvez ENC 3211 Report Writing Homework 1 Week 11 |
[Year] |
Drug trafficking
Drug trafficking in the United States has been an ongoing problem for years. It has grown so large that it is more than just a problem. It can be termed as traffic in illegal drugs, in the United States has been a major problem across the globe. Drug trafficking has a huge impact for all of us. It has been leading the success tag for destroying lives, causing violence and death. “War on Drugs” began since 1971 till date a slight variance has been observed as a progress after providing so much of efforts. Peoples have carried drugs to US by various possible ways, such as underground tunnels, border, etc. The U.S and Mexico border has been a vector to maximize the possible way for the shipment of cocaine which is being smuggled. (Policyalmanc, 2011). During the flow of drugs across the region weapons and cash flow has also been rapidly increasing on the other side. Agents working at borders have found various techniques which help them to track the drug container in the most effective way to catch hold of those drug runners.
As the demand for drug users in the United States grows larger, so does the demand for drug trafficking. The supply of drugs has to keep up with the demand. Most of the illicit drugs consumed by various individuals are getting an entry in U.S from Mexico and the huge revenue of all the Mexican drug-trafficking organization comes from the way of water. (Kleiman Mark, 2011). After suffering from several years such a long time the effort of government has bought only a little change to fight against it. In studying what has been done to control drug trafficking in the past, it may provide some insight into what changes may be made to improve the efforts in the future.
Why is the research on reducing drug trafficking important?
In the United States there are crimes being committed every day and they usually lead back to drugs. Whether the person committing the crime is on drugs or needs money for drugs, it usually has something to do with drugs. Our children are being hospitalized or dying every day from drug usage and overdoses. They are being hurt or killed by other people who are on drugs. Influences’ every day from peers to use drugs is what parents have to worry about. Are our children educated enough to just say no? Drugs are too accessible and they need to be stopped, slowed down or regulated. This would reduce the illegal flow of drugs through the United States borders. Focusing on the U.S. Mexico border, the estimates in 2006 show that 92% of cocaine coming to the United States comes through the southwest border. (Bury 2006).
How effective are the efforts that the United States Government has implemented for drug trafficking been along the southwest border?
For many years now the United States have guarded the southwest border with border security. Border security has checkpoints, scanners, drug dogs, helicopters and the National Guard to help maintain our borders. Many different agencies have control over the ports of entry. U.S. Customs is the primary agency responsible for ensuring that everything that comes through the ports of entry complies with federal law. U.S. Customs is also in control of the flow of drugs into the United States. (Policy 1999) U.S. Customs, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard provide a joint effort in drug trafficking in the United States. The United States Government has increased the security of these regulated checkpoints over the years to help control the increase of drug trafficking each year. Since there has been little change in the way the government fight drug trafficking, the statistics on drug reduction efforts are not consistently progressing.
Swisher also states that in order for drug traffickers to cover up their illegal actions from U.S. law enforcement, they must either smuggle the money out of the country or “launder” it (13). Ted Gottfried says, “The United States spends “$50 billion per year in federal and state budgets” combined to fight the spread of illegal drugs” (Gottfried 17). Advertising has yet to show a result in lowering drug use among young people. These substances prove not only highly expensive but highly addictive as well. Since its effects feel so good, cocaine continues to appear the most highly addictive drugs. Elizabeth Connelly says, “The effects of crack are more harmful when smoked, it reaches the brain in a matter of seconds, and there is an instant high. Because it acts so quickly and so potently, crack is much more psychologically addictive than ordinary cocaine” (Gottfried 35). Unlike cocaine, Ecstasy depletes serotonin, which affects mood, eating habits and sleeping, aggressive behavior, thinking processes, sexual function, and sensitivity to pain (Connelly 51).
According to the National drug Control Policy (2006), joint efforts with Mexico started in 1995. With the assistance of Mexico, 80% of the plants that are grown naturally are sprayed and killed by the Mexican Government either by planes or manually before they can be harvested and sold as illegal drugs. (Romero, 2011). This is also being done in the United States by the United States government. This is one of the combined efforts by the United States government and Mexico in the “War against Drugs”. Mexico’s eradication efforts slowly increased from 1995 through 1998 (Romero, 2011). In 1999 their efforts jumped significantly. (National Drug Control Strategy, 2006) Their numbers was reduced again in 2004, which shows that the effectiveness of their result was reduced to a greater extent.
Because of the increased security over the years, drug dealers are always finding new ways to smuggle their drugs across the border since there is such a high profit involved. Money in which the government spends on reducing the drugs along the southwest border has had an unsteady effect over the years (Romero, 2011). Statements have been made that the government would be better off spending more money to fight the demand for drugs in the United States and improving the treatment available for the users. Although this has been applied moderately over the years, more emphasis could be applied. Since Americans have such a high demand for drugs and are willing to pay high dollars, it makes the United States a good target for International traffickers. In order to reduce drug trafficking, the United States must reduce its consumption and desire for drugs. This is what will help reduce drug trafficking, not only along the southwest border, but throughout the entire United States.
The increase in law enforcement efforts was intended to reduce drug trafficking by enacting more severe legal sanctions for convicted drug dealers, but the enormity of profits to be made from smuggling and selling drugs overrides the threat of punishment. The international drug trade is estimated to generate $300 billion to $400 billion annually. Such a large profit not only provides a strong incentive to sell drugs, but also allows criminals greater access to technological advantages. Because the traffickers have a higher budget than drug enforcement officers do, they are able to develop more sophisticated means of producing, transporting, and hiding their drugs. Journalists John Ward Anderson and William Branigin say, “In recent years, drug mafias have bought commercial jetliners and built a fleet of two-man submarines to move drugs to the United States. They have secreted loads in propane tanks and containers of hazardous materials, in small cans of tuna fish and five-gallon drums of jalapeño peppers. One trafficking group fashioned a special mold that was used to successfully ship cocaine from Mexico through the United States and into Canada completely sealed inside the walls of porcelain toilets.” The existing budget to fight the supply of drugs cannot compete with the limitless resources available to drug traffickers.
In 2005, the United States started building a fence along the 700 miles of the 2000 mile southwest border. The fence was built to help reduce illegal immigration and to help reduce drug trafficking. As of December 2008, six hundred and one miles of the project had been completed. (Aguilera, 2011) From 2005 through 2010, the apprehension rate of illegal activity coming through the southwest border dropped by 62%. It is unclear if this was completely due to the border fence or due to a decreasing number of jobs in the United States. (Aguilera, 2011) In 2010, the Homeland Security Secretary ordered a review on the fence project. Then, in February 2011, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that she has cancelled the virtual fence project along the southwest border. (Aguilera, 2011) After spending $672 million dollars, one would think it would not just be thrown in the trash.
The fence along the southwest border started out to be a popular idea; however, as the years went by and the cost kept rising, the effectiveness of the fence began to be questioned. After a review of the project as a whole it was decided to cancel the remaining portion of the incomplete fence and completely scratch the virtual reality monitoring. This project was not given sufficient time to prove its efficiency to repel against the security efforts the government is taking to reduce the flow of drugs through the border; the Drug Cartel has turned violent (Romero, 2011). They have not only turned violent against the government, but against rival Cartels and innocent bystanders (Rhee, 2009). A drug worth $10 million a day is what motivates the drug cartel to find new ways to avoid incarceration. The cartel’s have better weapons and more money than the Mexican army (Romero, 2011). It seems that anyone who tries to take down the Cartel is gunned down. Even a reporter who was chasing a story on the Cartel was murdered. This has had an increasingly large effect on tourists going to Mexico (Bury, 2006).
In 2009, The United States Congress allowed funding of $700 million to support Mexico under the Merida Initiative efforts (Romero, 2011). This was one of the United States most recent efforts to help the drug trafficking on the southwest border. “These funds will help to improve the law enforcement, crime prevention and strengthen institution building and the rule of law.” (Rhee, 2009) That money will provide increased Mexico border security, training of law, judicial reform efforts, new information technology, new equipment, including 5 new helicopters and help to develop Mexico’s new legal system. (Rhee, 2009) This was an effort to secure the southwest border by putting some control on the opposite side, which should have effects on both sides of the border. This shows that new efforts are still being taken in some different directions; unfortunately it will be a couple of years before we find out the results of these efforts.
June 5, 2009, President Obama’s strategy to reduce the flow of illegal drugs across the southwest border was released. This strategy was called “The National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy.” This strategy was to help communications with state and local law enforcement agencies and to communicate with Mexico in their dealings with the cartels. This strategy includes enhancing intelligence, sanction drugs and everything related, ensure prosecution, break up drug trafficking organizations, enhance counterdrug technologies and enhance U. S. -Mexico cooperatives. (Homeland Security, 2009)
What other efforts could the government have taken to help reduce drug trafficking over the 2000 miles of U.S. and Mexico border?
From the Southwest U.S. and Mexico border are fairly large, approximately 2,000 miles, and a vast variety of open spaces, mountains and the Rio Grande River, there are many different ways in which drug traffickers smuggle drugs through the border (Romero, 2011). Using the land, sea and air, the drug traffickers use hidden compartments in vehicles, tunnels, backpackers on foot, lightweight aircraft and gliders, ATV’s, package delivery, motorized launches and rafts. This being said, the government does have their work cut out for them when it comes to securing the southwest border (Bury, 2006).
There has been much controversy over the legalization of one drug in specific, Marijuana. The United States Government estimates that the primary source revenue for Mexican traffickers is Marijuana. Marijuana accounts for 61% of the illegal drug sales from Mexico to the United States. (Bury 2006). Some people support the idea that legalizing Marijuana would not only reduce the amount of drug trafficking, but it would bring the income to the United States by letting the government regulate the sales such as they do with tobacco. One argument to this is that if they legalize one drug they would have to legalize them all? Then the counter argument becomes, no, they only need to legalize anything that could be naturally grown. The other drugs are altered in one form or another; therefore, could still remain illegal (Bury, 2006). Marijuana has been legalized for medical purposes in various states throughout the United States; however, under federal law it is still considered illegal.
Finally I would like to conclude with the vital key factors which are mandated to be revised in terms of achieving proper success for the reduction of drug trafficking along the southwest border. Above discussion has provided us with various evidence which reflect the impact of such a deadly act but still have not provided any of the solutions. I would suggest for the increased number of security on a regular basis to acquire a proper control. (Aguilera, 2011) but as we all know a single finger is much easier to be broken as compared to all five, hence we need to get united and thus the joint efforts with Mexico will definitely help us to put across a hurdle for drug trafficking. However when the efforts of U.S are effective enough for this problem they always comes up with some or the other innovative way to get their drugs across the border. The cold statistics innovated by Washington, D.C. Pretrial Services Agency has an almost numbing quality. If we speak about the figures then we must say most of the victims were teenagers sixteen year old, who were arrested in December 1999. Among the group of fifty four juveniles 59 percent were tested positive for drugs and others were found to be involved in those systems. Another piece of data reflects a 12 year old boy who is apprehended by cops showing the positive test for drugs.
So we can say that it is not the actual problem of our government, in fact we are the actual culprits who always use to see such crimes getting favored in our society but we never step forward in an attempt to prevail that. It has been estimated about $400 billion annually or we can say 8percent of all international trade is summed up by drug trafficking. In order to invest the revenue generated from these illicit activities and avoid getting these assets seized by government, they use to transform the monetary proceeds from their criminal activity into revenue from the apparent legal sources, which is also coined as money laundering. So I hope this piece of work will surely motivate all the orators to get their thoughts and perception altered and hope this recommendation would be true for diminishing the drug trafficking in our country. (Bury, 2006) along with all this we must always keep our self updated with the modern technologies and trends which is being followed in our surroundings.
References
Aguilera, E. (2011). Surgical Strikes in the Drug Wars,” Foreign Affairs
Bury, C. (2006). : Desperados: Latin drug lords, US lawmen, and the war America can’t win, Viking.
Rhee, F. (2009). Drug Violence and State Responses in Mexico,” Manuscript: University Of San Diego
Romero, K. (2011). Living in Fear: Mapping the Social Embeddedness of Drug Gangs and Violence in Mexico, “Unpublished Manuscript
http://www.enotes.com/drug-trafficking-article
http://www.studymode.com/essays/Drug-Trafficking-In-The-U-s-822713.html
http://www.essaylib.com/blog/examples/drug-trafficking-research-proposal.html
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[Carlos Galvez ENC 3211 Report Writing Week 10 |
June 19, 2013 |
Drug Trafficking
Drug trafficking is an illegal drug trading system to which drugs are brought from other countries into the United States; to list just a few of these drugs; cocaine, heroin, hashish, marijuana, LSD, ecstasy, methamphetamines, and opiates. Terrorists are being funded by many of these drug trafficking operations in America. Another huge issue in The United States is the drug trafficking inside our country. In Florida and Texas, it is epidemic, the pill mills and grow houses are a major concern because they are supplying the entire United States with access to these drugs at a steady rate. As a result, there are many individuals and families that are being affected by addiction, illness, overdose, and death. The United States Government believes they have this under control and are helping to solve the situation, but in reality, drug trafficking in the United States is out of control.
“Drug Trafficking is an activity that involves the cultivation, manufacturing, processing, importation and distribution of drugs” (Desroches, 2007). Going down the line of drug trade you have what is similar to an assembly line. You have the manufacturer or grower who grows and makes the actual drug which then is processed and packaged to be smuggled into the country. Eventually, making its way into America’s neighborhoods, by which is called the dealers. This is a process that has no end, because once one batch or shipment of drugs is distributed, there is already another on its way into America, or being made in America.
First, let us look at the prescription drug trafficking, which is at an epidemic level and a major concern in America right now. There are illegitimate doctors who are acting as almost legal drug dealers. They are supplying the entire United States with prescription drugs and making millions of dollars each year. They are doctors who will supply just about anyone, with a complaint with hundreds, if not thousands of prescription pills a month. They are prescribing amounts of medication that a terminally ill cancer patient could not even take. These doctors should be held accountable for the deaths caused by overdoses from the prescriptions that they wrote. These doctors know without a doubt, that these persons who are walking into their clinics cannot possible be taking the amount of medication they are prescribing. To make it worse, these individuals are then “doctor shopping.” Doctor shopping is when a person goes to more than one of these doctors in a single day, week, or month. Then these people go out onto the streets and sell them, and make an astounding profit. Some of these medications are going for as much as one hundred dollars a pill. This also in turn, gives easy access not only drug users, but also school children, who are looking to experiment. High school and college students are targets of drug dealers. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (2009), everyday 2,500 teens in the United States use prescription drugs to get high for the first time. Most teens believe that because these drugs have been given out by a doctor that they are playing it safe, and these prescription drugs are safer than illegal drugs such as cocaine and marijuana. Over 27,500 deaths were reported in 2007 from prescription drug overdoses; that is more than all other drug and traffic deaths in the United States (CDC, 2011).
According to The Almanac of Policy Issues (2004), “The illegal drug market in the United States is one of the most profitable in the world.” This global black market is directly linked to the nation’s largest organized crime and terrorist groups. These operations are bringing in the most ruthless, sophisticated, and aggressive drug, crime, and terrorist individuals and groups from all over the world. In 2006, 93% of the United States opiate supply originated from Afghanistan, earning them 3.1 billion US dollars; two billion was earned from the sales in the US of cocaine from Latin America (UNODC, 2011). Narco-Terrorism is the official term for the link between drug trafficking and terrorism and has been a problem for many years.
Drug traffickers and smugglers are steadily bringing these drugs into our country by many means of transportation: by boats, on freighters, by commercial and private airplanes, through the Mexican and Canadian borders, and even as low as to smuggle these drugs in by putting them in our United States soldiers caskets when sending their bodies home. The United States have seized billions and billions of drugs over the last decade and made hundreds, if not thousands of arrests, but there still is no end in sight. In 2007, President George Bush developed a program that was approved by the United States House of Foreign Affairs Committee that cost 1.6 billion dollars and three years to complete, which trained and equipped security forces to help strengthen our judicial system (Graham, 2008). The United States Border Patrol have brought a military strategy to our borders to attempt to protect foreign threats, such as terrorism and drugs from reaching U.S. territories (Nagengast, 1998). According to (The National Drug Control Strategy, 1999) it says “the U.S. Border Control is the primary federal drug interdiction agency along our land borders with Canada and Mexico. The border patrol specifically focuses on drug smuggling between land ports of entry.” But still the illegal drug trafficking and marketing continues to grow and become more and more of a problem. As the United States fights back against these drug cartels and smugglers harder and harder, the criminals fight back just as hard, rerouting their plans and continue to push forward.
As the illegal drug trafficking market continues to grow and become more out of control, the U.S. tries to keep a steady fight in return. The U.S claims they have many different types of security programs set up to help stop the drug trafficking, it is still getting worse with little or no improvements really being made. In the meantime, in almost every city in America, there continues to be drug addicts, overdoses, gangs, violence, and homicides every day. Many people in America watch as their family and friends become addicted and prosecuted, without helping the real problem. These same drugs, that the U.S claims they are doing everything they can to stop from entering our country, continue to kill individuals’ every day. Some say this is out of control, due to what is called Trade Openness; which is where other countries do trading with businesses to help their economies. “Trade openness has a displacement effect on a country’s work force. People who have lost jobs due to trade reforms are more likely to turn to the drug industry for alternative means of employment, therefor strengthening the drug industry with ample supply of recruits” (Bartilow & Eom, 2009). Then there is the politicians that believe the drug reform acts are only hurting us and robbing us of our own money.
As for our countries complications with the prescription drug trafficking, they are trying to halt the operations, but encounter several complications. One of these complications being the budgetary constraints; the government has many possible solutions, but they cost billions of dollars, which many fight because there is no guarantee of them working. Then there comes the complication of federal, state, and local regulations and laws running into and combining with other laws. This meaning, some individuals need these medications to ease their pain and suffering, cure their diseases, to improve their quality of life, and to save some of their lives. There has been a proposed solution to put an end to individuals seeing more than one doctor at once, but then you run into legitimate patients whose rights are being violated. This in turn, makes it a complicated matter.
The “Pill Mills” in our country should be able to be stopped. If a patient truly needs these medications, then they will not have a problem changing to a legitimate doctor. The individuals seeing these doctors, do not understand these doctors do not care about the wellbeing of their patients, and that they are actually damaging them for the rest of their lives. Thousands of people, most of them barely adults, die each year ultimately caused by these physicians failing to uphold their Hippocratic Oath they took when becoming a physician. These doctors are enabling the needs of drug addicts, as well as turning many into drug addicts or individuals who are dependent on these medications; ones who cannot function properly without them. This is easily said, but not done. This is where the complication mentioned earlier comes in again. When does the government have the right to say when a patient is in need of these medications, and when are they denying individuals of their rights.
Is there a way to completely control and stop drug trafficking? If there was, would it not have already been done? The Government faces many difficulties when trying to find new approaches and is always faced with road blocks. Can it be done without the complete cooperation of other countries? Can we afford this process? These are questions that our government has faced for many decades and still does not have a single solution. All they can do is keep doing what they are doing and continue to fight and become more powerful than the criminals, such as the drug lords and kings, and terrorists.
President Nixon was known for his “War on Drugs” campaign in 1971, which was intended to provide foreign military aid and intervention being funded by the United States with participating countries, to help reduce the illegal drug trade. In 2011, the Obama administration released the comment “The global War on Drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world. Fifty years after the initiation of the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and years after President Nixon launched the US government’s war on drugs, fundamental reforms in national and global drug control policies are urgently needed.” President Obama has pledged three hundred million in foreign aid just to Mexico and Central America in 2011 (Wikipedia, 2011).
The problem that The United States faces is the fact that we cannot control foreign drug trafficking, not even into our own country. Until we can completely control what is being brought in, we cannot control the drug trafficking that in happening inside our country. The politics of the proposed issues and solutions are complicated and brings a lot of diplomatic tensions between governments. This also brings many issues within our country on what we are going in debt over; many Americans do not understand the need for us to give foreign aid to these countries.
There have been many cases where law enforcement, including CIA, FBI, federal, state and local law enforcement individuals have been involved in drug trafficking. They go in to help combat the war on drugs, but when faced with the propositions of the financial gain available, they cave. Many politicians have been accused of their involvement with drug trafficking as well. It has been said that many of the campaigns in America have been funded by drug money. Then there are the American business men who get involved with drug trafficking for the financial gain, especially those in the importation and shipment businesses.
Drug trafficking is going on all over the United States and world; this is a global problem. We as individuals cannot make a huge impact on the overall problem, but we can try to help just one individual at a time. We need to help the citizens of our country to do positive things; we need to help the individuals who want and need help. It can make a difference a little at a time, town by town. The U.S claims they are doing what they can to protect us, but there still is drug trafficking happening every day. Many people believe more can be done, and in my opinion drug trafficking in the United States is far from under control.
The United States will inevitably continue to have drug trafficking problems until the countries can come together and take a stand. Will it ever end? One of the biggest issues is that the monetary gain is too much for some to turn down. There are too many deaths caused by drug trafficking, which included overdoses, along with the criminal violence and deaths directly related as well. Until the entire globe can decide to combat this growing problem, the United States can simply keep doing what they are doing, by continuing to fight back, and keep bringing more and more force against these criminals.
References
Bartilow, H. A. & Eom, K. (2009). Free Traders and Drug Smugglers: The effects of trade
openness on states ability to combat drug trafficking. Latin American politics & society, 5(2), 117-145. Retrieved from EBSCO host.
Desroches, F. (2007). Research on upper lever drug trafficking: A review journal of drug issues,
37(4), 827-844. Retrieved from EBACO host
Dizard, J. (2010). Fragile Progress, Rising Threats. Harvard International Review, 32(3), 58-62.
Retrieved from
EBSCOhost
Dolan, C. J. (2005). United States’ Narco-Terrorism Policy: A Contingency Approach to the Convergence of the Wars on Drugs and Against Terrorism. Review of Policy Research,
22(4), 451-471. doi:10.1111/j.1541-1338.2005.00149.x
Graham-Silverman, A. (2008). Bill to Fight Drug Trafficking in Mexico, Central America
Approved by Panel. CQ Weekly, 66(20), 1358.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
NAGENGAST, C. (1998). Militarizing the border patrol. NACLA Report on the Americas,
32(3), 37. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
National Drug control Strategy, (2009). U.S. Border Control. Retrieved from
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/rx_abuse_plan
Prescription Drug Abuse. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/prescriptiondrugabuse.html
Prescription Drug Overdoses: An American Epidemic. (2011, February 18). Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-
rounds/archives/2011/01-February.htm
The tormented isthmus. (Cover story). (2011). Economist, 398(8729), 25-28. Retrieved from
EBSCOhost
UNODC’s World Drug Report: Afghanistans 2007 Opium Harvest. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/drug-trafficking-and-the-financing-of-
terrorism.html.
Vincent, I. (2007). WHERE THE DRUG LORDS ARE KINGS. Maclean’s, 120(3), 23-24.
Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
War on Drugs. (2011, August 27). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs
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Carlos Galvez ENC 3211 Report Writing Week 9 |
[Year] |
Drug trafficking
Drug trafficking in the United States has been an ongoing problem for years. It has grown so large that it is more than just a problem. As the demand for drug users in the United States grows larger, so does the demand for drug trafficking. The supply of drugs has to keep up with the demand. There has been little change in the way the government has fought drug trafficking throughout the last 20 years. In studying what has been done to control drug trafficking in the past, it may provide some insight into what changes may be made to improve the efforts in the future.
Why is the research on reducing drug trafficking important?
In the United States there are crimes being committed everyday and they usually lead back to drugs. Whether the person committing the crime is on drugs or needs money for drugs, it usually has something to do with drugs. Our children are being hospitalized or dying every day from drug usage and overdoses. They are being hurt or killed by other people who are on drugs. Influences every day from peers to use drugs is what parents have to worry about. Are our children educated enough to just say no? Drugs are too accessible and they need to be stopped, slowed down or regulated. This would reduce the illegal flow of drugs through the United States borders. Focusing on the U.S. Mexico border, the estimates in 2006 show that 92% of cocaine coming to the United States comes in through the southwest border. (Bury 2006).
How effective are the efforts that the United States Government has implemented for drug trafficking been along the southwest border?
For many years now the United States has guarded the southwest border with border security. Border security has checkpoints, scanners, drug dogs, helicopters and the National Guard to help maintain our borders. Many different agencies have control over the ports of entry. U.S. Customs is the primary agency responsible for ensuring that everything that comes through the ports of entry complies with federal law. U.S. Customs is also in control of the flow of drugs into the United States. (Policy 1999) U.S. Customs, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard provide a joint effort in drug trafficking in the United States. The United States Government has been increasing the security of these regulated checkpoints over the years to help control the increase of drug trafficking each year. Since there has been little change in the way the government fights drug trafficking, the statistics on drug reduction efforts are not consistently progressing.
According to the National drug Control Policy (2006), joint efforts with Mexico started in 1995. With the assistance of Mexico, 80% of the plants that are grown naturally are sprayed and killed by the Mexican Government either by planes or manually before they can be harvested and sold as illegal drugs. (Romero, 2011). This is also being done in the United States by the United States government. This is one of the combined efforts by the United States government and Mexico in the “War against Drugs”. Mexico’s eradication efforts slowly increased from 1995 through 1998 (Romero, 2011). In 1999 their efforts jumped significantly. (National Drug Control Strategy, 2006) Their numbers were reduced again in 2004, which shows that the effectiveness of their efforts was reduced.
Because of the increased security over the years, drug dealers are always finding new ways to smuggle their drugs across the border since there is such a high profit involved. Money in which the government spends on reducing the drugs along the southwest border has had an unsteady effect over the years (Romero, 2011). Statements have been made that the government would be better off spending more money to fight the demand for drugs in the United States and improving the treatment available for the users. Although this has been applied moderately over the years, more emphasis could be applied. Since Americans have such a high demand for drugs and are willing to pay high dollars, it makes the United States a good target for International traffickers. In order to reduce drug trafficking, the United States must reduce its consumption and desire for drugs. This is what will help reduce drug trafficking, not only along the southwest border, but throughout the entire United States.
In 2005, the United States started building a fence along the 700 miles of the 2000 mile southwest border. The fence was built to help reduce illegal immigration and to help reduce drug trafficking. As of December 2008, six hundred and one miles of the project had been completed. (Aguilera, 2011) From 2005 through 2010, the apprehension rate of illegal activity coming through the southwest border dropped by 62%. It is unclear if this was completely due to the border fence or due to a decreasing number of jobs in the United States. (Aguilera, 2011) In 2010, the Homeland Security Secretary ordered a review on the fence project. Then, in February 2011, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that she has cancelled the virtual fence project along the southwest border. (Aguilera, 2011) After spending $672 million dollars, one would think it would not just be thrown to the trash.
The fence along the southwest border started out to be a popular idea; however, as the years went by and the cost kept rising, the effectiveness of the fence began to be questioned. After a review on the project as a whole it was decided to cancel the remaining portion of the incomplete fence and completely scratch the virtual reality monitoring. This project was not given sufficient time to prove its efficiency to repel against the security efforts the government is taking to reduce the flow of drugs through the border; the Drug Cartel has turned violent (Romero, 2011). They have not only turned violent against the government, but against rival Cartels and innocent bystanders (Rhee, 2009). Drugs worth $10 million a day is what motivates the drug cartel to find new ways to avoid incarceration. The cartel’s have better weapons and more money than the Mexican army (Romero, 2011). It seems that anyone who tries to take down the Cartel is gunned down. Even a reporter who was chasing a story on the Cartel was murdered. This has had an increasingly large effect on tourists going to Mexico (Bury, 2006).
In 2009, The United States Congress allowed funding of $700 million to support Mexico under the Merida Initiative efforts (Romero, 2011). This was one of the United States most recent efforts to help the drug trafficking on the southwest border. “These funds will help to improve the law enforcement, crime prevention and strengthen institution building and rule of law.” (Rhee, 2009) That money will provide increased Mexico border security, training of law, judicial reform efforts, new information technology, new equipment, including 5 new helicopters and help to develop Mexico’s new legal system. (Rhee, 2009) This was an effort to secure the southwest border by putting some control on the opposite side, which should have effects on both sides of the border. This shows that new efforts are still being taken in some different directions; unfortunately it will be a couple of years before we find out the results of these efforts.
June 5, 2009, President Obama’s strategy to reduce the flow of illegal drugs across the southwest border was released. This strategy was called “The National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy.” This strategy was to help communications with state and local law enforcement agencies and to communicate with Mexico in their dealings with the cartels. This strategy includes enhancing intelligence, sanction drugs and everything related, ensure prosecution, break up drug trafficking organizations, enhance counterdrug technologies and enhance U.S.-Mexico cooperatives. (Homeland Security, 2009)
What other efforts could the government have taken to help reduce drug trafficking over the 2000 miles of U.S. and Mexico border?
Since the Southwest U.S. and Mexico border is fairly large, approximately 2,000 miles, and a vast variety of open space, mountains and the Rio Grande River, there are many different ways in which drug traffickers smuggle drugs through the border (Romero, 2011). Using the land, sea and air, the drug traffickers use hidden compartments in vehicles, tunnels, backpackers on foot, lightweight aircraft and gliders, ATV’s, package delivery, motorized launches and rafts. This being said, the government does have their work cut out for them when it comes to securing the southwest border (Bury, 2006).
There has been much controversy over the legalization of one drug in specific, Marijuana. The United States Government estimates that the primary source revenue for Mexican traffickers is Marijuana. Marijuana accounts for 61% of the illegal drug sales from Mexico to the United States. (Bury 2006). Some people support the idea that legalizing Marijuana would not only reduce the amount of drug trafficking, but it would bring the income to the United States by letting the government regulate the sales such as they do with tobacco. One argument to this is that if they legalize one drug they would have to legalize them all? Then the counter argument becomes, no, they only need to legalize anything that could be naturally grown. The other drugs are altered in one form or another; therefore, could still remain illegal (Bury, 2006). Marijuana has been legalized for medical purposes in various states throughout the United States; however, under federal law it is still considered illegal.
In conclusion, there is a lot that needs to be done to better the control of drug trafficking along the southwest border. The issues are clear; however, the solution is not. Increasing border security, which has been done on a regular basis, may help with control, but is not a solution (Aguilera, 2011). Joint efforts with Mexico over the last 15 years has definitely helped to put a damper on drug trafficking; however, when the efforts of the United States puts a stop to drugs in one area, the drug traffickers come up with new ways to get their drugs across the border (Aguilera, 2011). New efforts are still being made to help increase the security along the southwest border; however, their efforts still need to be taken in different directions (Bury, 2006). Many suggestions have been made such as focusing on drug users and treatment and the legalization of Marijuana. These suggestions need to be further researched in order to determine effect it would have on the reduction of drug trafficking in the United States.
References
Aguilera, E. (2011). Surgical Strikes in the Drug Wars,” Foreign Affairs
Bury, C. (2006). : Desperados: Latin drug lords, US lawmen, and the war America can’t
win, Viking.
Rhee, F. (2009). Drug Violence and State Responses in Mexico,” Manuscript: University
Of San Diego
Romero, K. (2011). Living in Fear: Mapping the Social Embeddedness of Drug Gangs and
Violence in Mexico, “Unpublished Manuscript
Running Head: OUTLINE 1
Carlos Galvez ENC 3
2
11 Report Writing Homework 1 Week 8
CONTENT
1] Abstract.
2] Introduction.
3] Report analysis on health care policy.
4] Conclusion.
5] Bibliography.
ABSTRACT
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my professor _________who gave me the golden opportunity to make this wonderful project on the Healthcare administration course and its advantages, which also helped me in doing a lot of Research work during my entire work procedure and am glad that I came across so many things in between.
I am really thankful to them.
And I would also like to thank my parents and my colleagues who helped me a lot to figure out the detailed work to complete my thesis report in the desired time period.
AT last I would also like to convey my message to you that this project is not just for getting me a grade but it has been a ladder for me to learn so many things while working on this.
THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO HELPED ME.
INTRODUCTION
Due to the continuous rise in the demand of education and literacy level around the globe it has been a vital task for me to choose a perfect path so that I can build up my career in a positive way to make my future bright. It is very essential to find a viable alternative for my education in the present trend of the market demand.
The aim of this thesis work is to create a viable path for me to continue my further studies after my schooling.
Health is not valued till sickness comes.(Dr. Thomas Fuller)
This report presents the detailed research work for the further studies I opt for my career related to the health care administration and its various courses. It includes personal opinions on universities and personal life ideologies as well as experiences. A description of this research work will also enlighten the life of another student to take a correct decision for their higher studies.
Let us proceed further to get a brief idea about the entitled topic.
Essay Subtopic from my thesis
George Washington University is where I would prefer to have my grad school after the 7th July graduation for completing my Bachelor degree. The New York based institution has gained mileage over the other universities that offer Healthcare Administration and other related courses. It has a well trained faculty in both the formal and informal sector which makes it a powerful a working force. The paper seeks to discuss on various issues related to my personal view and perception of the Health Care Administration course. It includes personal opinions on universities and personal life ideologies as well as experiences.
With the various colleges situated in the state and many more in the nation, it is essential that an evaluation be conducted so as to note the institutions with the potential to meet my standards and determine whether they can offer the particular skills and knowledge required in fully understanding the discipline. The internet is a prudent platform for the evaluation process where I get the opportunity to visit various college and university websites on a daily basis. This provides me with sufficient intell on the respective institutions that I look into, as the sites offer all-round information about the institutions.
The very same institutions being looked into having numerous distinct factors that set each of them apart. One particular area that I looked into for further insight is the interesting classes that are offered by the colleges and universities. It turns out that there are several interesting classes in the institutions that we happen to learn in. It was also duly noted that most of the interesting classes are inclined towards a particular set of courses; an issue that requires further enlightenment on.
The students have in many cases been described as the most important bloc of an institution that has the primary purpose of implanting knowledge. This therefore implies that the students’ voice is of great importance to the institution at large. There are statistical information brought forth as a result of the students’ ratings. Looking at the Columbia University particularly, the student/faculty ratio as a whole is projected to be well balanced at a ratio of 46:1, this being a ratio that cumulatively accounts for all students pursuing a course in the university and all staff members in the university. The retention rate per student is also of high rating, implying that the institution is doing a good job as far as the two ratings are concerned.
I believe that I have the potential and ability to put the university in the limelight for a different reason other than for the current reasons of its evident success and accomplishments. This will be through my spirit of endeavor which is not exhibited in academics but in the co-curricular affairs as well.Health Administratation is an interesting field of study, one that only requires the will to strive further. This is a factor fueled in me through the life of WistonChurchil who happens to be the most influential person in my life. Despite his little education, he managed to tackle life head-on,ending up as a great man in the future. My high school teacher-John Smith, has also contributed largely to my current need to be the best at what I do and be result oriented. Amar Coutino inspires me through his resilience and toughness that enables him to face the hurdles of life, an essential trait for one to make it in life.
In terms of education achievements,I have barely scratched the surface as there is still a lot more to be learnt. I completed my primary and high school with acceptable grades before venturing into the bachelor degree program that I am about to complete and graduate. I have also served as a volunteer in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando where I had much to learn as I helped those in need. I am also a swimmer and the current captain of the university’s swimming team. I am focused on making it as a health care administrator and seek to acquire any knowledge that might be necessary in becoming the best in my career field.
I have gone through numerous class work such as skills in public relation, administration of health care in the most efficient way and policy making to name but a few. I have also worked for various persons and organizations briefly during my academic breaks where I worked in the community health center, at a neighbor’s clinic and volunteered in Hispanic Chamber. I have also tutored foreign language during a previous summer camp and coached young ones in my community in managerial skills in helping them become efficient persons. The Health Administration and Policy (HAP) program provides us with a detailed study about the health care institutions, management processes and public policy also related to the various social issues. In the last few years this field of health care has been a booming segment for the higher studies as experienced by the significant growth which is being observed and it has been as a need for the administrative personnel and several doctors along with the other health professionals to understand this in depth and to apply the policy of the legal aspects in a proper way.
In the current scenario we can find that various countries have a very higher need and demand for the peoples who are experts in this healthcare program and this has always been a positive key assembling me to get attracted towards it. Programs in the health services administration prepare people to plan and manage the health services organizations. Students use learn and apply the various policies and laws of public health and can bloom the business to the deliver the health systems in a proper way. They are also helpful to contribute knowledge and make the peoples learn how to balance the budgets, handle human resources, and the market health services. So we can say that when you think about the health services, we are automatically driven towards the thought of a doctor, nurses and hospitals. But is it sufficient, no we must think further if it is concerned about making our carrier, health services can be found even in the other places which is concerned with the health issue in addition to hospitals. We can think about the environmental organizations that are working with a major concept to create a greater impact for the improvement of quality in the air, on the other hand we can find the occupational safety that are processed by all the various organizations and hospitals to meet the demand of the emergencies and to have a proper control over the organization to prevent the several injuries that can be raised anytime.
Above discussion was just a couple of examples related to the organizations that provide services for the promotion and marketing of the human health and wellness. Just like health care organizations such as hospitals, health services organizations also depend basically on the effective administration to run its emperor smoothly. Making a carrier in this sector is going to make myself very much stable in my life as it is believed personally by myself because after reading through the various significance importance about the health care implementation in the life I have been build up with the most healthy perception that directs me towards learning this course positively. By doing this we can get up with the capability to put meaning into an action. As a health care administrator, we can manage employees in the various alternate departments to obtain the desired resources for our organization. We can get the capability to prepare and maintain the various budgets and can be efficient enough to perform the other administrative duties. As we all know that for doing these jobs, we must meet the criteria, the need to know about how the healthcare systems are organized. And must be also familiar with the legal aspects related to this segment to drive a key for our success to be healthier. Globally all around us we can find various schools which are offering programs related to the health services administration. It’s a great opportunity for various students to earn a degree in this program. If we concern about a bachelor’s degree it typically takes about four years of full-time study after high school. But it can only be a truthful carrier for those students who really have their perception which is positively getting directed to this path because any work which is not performed with your own’ Will’, can never help you to get a positive success. So it’s going to be a good part for my higher studies because i have a keen interest related to the health care and their concerns.
CONCLUSION
It was a great wonder to me to complete this task within the desired time it has been helpful to me for finalizing the way for my career after completing my entire survey and research work for the various universities offering the course of health care and its various syllabuses.
Now I am no more a fickle person to get trapped in a path to choose my way forward, after such a great achievement I am confident enough to move forward and start my studies to make myself highly qualified and successful in my future.
At last but not the least I would like to conclude by suggesting all the youth to have a look on this research work to get their life enlighten and make their future bright.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Coyle, W., and Law, J. (2013). Research Papers (16th Ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2660/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/nichsr_fs.html
http://depts.washington.edu/mhap/articles/250
http://healthcareers.about.com/od/whychoosehealthcare/tp/Before-You-Start-Your-Career.htm
http://www.navy.com/careers/healthcare/healthcare-administration.html#jump7
http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/hpa
http://chhs.gmu.edu/hap/index.cfm
2
Carlos Galvez ENC 3211 Report Writing Homework 1 Week 6
INTRODUCTION
The Health Administration and Policy (HAP) program provides us with a detailed study about the healthcare institutions, management’s processes and public policy also related to the various social issues. In the last few years this field of health care has been a blooming segment for the higher studies as experienced by the significant growth which is been observed and it has been as a need for the administrative personnel and several doctors along with the other health professionals to understand this in depth and to apply the policy of the legal aspects in a proper way.
In the current scenario we can find that various country have a very higher need and demand for the peoples who are expertise in this healthcare programs and this has always been a positive key assembling me to get attracted towards it. Programs in the health services administration prepare people to plan and manage the health services organizations. Students use learn and apply the various policies and laws of public health and can bloom the business to the deliver the health systems in a proper way. They are also helpful to contribute knowledge and make the peoples learn how to balance the budgets, handle human resources, and the market health services. So we can say that when you think about the health services, we are automatically driven towards the thought for a doctor, nurses and hospitals. But is it sufficient, no we must think further if it is concerned about making our carrier, health services can be found even in the other places which is concerned with the health issue in addition to hospitals. We can think about the environmental organizations that are working with a major concept to create a greater impact for the improvement of quality in the air, on the other hand we can find the occupational safety that are processed by all the various organizations and hospitals to meet the demand of the emergencies and to have a proper control over the organization to prevent the several injuries that can be raised anytime.
Above discussion were just a couple of examples related to the organizations that provide services for the promotion and marketing of the human health and wellness. Just like health care organizations such as hospitals, health services organizations also depend basically on the effective administration to run its emperor smoothly. Making a carrier in this sector is going to make myself very much stable in my life as it is believed personally by myself because after reading through the various significance importance about the health care implementation in the life I have been build up with the most healthy perception that directs me towards learning this course positively. By doing this we can get up with the capability to put meaning into an action. As a health care administrator, we can manage employees in the various alternate departments to obtain the desired resources for our organization. We can get the capability to prepare and maintain the various budgets and can be efficient enough to perform the other administrative duties. As we all know that for doing these jobs, we must meet the criteria, the need to know about how the health care systems are organized. And must be also familiar with the legal aspects related to this segment to drive a key for our success to be healthier. Globally all around us we can find various schools which are offering programs related to the health services administration. It’s a great opportunity for various students to earn a degree in this program. If we concern about a bachelor’s degree it typically takes about four years of full-time study after high school. But it can only be a truthful carrier for those students who really have their perception which is positively getting directed to this path because any work which is not performed with your own’ Will’, can never help you to get a positive success. So it’s going to be a best part for my higher studies because i have a keen interest related to the health care and their concerns.
