War on drugs..part 2

In wars of any kind, there is always the issue of collateral damage and its costs. In the war on drugs, whose costs were noted previously, the collateral damage is the effects on children and families. Children of drug offenders are often likely to end up in foster care especially if the parent is the mother. As per reports from the Drug Policy Alliance an increasing number of first time non violent drug offenders are women of which "7 out of 10 have a child under the age of 18." The disproportionate arrest of minorities for drug offenses is yet another issue relating to the the unfairness of drug arrests.

Research has also shown the at risk factor of parental incarceration on the prospect of a child being involved in criminal activity. 80% of people incarcerated for vionent crime passed through the child welfare system. Add the issues of the effects of US drug policy on non violent first time offenders on children, the traumas they experience, the mental health risks and the educational at risk factors and we see even further the stagering cost of this failed policy.
The United States congress response to this issue: hearings on steroid use in sports. The media's focus of this issue: the parading and shaming of athletes who use marijuana. There is a story about a man who loses his car keys and he is searching for the keys by a street light. A crowd gathers to help him. They asked where he lost his keys. He points to another area away from where he is looking. "why are you looking here?" The man is asked. The answer "because the light is better". This is the absurdity and failure of our drug policy.