In 1972, President Nixon introduced what continues today to be known as the War on Drugs—and he had his critics. Arguably his biggest and most renowned critic was economist Milton Friedman, who at that time was writing a regular column in Newsweek. Friedman used this platform to remind America and the world at large about the disastrous repercussions of alcohol prohibition in the 1920s—which not only failed to stop the production and consumption of alcohol, but also spawned more prisons, corrupted law enforcement officers, and pitted law-abiding citizens against each other and the state.
In this video from 1991, Friedman sullenly reflects on his article, now 20 years old, and observes that hardly anything would need be changed for it to be republished—save that his predictions at the time of writing were now observable facts.
Imagine Friedman’s dismay at the world we now inhabit—one that has seen millions of deaths, imprisonments, and empowered cartel violence in the name of drug prohibition. Additionally, countless new drugs of uncertain quality and composition continue to appear at an overwhelmingly high rate, accounting for a horrific and interminable upward trend in overdoses and drug-related deaths since 1988. When will we begin to listen to those who have warned us all along?
Please watch the video and form your own powerful voice. Also, it’s worth reading his May 1, 1972 Newsweek article, “Prohibition and Drugs”.
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