Kathryn Cunningham

Paul Roberts
HLTH-1050-4042
2 May 2019

What I’ve Learned

Power is a big stake in the game of drug production and distribution, and power
comes down to who has what, and what can be shared/ traded so two people can be
stronger together. The primary reason people join cartels is to make a better life for
themselves. A lot of people areas controlled by cartels live in poverty with little to
nothing to eat; and when a cartel offers them a paying job, that will help provide for
their family, it is an easy choice for a lot of people to make. Cartels are a huge threat to
the safety of the common people, and if you are not with them then you are against
them. Often it is just easier to be with them. Plus places where cartels rule is often
vulnerable, many feeling like the government has abandoned them. Terrified people,
surrounded by threats and fear, wondering where the next meal is coming from, are
approached by a cartel leader with millions and millions of dollars. He offers to take
care of the people, as long as they stay silent and obey. People have no choice but to
comply.
As previously mentioned, the illegal drug industry has big money around it,
how else could someone like Pablo Escobar make it onto the chart of richest men.
Because it is big business it makes the trade perform like a hydra, cut off one head and
two grow back. The fact of the matter is that illicit dugs do not come cheap, the
business itslef makes around $426 billion and $652 billion a year. This is why the
cartel leaders get to look like heros for the people, with all of that money they want to
get the people on their side by giving them basketball courts or new houseing. Illegal
drug trades also effect surrounding business, they make places seem less desirable or
sketchy and drive honest business away.
Illegal drugs also hurt people in a social sense, not only do they cause
numberous amounts of damage to your body (cancer, mental problems and death) but
they also make it harder for a person to participate in society. They can not attend
work, they lose friends and become burdens to their families. On the flip side you also
have the super rich and famous that partake in these drugs and we’ve all heard of
them abusing the drugs and going to rehab or worse, the only difference between the
two is that financially most famous people can afford to do drugs.
From my perspective of the class I never realized how much other countries
play a role in the drug business. Everyone that lives in America knows that Mexico
fules the drug fire here but I never realized what hold Asia had on us. I don’t read any
news so I have not seen all of Trumps Tweets about blaming China for Fentanyl. But it
is more than just Asia, is also thanks to Afganastan and the golden triangle that
Mexico gets the supplies it does. Talk about team work, if the United Nations could
work together like these drug dealers then a lot more would get done. Something else I
leared is that drugs have a shit tone of chemicals in them, they are hard processed
with all kind of shit and I just have to wonder why anyone would want to put that in
their body. Somethings new that I had no idea before were that America is not the only
place that is not so welcoming to legalizing pot, a lot of places don’t want to leagalize
pot. Also the type of rehab that Thailand does for their meth users is so wild! I think
they’re on to something, I’m not so sure about the vomiting becuase that’s not good
for the body but sweating out the toxins and having them participate in the care of the
facility are things I can get behind. From my understaninding in America all out
rehabers do is go to thereapy and sit around all day. I do not think the war on drugs
will ever end, but hopfuly if we can get more people educated on the seriouce impacts
they have we can have less abusers.