Drug Addiction=Drug Trafficking

Recently the Obama administration announced that it would rapidly send hundreds of federal agents to the Mexican border with special technology in an attempt to ease the flow of drug cartels entering the United States from Mexico. The goal is to prevent the violence that is occurring in Mexico from entering the United States. In the past year and half drug problems and violence have reached an alarming and very dangerous level in Mexico and the President of Mexico Felipe Calderon has been seeking help from the United States. The United States says that it will spend hundreds of millions of dollars this year to not only protect the borders, but to decrease the demand for illegal drugs in the United States and to lower the number of weapons and amount of money sent into Mexico for drugs. According to many people in Washington the plan looks promising, impressive and is expected to have a huge impact on the problems occurring in Mexico and around the borders.

Unfamiliar Terms
Felipe Calderon: “the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for one six-year term that will end in 2012 without the possibility of re-election.”

Although the article itself does not directly relate to chemistry, there are indirect relations. People in the United States are becoming very addicted to drugs and will do anything to get drugs. When someone begins using drugs and continues to use the drug over a period of time, their brain and body develops a tolerance to the drug and need more of the drug to produce the effects. This keeps increasing and people need more and more drugs. Addicts become so involved in their drugs that they can’t function without them and they find themselves resorting to violence and illegal activities in order to get the drugs. This is a major social problem related to drug use. Drug violence does not only affect the user, but has serious consequences on family members, friends, and even innocent bystanders. With the Mexican border less than 2 hours away from my home this problem is very alarming to me. I used to be able to go to Mexico for nice beach vacations or cruises, but now it is much too dangerous. There is constant violence associated with drugs not only in Mexico, but beginning to leak into the United States as well. Drug dealers in Mexico know that there are many Americans that are so addicted to drugs that they will do anything to get the drugs. Since the Mexican economy is a struggling one, the Mexican dealers will, lie, steal, and murder in order to make the money off of the drugs. This is a serious problem and personally the first aspect of Obama’s administration that I am pleased about.

Josh Meyer. “Mexico Under Siege; U.S. unveils anti-cartel border plan; Hundreds of agents and analysts are being sent to target drug trafficking and to curb the spread of violence” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Ca. March 25, 2009 pg. A1

“Felipe Calderon” Wikipedia. March 25, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_calderon