Debate Night: the War on Drugs

From the "War on Drugs" of the 1980s to today’s opioid and fentanyl crises, drug policy has often been shaped more by politics and profit than by public health. What began as a crackdown on crack cocaine, largely affecting poor and Black communities, introduced harsh punitive measures that filled prisons without reducing drug use or addressing addiction.

Decades later, pharmaceutical companies aggressively marketed opioid painkillers like OxyContin, leading to a new wave of addiction across a wider cross-section of society. Today, fentanyl, a synthetic opioid far more potent than heroin, has become the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States.

Despite this shift, the responses often follow the same patterns: criminalization, scapegoating of migrants, and heavy-handed enforcement. Yet these measures rarely address the deeper issues of poverty, despair, and lack of support systems. Structural inequality, alienation, and profit-driven healthcare remain untouched, even as communities suffer.

As public discourse shifts and new crises emerge, the fundamental question remains: how should we understand and respond to drug use? Should policy continue to focus on punishment and border control, or is it time to rethink the entire approach in favor of prevention, care, and justice?

Participants who wish to speak are strongly encouraged to bring a paper and pen.

You are welcome to participate even if you have no prior debating experience.