Epilogue
Is the Cost of the War on Cocaine Justified?

Cocaine is a drug that will not go away. Since the 1970s, it has been a remarkably resilient opponent in America's war on drugs. Although cocaine use has declined from the highs of the 1980s, addiction rates have remained stable since 1991 and few new strategies have appeared to further reduce its presence in America. Deciding how best to proceed is complicated by mounting complaints from critics who question whether the limited results of America's war on cocaine justify the extremely high costs.

The monetary costs to the American taxpayers of the war against cocaine can only be estimated. The federal budget for all drug enforcement shows multiple allotments totaling about $25 billion annually, slightly more than half of which is spent seizing and controlling cocaine and crack. This figure, however, fails to take into account billions more spent by all branches of the military assisting in cocaine interdiction, or work performed by state and local police. A rough estimate of this additional money would be about $15 billion annually.

Critics argue that the cost is too high in view of the fact that most cocaine destined for the United States evades the complex web of governmental agencies charged with the responsibility of seizing it. The DEA estimates that its agents seize about 10 percent of the one thousand tons shipped annually to the United States, which means the cost per ton is about $150 million. In contrast, the street price for a ton of cocaine in New York is approximately two-thirds that amount.

The DEA, however, counters the charges of critics by saying, "Drug control spending is a minor portion of the U.S. budget, and compared to the costs of drug abuse, spending is minuscule."⁴¹ The cost of drug abuse, from the standpoint of the DEA as well as many Americans, is not measured in dollars but rather in the numbers of people whose lives are destroyed or damaged by the use of the drug.

In addition to lost and damaged lives, there is a financial as well as human toll exacted by the crimes associated with cocaine and crack trafficking. Thousands of people annually are injured by violent crimes perpetrated to get money for crack or to control the trafficking of the drug, and many of the most victimized are youngsters and women.

At this time, the consensus appears to be that the cost to continue the war against cocaine must be paid. A DEA spokesperson concludes, "We have made significant progress in reducing drug use in this country. Now is not the time to abandon our efforts."⁴² Some Americans want to see more money spent on law enforcement, others want to see the money spent on treatment and prevention, while a minority wants to see cocaine legalized. The issues are complicated because they span many international borders and because they involve very large numbers of people and large amounts of money. Whatever path is taken, it is certain that cocaine will continue to be an issue for many years to come.