Drug dealers should receive death penalty
Photo via Flickr under Creative Commons license
President Trump has suggested an unusual, but warranted, solution to the opioid crisis. Giving drug dealers the death penalty will treat the problem, not just the symptoms.
April 9, 2018
President Trump has been outspoken about the opioid crisis that is plaguing America, and has recently announced his ideas for a solution — sentence drug dealers to death.
“Together, we will face this challenge as a national family with conviction, with unity, and with a commitment to love and support our neighbors in times of dire need. Working together, we will defeat this opioid epidemic,” President Trump said.
President Trump has declared the opioid crisis a public health issue, but it comes due to alarming statistics.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 115 Americans die everyday due to overdosing on opiods. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the crisis costs the United States $78.5 billion a year, which includes costs of healthcare, lost productivity, treatment, and criminal justice involvement.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse also reports that in the year of 2016, there were 64,000 deaths caused by drug overdoses. The CDC even reported a 30% rise in opioid overdoses over the summer. These statistics point to one conclusion: the crisis is worsening.
In the past few weeks, President Trump has clarified his statement, saying his administration will call for the death penalty as an option in “certain cases where opioid, including Fentanyl-related, drug dealing and trafficking are directly responsible for death.”
According to code 18 U.S.C. 1111, first-degree murder is a capital offense, and one that is punishable by death. When the individuals who deal these opioids cause tens of thousands of people to die, should that not be considered murder?
Since President Nixon announced a war on drugs in the 70s, over $1 trillion has been spent combating it. It is time for that to end. Why should the American people continue to finance an effort that is not only failing, but is gradually worsening every year?
When drug dealers fill communities with opioids, they are fully aware of the damages their actions will cause. First degree murder is defined as the intentional killing of another person by someone who has acted willfully, deliberately, or with planning. All murder that is committed with poison or by lying in wait is first degree murder. How do the actions of opioid dealers not warrant first degree murder?
While it may be unconventional, President Trump’s plan is one that will cure the disease, not just treat the symptoms.
