--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The war on drugs is a joke. We spend $40…" description: "\"The war on drugs is a joke. We spend $40 billion a year, and the proof that it's a failure is that any kid can get almost any drug they want in any cit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/david-sheff-7087_america_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-joke-we-spend-40-b_134088.jpg" --- # The war on drugs is a joke. We spend $40 billion a year… ![“The war on drugs is a joke. We spend $40 billion a year, and the proof that it's a failure is that any kid can get almost any drug they want in any city in America within half an hour.” quote by David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/david-sheff-7087_america_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-joke-we-spend-40-b_134088.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/david-sheff-7087_america_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-joke-we-spend-40-b_134088.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/david-sheff-7087_america_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-joke-we-spend-40-b_134088.jpg) > “The war on drugs is a joke. We spend $40 billion a year, and the proof that it's a failure is that any kid can get almost any drug they want in any city in America within half an hour.” [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The drug war spends huge money yet fails, as drugs are easily accessible to youth quickly across the US. **In simple terms:** Massive spending fails to stop drug availability for kids. Key Takeaway Ramine policy and focus on prevention. Themes policy drug enforcement public health Mood frustrated critical Type political social commentary When to use this quote - youth education - law enforcement - community health initiatives Key Concepts addiction market dynamics social inequality Questions to Reflect On - How can we reduce drug access for teens? - What alternatives to punitive policies exist? A Different Perspective Money alone cannot change supply dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joke/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War on drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-drugs/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [Watch what you choose to do. For instance, someone might want you to smoke. Never forget that I told you - don't do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/watch-what-you-choose-to-do-for-instance-someone-might-want-you-to/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [I want to make a drug. I want the science to be more than imaginary, where I think, 'We're learning these fundamental principles, blah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-bassler/i-want-to-make-a-drug-i-want-the-science-to-be-more-than-imaginary/) [Bonnie Bassler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-bassler/) > [“There are millions of people out there who live this way, and their hearts are breaking just like mine. It’s okay to say, “My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dina-kucera/there-are-millions-of-people-out-there-who-live-this-way-and-their/) [Dina Kucera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dina-kucera/) > [Wouldn't you rather your kid be a drug dealer than a drug addict?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/wouldn-t-you-rather-your-kid-be-a-drug-dealer-than-a-drug-addict/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [I'm straight edge. I've never touched a drug, and I want to show kids that you can accomplish big things the right way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tecia-torres/i-m-straight-edge-i-ve-never-touched-a-drug-and-i-want-to-show-kids/) [Tecia Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tecia-torres/) > [If you're worried about a kid and drug use, the safest, best thing to do is individual counseling or family therapy, none of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maia-szalavitz/if-you-re-worried-about-a-kid-and-drug-use-the-safest-best-thing-to/) [Maia Szalavitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maia-szalavitz/) > [The war on drugs - a big-government product if there ever was one - has been wildly unsuccessful, by any metric.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-cupp/the-war-on-drugs-a-big-government-product-if-there-ever-was-one-has/) [S.E. Cupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-e-cupp/) > [“The first casualty of war is truth, and the war on drugs is no different”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-milton-trott/the-first-casualty-of-war-is-truth-and-the-war-on-drugs-is-no/) Dominic Milton Trott > [“In the War on Drugs, shoot heroin first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-beeny/in-the-war-on-drugs-shoot-heroin-first/) Eric Beeny > [We're talking about a prison-industrial complex. We're talking about a war on drugs that's generating unprecedented levels of incarcerated folk. We're talking about dilapidated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/we-re-talking-about-a-prison-industrial-complex-we-re-talking-about-a/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The federal war on drugs is a total failure... The federal government's going in there and overriding state laws... Why don't we handle the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-federal-war-on-drugs-is-a-total-failure-the-federal-government-s/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I believe that the war on drugs is a tragically misplaced use of resources - an immoral venture that produces far more suffering than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/i-believe-that-the-war-on-drugs-is-a-tragically-misplaced-use-of/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [“War on Drugs...will only be won when we point our thumbs at ourselves and ask the hard question: “How am I contributing to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/war-on-drugs-will-only-be-won-when-we-point-our-thumbs-at-ourselves/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [By creating false environment of a war on drugs, and cruel and unusual punishment with these crimes, 50% of our U.S. population is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/by-creating-false-environment-of-a-war-on-drugs-and-cruel-and-unusual/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [If you support the war on drugs in its present form, then you're only paying lip-service to the defense of freedom, and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/if-you-support-the-war-on-drugs-in-its-present-form-then-you-re-only/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) ## More by David Sheff > [I was ashamed. My son is a drug addict. What does this mean about me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/i-was-ashamed-my-son-is-a-drug-addict-what-does-this-mean-about-me/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Elvis Presley's music said, 'Free your body.' The Beatles said, 'Free your mind.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/elvis-presley-s-music-said-free-your-body-the-beatles-said-free-your/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Well, addiction does start with a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/well-addiction-does-start-with-a-choice/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Some parents want to be popular, but that's not their job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/some-parents-want-to-be-popular-but-that-s-not-their-job/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [When I was a child, my parents didn't know anything about drugs. They didn't even drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/when-i-was-a-child-my-parents-didn-t-know-anything-about-drugs-they/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Nick's mother and I were attentive, probably overly attentive - part of the first wave of parents obsessed with our children in a self-conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/nick-s-mother-and-i-were-attentive-probably-overly-attentive-part-of/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Having been hit by drug addiction, knowing how many are hit by it and what a big problem it is in our neighborhoods and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/having-been-hit-by-drug-addiction-knowing-how-many-are-hit-by-it-and/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [Here's a note to the parents of addicted children: Choose your music carefully...There are millions of treacherous moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/here-s-a-note-to-the-parents-of-addicted-children-choose-your-music/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [This stigma associated with drug use--the belief that bad kids use, good kids don't, and those with full-blown addiction are weak, dissolute, and pathetic--has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/this-stigma-associated-with-drug-use-the-belief-that-bad-kids-use/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [It's hard to find someone who did as many drugs for as long and in such dangerous combinations as Nic - spending years going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/it-s-hard-to-find-someone-who-did-as-many-drugs-for-as-long-and-in/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [I chose a rehab center for Nic that was recommended by a friend who had sent her son there. 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