--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The war on drugs is a war against the…" description: "\"The war on drugs is a war against the communities.\" — Holly Near" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/holly-near-13172_communities_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-co_3056035.jpg" --- # The war on drugs is a war against the communities. ![“The war on drugs is a war against the communities.” quote by Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/holly-near-13172_communities_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-co_3056035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/holly-near-13172_communities_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-co_3056035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/holly-near-13172_communities_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-co_3056035.jpg) > “The war on drugs is a war against the communities.” [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) ## 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 harms the very neighborhoods it claims to protect, creating cycles of violence and neglect. **In simple terms:** Drug policies hurt communities. Key Takeaway Reevaluate drug laws to protect locals. Themes justice public health community policy Mood concerned hopeful Type political activist When to use this quote - urban neighborhoods - policy reform - community health - law enforcement - advocacy Key Concepts systemic oppression social impact Questions to Reflect On - How can communities be empowered to reduce drug harm? - What alternatives to punitive policies exist? A Different Perspective The war also aims to reduce drug supply; focusing solely on punishment may ignore root causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communities/) [Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs/) [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 > [It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on personal freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/it-s-not-a-war-on-drugs-it-s-a-war-on-personal-freedom/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [Just as Hitler used the Reichstag burning, the U.S. government now uses the so-called two wars, the War on Drugs and the War on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-metzner/just-as-hitler-used-the-reichstag-burning-the-u-s-government-now-uses/) [Ralph Metzner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-metzner/) > [The War on Drugs is a war on people, but particularly it's been a war on low-income people and a war on minorities. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-booker/the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-on-people-but-particularly-it-s-been-a-war/) [Cory Booker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-booker/) > [The war on drugs is wrong, both tactically and morally. It assumes that people are too stupid, too reckless, and too irresponsible to decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-elder/the-war-on-drugs-is-wrong-both-tactically-and-morally-it-assumes-that/) [Larry Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-elder/) > [“In truth, the U.S.-sponsored international “War on Drugs” is a war on poor people, most of them subsistence farmers caught in a dangerous no-win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/in-truth-the-u-s-sponsored-international-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-on/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [“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 > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/the-war-on-drugs-is-a-joke-we-spend-40-billion-a-year-and-the-proof/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [“America’s longest war is the war on drugs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-winslow/america-s-longest-war-is-the-war-on-drugs/) [Don Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-winslow/) > [“The War on Drugs will go down in history as the most racist crusade since slavery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history-as-the-most-racist-crusade/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [The old system, the War on Drugs, was a train wreck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/the-old-system-the-war-on-drugs-was-a-train-wreck/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Nothing has contributed more to the systematic mass incarceration of people of color in the United States than the War on Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/nothing-has-contributed-more-to-the-systematic-mass-incarceration-of/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“In the War on Drugs, shoot heroin first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-beeny/in-the-war-on-drugs-shoot-heroin-first/) Eric Beeny > [Our government's got a war on drugs. That's certainly better then no drugs at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/our-government-s-got-a-war-on-drugs-that-s-certainly-better-then-no/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [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 Holly Near > [When the students were killed at Kent State, the cast voted to do a demonstration from the stage, and I abstained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/when-the-students-were-killed-at-kent-state-the-cast-voted-to-do-a/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [All my life I have gone out on a limb, but I have turned the limb into a bridge, and there is cool, clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/all-my-life-i-have-gone-out-on-a-limb-but-i-have-turned-the-limb-into/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [My creativity and my political work are linked. I don't do this work out of guilt or out of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/my-creativity-and-my-political-work-are-linked-i-don-t-do-this-work/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [You can't just leave out one part; the bread won't rise if the yeast isn't there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/you-can-t-just-leave-out-one-part-the-bread-won-t-rise-if-the-yeast/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [My parents had been involved in the labor movement; if we'd grown up in the city, we would have been red-diaper babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/my-parents-had-been-involved-in-the-labor-movement-if-we-d-grown-up/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [Whenever new ideas emerge, songs soon follow, and before long the songs are leading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/whenever-new-ideas-emerge-songs-soon-follow-and-before-long-the-songs/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [A lot of artists say, I'm not political. People are afraid of this word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/a-lot-of-artists-say-i-m-not-political-people-are-afraid-of-this-word/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [In less than a century we experienced great movement. The youth movement! The labor movement! The civil rights movement! The peace movement! The solidarity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/in-less-than-a-century-we-experienced-great-movement-the-youth/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [Peace can start with just one heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/peace-can-start-with-just-one-heart/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [Music can be used against us as much as it can be used for us. Muzak can put a whole nation to sleep, whereas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/music-can-be-used-against-us-as-much-as-it-can-be-used-for-us-muzak/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [I like this life. I like it when it's hard, and I like it better when it's not, but I know you don't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/i-like-this-life-i-like-it-when-it-s-hard-and-i-like-it-better-when/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [Why do we kill people who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/why-do-we-kill-people-who-are-killing-people-to-show-that-killing/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [Time has passed through me and become a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/time-has-passed-through-me-and-become-a-song/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [Leaping away from my mistakes has propelled me forward. It has great force behind it. It makes for great storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/leaping-away-from-my-mistakes-has-propelled-me-forward-it-has-great/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [White middle- and upper-class men have a longer journey to go than many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/white-middle-and-upper-class-men-have-a-longer-journey-to-go-than/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) [Explore all 51 Holly Near quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) ## More Communities quotes > [The prime communities of the Southwest are survival communities. Their sustenance is governed by rainfall and wind direction. You can study little enclaves of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-predock/the-prime-communities-of-the-southwest-are-survival-communities-their/) [Antoine Predock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-predock/) > [Religion is no longer a connection point for most people. Our communities were built on coming together in physical locations once a week or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-mckelvey/religion-is-no-longer-a-connection-point-for-most-people-our/) [Miguel McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-mckelvey/) > [NBC News found that FEMA has redrawn maps even for properties that have repeatedly filed claims for flood losses from previous storms. At least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/nbc-news-found-that-fema-has-redrawn-maps-even-for-properties-that/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [We know COVID-19 hasn't affected communities equally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-cooper/we-know-covid-19-hasn-t-affected-communities-equally/) [Roy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-cooper/) > [You can find lots of people like you through technology, and women in particular like communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/you-can-find-lots-of-people-like-you-through-technology-and-women-in/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [In providing this $5,000 tax credit for those purchasing rural homes, we're offering an important incentive to encourage people to live in smaller communities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-m-mchugh/in-providing-this-5-000-tax-credit-for-those-purchasing-rural-homes/) [John M. McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-m-mchugh/) > [Some 70% to 80% of all who join the military will return to the civilian workforce. They'll return to communities, and one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/some-70-to-80-of-all-who-join-the-military-will-return-to-the/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [People who imagine and implement solutions to challenges in their own lives, in their communities, in our country and in our world have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-clinton/people-who-imagine-and-implement-solutions-to-challenges-in-their-own/) [Chelsea Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-clinton/) > [Ferguson and St. Louis County are not the first places that we have become engaged to ensure fair and equitable policing, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/ferguson-and-st-louis-county-are-not-the-first-places-that-we-have/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Our communities are reeling from poverty, from unemployment, from discrimination of all sorts and different interactions that they're having with the law enforcement, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/our-communities-are-reeling-from-poverty-from-unemployment-from/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) > [I come from one of those communities that's forgotten about and not paid attention to. Growing up, there were a lot of times where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-vanvleet/i-come-from-one-of-those-communities-that-s-forgotten-about-and-not/) [Fred VanVleet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-vanvleet/) > [People are hungry in these communities. They don't know how they are going to get food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keiji-fukuda/people-are-hungry-in-these-communities-they-don-t-know-how-they-are/) Keiji Fukuda > [Americans get it. They're ready for some opportunities to have greener communities, to have cleaner communities, and to have transportation options that perhaps they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-abbott/americans-get-it-they-re-ready-for-some-opportunities-to-have-greener/) [Greg Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-abbott/) > [For those of us who cry out for gun control, our fears cannot be eliminated as long as the country remains an armed camp…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/for-those-of-us-who-cry-out-for-gun-control-our-fears-cannot-be/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [Every day, all of us at Gannett are given the rare and sacred opportunity to affect change for the good in the communities we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracia-martore/every-day-all-of-us-at-gannett-are-given-the-rare-and-sacred/) [Gracia Martore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracia-martore/) [Browse all 363 Communities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The war on drugs is a war against the communities.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Holly Near" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-communities/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Communities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-communities/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/holly-near-13172_communities_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-co_3056035.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/holly-near-13172_communities_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-co_3056035.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/284/holly-near-13172_communities_the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-co_3056035.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The war on drugs is a war against the communities.” — Holly Near", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Holly Near", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The war on drugs is a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-communities/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/the-war-on-drugs-is-a-war-against-the-communities/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```