--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The war on drugs has made government more…" description: "\"The war on drugs has made government more powerful, citizens less free, and hasn't helped users or addicts.\" — Victor Mitchell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/victor-mitchell-34219_free_the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-mor_1751651.jpg" --- # The war on drugs has made government more powerful… ![“The war on drugs has made government more powerful, citizens less free, and hasn't helped users or addicts.” quote by Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/victor-mitchell-34219_free_the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-mor_1751651.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/victor-mitchell-34219_free_the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-mor_1751651.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/victor-mitchell-34219_free_the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-mor_1751651.jpg) > “The war on drugs has made government more powerful, citizens less free, and hasn't helped users or addicts.” [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The war on drugs expands state power, restricts freedoms, and fails to help addicts. **In simple terms:** Drug war harms freedom and doesn’t help addicts. Key Takeaway Reform drug policy to reduce state overreach. Themes policy critique civil liberties public health government overreach Mood critical analytical Type policy advocacy When to use this quote - advocating decriminalization - supporting treatment programs - educating public on harm reduction - lobbying legislators Key Concepts criminal justice reform harm reduction addiction treatment Questions to Reflect On - What evidence shows decriminalization reduces harm? - How can public safety be maintained? A Different Perspective Potential backlash from groups fearing increased drug use. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [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 > [Drugs is a government game, Bilal. A way to rob us of our best black men, our army. Everyone who plays the game loses.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sister-souljah/drugs-is-a-government-game-bilal-a-way-to-rob-us-of-our-best-black/) [Sister Souljah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sister-souljah/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“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 > [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/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [Scheduling of drugs is a government problem, not our problem. They want to schedule something, that's their problem. My feeling of creation is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-shulgin/scheduling-of-drugs-is-a-government-problem-not-our-problem-they-want/) [Alexander Shulgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-shulgin/) > [Don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, don't sell drugs. The government hates competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/don-t-steal-don-t-lie-don-t-cheat-don-t-sell-drugs-the-government/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [“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 Victor Mitchell > [My son's a West Point cadet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/my-son-s-a-west-point-cadet/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [I had a 100 percent voting record with the NRA, but I don't believe in bazookas in our schools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/i-had-a-100-percent-voting-record-with-the-nra-but-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [My mother has a tremendous amount of pride and self-respect. She won't take assistance from anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/my-mother-has-a-tremendous-amount-of-pride-and-self-respect-she-won-t/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [I don't think that attorneys should be in any way running for governor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/i-don-t-think-that-attorneys-should-be-in-any-way-running-for-governor/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [I lived in New York until I was eleven years old, when my mother left my two older sisters and my father. My mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/i-lived-in-new-york-until-i-was-eleven-years-old-when-my-mother-left/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [The voters of Colorado deserve honest, straight-talking elected officials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/the-voters-of-colorado-deserve-honest-straight-talking-elected/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [My wife and I have very deep roots in Colorado, and we can't see ourselves living anywhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/my-wife-and-i-have-very-deep-roots-in-colorado-and-we-can-t-see/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [I would consider myself conservative but sensible and pragmatic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/i-would-consider-myself-conservative-but-sensible-and-pragmatic/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [We've got to stop pandering and start leading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/we-ve-got-to-stop-pandering-and-start-leading/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [I want to stop piling people into prisons and stop branding people with a felony for a personal weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/i-want-to-stop-piling-people-into-prisons-and-stop-branding-people/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [I started working at age thirteen. I'm a product of public schools, I'm a product of a public university. I started my first company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/i-started-working-at-age-thirteen-i-m-a-product-of-public-schools-i-m/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [We are very committed to putting forward a really bold message for the state of Colorado.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/we-are-very-committed-to-putting-forward-a-really-bold-message-for/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) > [There is no reason why any public school district in our state should be on a four-day school week. If anything, we should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/there-is-no-reason-why-any-public-school-district-in-our-state-should/) [Victor Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) [Explore all 14 Victor Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/) ## More Drugs quotes > [You find out so many interesting things when you're not on drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boy-george/you-find-out-so-many-interesting-things-when-you-re-not-on-drugs/) [Boy George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boy-george/) > [Who said we take drugs? we're just lacking fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cath-chatto/who-said-we-take-drugs-we-re-just-lacking-fate/) [Cath Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cath-chatto/) > [We have drugs to make women speak, but none to keep them silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/we-have-drugs-to-make-women-speak-but-none-to-keep-them-silent/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [not all drugs are good.. some of them are great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/not-all-drugs-are-good-some-of-them-are-great/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [A pill to make you numb, a pill to you make you dumb, a pill to make you anybody else, but all the drugs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/a-pill-to-make-you-numb-a-pill-to-you-make-you-dumb-a-pill-to-make/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [“People aren't crazy, they’re just reacting normally to an abnormally crazy world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-b-morse/people-aren-t-crazy-they-re-just-reacting-normally-to-an-abnormally/) [J.S.B. Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-b-morse/) > [Raves when it was safe to be free & wave your hands in the air, like you didn't even care! Not scared to break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/progrezza/raves-when-it-was-safe-to-be-free-wave-your-hands-in-the-air-like-you/) [Progrezza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/progrezza/) > [Rock n roll is about drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/rock-n-roll-is-about-drugs/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [If you don't think drugs have done good things for us, then take all of your records, tapes and CD's and burn them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/if-you-don-t-think-drugs-have-done-good-things-for-us-then-take-all/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [I don't like drug, but drug like me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammar-farini/i-don-t-like-drug-but-drug-like-me/) Ammar Farini > [“If Barack Obama had come up in a time when the drug war was being waged as intensely as it is now, we probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/if-barack-obama-had-come-up-in-a-time-when-the-drug-war-was-being/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [“Whenever the wife wants to do drugs, she thinks about Sartre. One bad trip and then a giant lobster followed him around for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-offill/whenever-the-wife-wants-to-do-drugs-she-thinks-about-sartre-one-bad/) [Jenny Offill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-offill/) > [“The W. M. Keck Observatory is the only employer that has surprised me during my employment with urine tests for illegal drugs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-w-m-keck-observatory-is-the-only-employer-that-has-surprised-me/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I think religion is bad and drugs are good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-think-religion-is-bad-and-drugs-are-good/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [You're my drugs because you help me see the beauty of life upside down and you help me escape the ugliness of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-my-drugs-because-you-help-me-see-the-beauty-of-life-upside/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 1,085 Drugs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The war on drugs has made government more powerful, citizens less free, and hasn't helped users or addicts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Victor Mitchell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-more-powerful-citizens-less-free/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drugs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-more-powerful-citizens-less-free/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/victor-mitchell-34219_free_the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-mor_1751651.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/victor-mitchell-34219_free_the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-mor_1751651.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/victor-mitchell-34219_free_the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-mor_1751651.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The war on drugs has made government more powerful, citizens less free, and hasn't helped users or addicts.” — Victor Mitchell", "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": "Victor Mitchell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-mitchell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The war on drugs has made...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-more-powerful-citizens-less-free/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-mitchell/the-war-on-drugs-has-made-government-more-powerful-citizens-less-free/#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 } } ] } ```