Mexico, and other countries that serve as hubs for the manufacture and shipment of drugs, largely to the US, have been in business now for generations. And with so much money to be gained from US markets, it is little wonder that these countries find themselves having to deal with powerful and well-financed drug cartels.
In Mexico, for example, around 35,000 people have been killed in the four short years since Mexico’s current President took office and began cracking down on the cartels. And 70 percent of Mexican citizens believed the country’s security had worsened since 2009. The violence has in some cases spilled over the border and become a source of mounting concern in the South Western United States.
For those that would argue that taking drugs is a “victimless crime”, these statistics cannot be ignored. The violence and the eroding quality of life for the innocent in these countries is a direct result of the money that those who purchase illegal drugs pay. The cost in evil deeds and misery is certainly too high.