The movie "Traffic" and the book "The Corner" by David Simon are clear examples of one, if not the most serious, problem that our society is facing, the use of drugs and the war on them. They explain the reality that affects a big segment of our society and the attempts by an inefficient government to stop the flow of drugs in the streets.
             The main issue in discussion is the war against drugs and the effectiveness of the policies implemented by the government and their enforcement agencies such as the DEA created in 1973 by Nixon. In the U.S. the drug control is focused in the crime issue as illustrated by Sofia's substance abuse lecture, but a little is said about the treatment of those persons addicted to drugs. In order to win this war there has to be an overall approach to the crisis, an approach in which not only the government but also the community and very important the institution of the family are involved making people aware of the social and personal effects of the drugs, helping those with addictions preventing them from crossing the line in to the crime area.
             Prevention and information are big words when it comes to drugs. By mastering these two more than half of the battle can be won. Almost anyone at some point of their lives has faced a situation where drugs are a temptation leading to a possibly addiction regardless of their social status, race, age, etc. In "Traffic" we see Caroline the daughter of David Wakenfield, a successful Cincinnati Lawyer and the "drug Czar" of the government, a girl with a well-off family and a successful life ahead being drag by coke and on the other side of the coin in "The Corner" is 15 year old McCollough and his father living in the inner-city of West Baltimore involved in the drug crisis, but what those this mean? Any person is vulnerable to drugs, and the help should be focused on those who are more likely to
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