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The War on Drugs: The Battle for America’s Soul

The War on Drugs: The Battle for America’s Soul

Last updated on: December 12, 2025 at 8:46 am by Dennis McIntyre

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The War on Drugs: The Battle for America’s Soul 2025-12-12T08:46:22-05:00 Dennis McIntyre

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The war on drugs is focused externally, but we need more internal focus to prevent drug addiction in the first place – image courtesy of Vecteezy.com.

Every day, we see another report or article concerning the war on drugs. From blowing up suspected narco-terrorists to contemplating an all-out war with Venezuela, we are looking outside of our shores to stop the flow of drugs into our country, but is that enough? Let’s take a look.

The Deathly Toll of Drugs in America

The disturbing fact is that drug abuse and overdose fatalities in the United States have grown dramatically over the last 25 years, with deaths more than quadrupling since the late 1990s. The crisis has shifted through distinct phases: prescription opioids in the early 2000s, heroin in the 2010s, and fentanyl plus polysubstance use in the 2020s. According to the CDC Data Brief 2024:

Year ~Overdose Deaths Age-Adjusted Death Rate/100K Key Drivers 1999 16800 6.1 Prescription opioids begin rising 2003 20000 8.9 OxyContin and other painkillers were widely prescribed 2010 38000 12.0 Heroin resurgence 2016 63000 19.0 Fentanyl enters illicit supply 2020 93500 28.2 COVID-19 stress + fentanyl surge 2022 110900 33.2 Peak of the synthetic opioid crisis 2023 105000 31.3 Slight decline but still quadruple 1999 levels

This is a stark reality of what is happening inside our borders. Granted, the pandemic, combined with Biden’s open border policy, caused the number of deaths to explode between 2020 and 2023, but let’s be honest, the numbers were terrible even before this time. President Trump has done a good job of closing the border and going after the sources of these drugs, e.g., China and Venezuela. The strategy of blowing up suspected drug runners has to stop. We are all children of God at the end of the day, but we must proceed with apprehending these terrorists and confiscating the drugs. The big question is, are we doing enough to save people’s lives?

The Laws of Supply and Demand

The law of supply and demand is a fundamental economic principle that explains how prices are determined in a market. It states that the cost of a good or service is set by the relationship between how much people want it (demand) and how much producers are willing to provide (supply). Why does that apply here? Because the demand amongst Americans for drugs is at an all-time high.

I saw an article from Christian Post in the Opinion section entitled, “Has the war on Drugs succeeded? The real problem is far worse.” Tony Perkins wrote the article, and it raises an excellent point:

“History and the inescapable law of supply and demand make clear that reducing supply alone does not eliminate the problem; it makes the trade more lucrative. The enterprise theory of crime holds that organized criminal groups arise only when there is a profitable demand for illegal goods or services. In other words, supply follows demand.”

I completely agree. There are efforts underway to prevent addiction and help those who are addicted, but we need as much focus on prevention as we do on stopping the drugs from coming into our country.

What Drives Drug Use in America?

The death toll due to drug abuse in America is skyrocketing – image courtesy of Vecteezy.com.

Drug use in America today is driven by a combination of synthetic drug availability (especially fentanyl), mental health struggles, social pressures, and structural inequities such as poverty and lack of treatment access:

Fentanyl dominance: Synthetic opioids are now involved in 70% of overdose deaths, reshaping the crisis with extreme lethality (fatal within 2–3 minutes).
Mental Health and Stress: High prevalence: In 2024, 23.4% of adults (61.5 million people) reported a mental illness, and nearly 1 in 5 adolescents reported moderate or severe anxiety. The impact of the pandemic is a key factor as isolation and economic stress intensified drug misuse, especially among vulnerable populations.
Social and Development Factors: Youth who try drugs before age 15 are 6.5 times more likely to develop a substance use disorder later. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure and curiosity.
“Structural Inequities:” States like Nevada and Alaska face critical shortages in treatment infrastructure. Rural and economically distressed areas (e.g., West Virginia, New Mexico) report the highest drug use and overdose rates.

By identifying the root cause, we have a better chance of eradicating the problem. The scale of the problem is tremendous, but we must focus on removing as many of these drivers as we can as quickly as we can.

Current Efforts Underway

The United States is working to prevent drug use through a mix of education, community programs, public health campaigns, and policy initiatives aimed at reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors. The focus has shifted from purely punitive measures toward prevention science, early intervention, and community resilience:

Approach Example Goal School-based LifeSkills Training; D.A.R.E. (updated curricula) Build resilience; teach refusal skills Family-focused Parenting skills workshops; home visitation strengthening protective family environments Community Drug-Free Communities coalitions; after-school programs Provide safe alternatives and mentorship Healthcare screening SBIRT (Screening; Brief Intervention; Referral to Treatment) Identify risks early in primary care Public campaigns Above the Influence; National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week Raise awareness; shift cultural norms

The U.S. is moving beyond the “war on drugs” model toward prevention rooted in science, community resilience, and early intervention. Efforts span schools, families, healthcare, and public campaigns, aiming to stop drug use before it begins. We need to do more. The following organizations operate at the national level. Please help in any way you can, be it money or time. Please also consult your local governments for programs in your area:

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP): Coordinates across 19 federal agencies with a $44 billion budget, funding prevention programs like Drug-Free Communities and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to reduce supply and demand.
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): Invests in prevention science, communication campaigns, and community-based programs to educate families and reduce youth initiation.
NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse): Supports research into evidence-based prevention strategies, especially those targeting children and adolescents, showing that early interventions save costs and reduce long-term harm.
CDC’s ENGAGE Program: Provides communities with six evidence-based strategies to prevent youth substance use, including school-based education, family support programs, mentorship, and extracurricular activities.

National Hotlines for Drug Abuse and Counseling

1**. SAMHSA National Helpline**

Number: 1‑800‑662‑HELP (4357)
TTY: 1‑800‑487‑4889
Languages: English and Spanish
Availability: 24/7, 365 days a year
Services:
- Free, confidential information and treatment referral
- Connects callers to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations
- Offers a text option: send your ZIP code to 435748 (HELP4U) for nearby resources

2. National Drug Helpline

Number: 1‑844‑289‑0879
Availability: 24/7, 365 days a year
Services:
- Free, confidential support for drug and alcohol addiction
- Guidance on recognizing drug use, treatment options, and rehab costs
- Helps identify programs accepting new patients

The Catholic View

From my perspective, this is a battle for the soul of America. People are turning towards drugs instead of turning back to God in an effort to escape and cope with the daily pressures of their lives. When people are addicted to drugs, they live simply for the next fix. This isn’t life at all. They are slaves to the drugs they turned to, trying to find peace. Jesus teaches that true peace is His gift — a deep reconciliation with God and inner calm that transcends worldly troubles. It is not simply the absence of conflict, but a spiritual reality rooted in trust, unity, and courage:

John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

I call on President Trump to promote the administration’s efforts to prevent drug addiction and abuse at a higher and more frequent level. This would be an excellent opportunity to invest some of the tariff revenue in these causes and help dry up demand. Please share your thoughts about this article in the “Comments” section.

Peace

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About Dennis McIntyre

In my early years, I was a member of the Methodist church, where I was baptized as a child and eventually became a lector. I always felt very faith-filled, but something was missing. My wife is Catholic, and my children were baptized as Catholics, which helped me find what I was looking for. I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, walking with Jesus. I was welcomed into the Catholic faith and received the sacraments as a full member of the Catholic Church in 2004. I am a Spiritual Director and very active in ministry, serving as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister and providing spiritual direction. I have spent time working with the sick and terminally ill in local hospitals and hospice care centers, and I have found these ministries challenging and extremely rewarding. You can read more about the author here.

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