The War in México: The Consumers

Americans love illegal drugs.

According to the U.S. government, over 35 million Americans have used narcotics at one time. Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, rich and poor, high school drop-outs and college graduates: all are well represented in this figure. Together, we spend over $60 billion on drugs like cocaine, heroin, marijuana and meth. In exchange, Mexican drug cartels make between $18 billion and $39 billion annually. Although drug use in México has jumped by over 25 percent in the last five years, only one in 20 Mexicans uses drugs, compared to one in 10 Americans.

Days before the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderón implored the U.S. to curb American drug consumption if it expects México's crackdown on cartels to be successful: "We are working hard on the supply side. Working on the demand side is critical." President Obama responded by pledging $10 million to crack down on American gun traffickers who sell illegal firearms to Mexican drug cartels.

Roderick Camp of Claremont McKenna College says targeting the supply of narcotics is not enough: "We are the only party that can significantly alter the picture by addressing the consumption end of the equation, and we are not doing that."

Last year, the U.S. spent $3.2 billion on drug treatment programs. The government estimates the total economic cost of drug abuse – from health care to law enforcement – at over $180 billion.