Drug trafficking is one of the major concerns all over the world. Drug trafficking is worth billions of dollars (roughly $400 billion to $500 billion) every year globally. In drug trafficking, drug cartels are responsible, and there are thousands of drug cartels all over the world. Hopefully saying, the government, international organizations, and others take measures to fight drug trafficking and drug cartels. But global drug trafficking has not reduced much, though it has reduced in some nations. Moreover, human development is not desirably taken into consideration in fighting drug trafficking and drug cartels most often, leading to concerns.
Human development — the development of the self of human beings to the highest possible extent through the realization of human potentials with the development of various human dimensions and surmounting animality — requires conducive social, economic, political, and other grounds. Conducive grounds help realize various human potentials and become realized human beings to the highest possible extent through four successive stages, including reasonable choices-making and the realization of reasoned choices. But without conducive societal grounds, human development does not take place as desired, indicating that human development potentials, or many of the human potentials, remain unrealized. But, moreover, a pertinent side is how much fighting drug trafficking cartels by different governments and others takes human development into consideration.
Mostly law-enforcement-based measures, such as routine measures and major crackdowns, are taken by governments in different nations, though there are other measures like awareness-raising campaigns. Crackdown measures often lead to the deaths of thousands all over the world every year. For instance, in Mexico and the Philippines, the drug war led to more than 100,000 and at least 6,252 deaths, respectively. These measures, especially crackdowns, have some success in fighting drug cartels and preventing drug trafficking. There are many examples. But these are often arguable and lead to criticism. Moreover, the success is often temporary, not lasting. There are many examples of these all over the world.
The commonly applied approach to fighting drug trafficking, which takes place due to various reasons, including economic hardships, the lack of opportunity, including income opportunity, and the limited scope of upward mobility in acceptable means, mostly does not take human development into consideration. Even though many of such killings could have been avoided and the right to life is absolute and non-derogable, drug traffickers are often killed through regular law-enforcement-based measures and special drives — leading to the complete end of human development for thousands all over the world every year.
Many members of drug trafficking gangs want to leave the group and live a normal life. However, drug traffickers are not given the opportunity on most occasions. There are many examples of this in such actions in different nations, including the Philippines, Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras, where illicit drug trafficking is a grave concern. Even if opportunities are sometimes given, these are limited in monetary facilities and several other grounds. These consequently deprive the chance of human development of hundreds of thousands of members of drug cartels all over the world every year, especially to live a normal life and realize their human potentials through making and realizing reasoned choices.
No less important is that various reasons responsible for joining drug cartels are not often addressed. Consequently, the societal conditions in economic, social, and other terms — which can help make better reasoned choices, make effective plans, and move toward the realization of human potentials through the realization of choices — are not improved for many. While many join such organizations to earn better and exert power, there are thousands of many others in different nations who find joining drug cartels a way of living, reducing the chance of human development.
Crimes deserve to be punished, and law enforcement-based measures, including occasional special drives, are needed to curb the menace of drug trafficking in different countries, including high-risk countries. Without these, illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, will engulf society and spoil the lives of more people, especially young people, and hence will reduce the chance of human development for many. But it is vital to facilitate human development, along with fighting drug trafficking cartels.
For this, it is important to avoid the killings of drug traffickers whenever possible — even during special drives. Killings need to be avoided unless there is no other available option for law enforcers. But, at the same time, opportunities need to be given to those drug cartel members who want to leave the group and lead a normal life. In every special drive, this opportunity needs to be included and given more emphasis with relaxed legal procedures. This will motivate many drug traffickers. Besides, awareness needs to be raised with an aim to address the associated social stigma and ease social integration.
There are successful examples of such opportunities in different nations. Colombia provided structured pathways for paramilitaries, who are also involved in drug cartels and narco-militias, to transition to normal social life. Among others, Bangladesh, in its war on drugs in 2018, provided the opportunity for drug dealers to surrender and lead a normal life. But there are various limitations, including the lack of post-leaving monetary facilities, and legal and procedural difficulties, that need to be addressed for the effectiveness of the opportunity.
But society cannot at all disregard its responsibilities to facilitate societal grounds needed for human development. The societal grounds that are responsible for drug trafficking and joining drug cartels need to be addressed. Providing economic opportunities and addressing political and social repression will be helpful for many in different nations. But a strong political commitment is vital to make sure that fighting drug cartels does not exclude human development at al l.
