Upwards of 6,300 people were killed last year in Mexico due to the violence of drug cartels, and since the beginning of 2009 there have been at least 15 drug-related deaths per day in Ciudad Juarez. The city has become one of the most dangerous on the Mexican border, according to a March 23 Reuters article. Even though both Mexican and U.S. governments have increased the presence of law enforcement along the border, the violence continues.

Increasing efforts to enforce drug abstinence is a short-term solution to the war on drugs. For addicts, stopping drug use isn't a viable option without support and rehabilitation, and as long as addicts and occasional or social drug users demand drugs, drug cartels will be ready to supply.

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