Ep 4. War on Drugs

In season 2 episode 4 of Penn and Teller Bullshit, the dynamic duo tackle one of the most controversial and emotional issues in America - the War on Drugs. Penn and Teller start the episode by noting that the United States has been fighting this war for over three decades and yet the problem seems to be getting worse with each year passing.

The episode dives into the history of the United States’ War on Drugs and how it started with President Richard Nixon in 1971. The show highlights the aggressive tactics that have been employed over the years, including no-knock raids, mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and the infamous ‘Just Say No’ campaign. The anti-drug campaign was waged to prevent drug use and drug addiction among American citizens, with a focus on illegal narcotics like marijuana, cocaine, and heroin.

Penn and Teller highlight the result of this war on drugs - the immense financial cost to taxpayers, which they say is running into the billions for law enforcement and prisons. The human cost is also highlighted, with thousands of people serving long sentences due to mandatory minimum sentencing, disproportionately affecting people from Black and Hispanic communities, even though the usage rates are similar across all groups.

Penn and Teller go on to share research and statistics that show how the war on drugs has failed. Despite America spending around $1 trillion on this war, drug overdose deaths continue to rise every year, with the opioid epidemic wreaking havoc across the country in recent years.

Penn and Teller then take an up-close view of this failure, heading to Philadelphia, where they meet with former drug addicts and anti-drug activists. The show highlights the story of one such reformer, a former heroin user who was put in prison for years due to mandatory minimum laws and who buys Narcan, a life-saving opioid overdose reversal drug, and hands it out for free to users to prevent them from dying.

In a particularly poignant moment of the episode, a former drug addict shows Penn and Teller the area of Philadelphia called 'The Badlands,' which is notorious for being where many homeless and drug-addicted people congregate. Penn and Teller are shocked and visibly moved by what they see in the Badlands area of Philadelphia. The show drives home the point that America’s war on drugs is not making the situation better, in fact, it is arguably making it worse.

Penn and Teller go on to explore different ways to tackle drug use and addiction, highlighting the idea of harm reduction policies that are being adopted in some countries like Portugal and Switzerland. These policies focus on treating addiction and reducing harm rather than punishing drug users. They discuss how decriminalizing drug use or legalizing marijuana can reduce harm and ultimately save taxpayers money.

The show takes a critical approach to the war on drugs, highlighting the human and societal cost of treating drug use as a criminal issue rather than a health issue. The episode is powerful and emotional, leaving viewers with the realization that perhaps it is time to end the war on drugs and start treating addiction as a public health issue.