Besides the obvious ethical implications surrounding illegal drug industries, there are a few significant undertones within the trading itself which can often be neglected. People involved in the chain of illicit drug production are often exploited, isolated and left with no other alternative employment. When people debate amongst the legalisation of drugs, it often involves the harmful effect of the abuser, physically and emotionally. As serious and harrowing as this justification can be, the funding of slavery involved should also be acknowledged and considered when exploring the debate. When discussing drug abuse in the classroom, this often neglected argument is definitely worth considering. An innovative, thought provoking film on this topic can be found on TrueTube to get your students thinking about the subject from a different angle. ‘Funding Slavery’ introduces Harry Shapiro from DrugScope, who exposes the shocking effects this industry has on enslaved individuals.
The production of illicit drugs can be broken down into roughly six stages. The first few steps involve cultivating the crops, wholesaling the raw materials and manufacturing the product. After this, the product goes through the stages of distribution, retail and money laundering. Drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin are often produced in politically unstable countries, fueling the inequality of earnings.The impact on the environment is also neglected. When the government wants to take a stand, they often use pesticides on the crops which cause severe damage on an ecological level. The farmers are either paid as little as 1% of the overall financial income, have no alternative form of employment, or no other potential work which pays enough money to live on. Many of Afghanistan’s poppy farmers for example, are faced with this exact problem. Working in the poppy fields is the only employment available which provides enough income to support their families. Such desperate stories tend to be pushed aside when the trade is glamorised by gangsters and wealthy buyers. Many people often take a stand against the exploitation involved in retail, so why not take a stand against the slavery involved within this type of trading?
The production of illicit drugs can be broken down into roughly six stages. The first few steps involve cultivating the crops, wholesaling the raw materials and manufacturing the product. After this, the product goes through the stages of distribution, retail and money laundering. Drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin are often produced in politically unstable countries, fueling the inequality of earnings.The impact on the environment is also neglected. When the government wants to take a stand, they often use pesticides on the crops which cause severe damage on an ecological level. The farmers are either paid as little as 1% of the overall financial income, have no alternative form of employment, or no other potential work which pays enough money to live on. Many of Afghanistan’s poppy farmers for example, are faced with this exact problem. Working in the poppy fields is the only employment available which provides enough income to support their families. Such desperate stories tend to be pushed aside when the trade is glamorised by gangsters and wealthy buyers. Many people often take a stand against the exploitation involved in retail, so why not take a stand against the slavery involved within this type of trading?