'What is the true cost of the war on drugs? In lives, not just in figures,' asks Mariana Siracusa.

247 - Mariana Siracusa, research coordinator at the Center for Studies on Security and Citizenship (CESeC), highlighted the high costs of the war on drugs, which go beyond economic aspects, including social impacts such as mass incarceration, racism, and police corruption.

She spoke on the panel that discussed the economic and social impacts of the Supreme Federal Court's (STF) decision to decriminalize cannabis use, during the event "The National Drug Policy: A New Paradigm." The conference was held by Brazil 247, TV 247 e Counsel, with support from the Prerogativas group, in Brasília (DF). 

"How much does the war on drugs cost? It may seem like a simple question, but the answers are complex, because the costs are not only economic, but above all social, such as mass incarceration, racism and police corruption," he questioned. 

Siracusa cited a study by CESeC that points out that the war on drugs directly affects education, with significant learning losses for students, especially in Rio de Janeiro, where 12-year-old children lost 60% of the expected learning in Portuguese and 100% in mathematics, impacting their future income.

In healthcare, the closure of units and the postponement of appointments have increased cases of anxiety, depression, hypertension, and insomnia among residents of favelas. 

In economic terms, she estimated: "Looking at the spending of the criminal justice system as a whole, the entire machinery of the war on drugs, in just one year six states spent 7 billion reais to implement the Drug Law. This amount is probably double or even triple that, which could be redirected to other social investments." 

Finally, he stated that while it is possible to quantify the economic costs, the human suffering, such as the trauma of families who lose loved ones, is immeasurable.

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