📋 WAT/Essay Analysis Guide

💡 Topic: Is the Global War on Drugs Failing?

🌐 Understanding the Topic’s Importance

The essay bridges critical global issues like public health, human rights, and international law, making it pivotal for B-school candidates aiming to excel in policy, governance, or development.

⏳ Effective Planning and Writing

• Time Allocation:
• 🕐 Planning: 5 minutes
• 🖊️ Writing: 20 minutes
• ✅ Review: 5 minutes

📝 Introduction Techniques for Essays

1. Contrast Approach: “While over $100 billion is spent annually on the war on drugs, illicit drug trade revenues remain staggeringly high, raising questions about the policy’s efficacy.”
2. Solution-Based: “The global war on drugs requires a paradigm shift—from punitive actions to harm reduction, as evidenced by countries like Portugal.”

📖 Structuring the Essay Body

Achievements:

• 📉 Declining drug use in specific regions (e.g., Europe).
• 🔍 Advances in tracking and intercepting illicit trade.

Challenges with Comparative Analysis:

• ⚖️ Mass incarceration in the U.S. vs. harm reduction in Portugal.

Future Outlook:

• 💡 Embrace rehabilitation and harm reduction.
• 🤝 International cooperation for equity-focused policies.

🔗 Concluding Effectively

1. Balanced Conclusion: “Despite its ambitious goals, the war on drugs struggles with measurable success, necessitating innovative policy overhauls to achieve real progress.”
2. Global Comparison Conclusion: “From the Philippines’ harsh enforcement to Portugal’s progressive model, global examples show that punitive approaches often fail where harm reduction succeeds.”

🌍 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress

• 🩺 Focus on public health over criminalization.
• 🤝 Strengthen global partnerships to combat organized crime.
• 📊 Advocate for equitable, evidence-based drug policies.

✍️ Sample Short Essays

Balanced Perspective:

“The global war on drugs has shown limited success, but policies emphasizing harm reduction and decriminalization are more promising.”

Solution-Oriented:

“Countries adopting harm reduction have consistently outperformed those focusing solely on punitive measures in combating drug crises.”

Global Comparison:

“Portugal’s decriminalization offers a stark contrast to the Philippines’ punitive approach, underscoring the need for reform.”