Faced with budget constraints and increasing criticism of the drug war, the DEA’s recruitment campaigns are falling flat. Despite attempts to modernize outreach—including the use of memes and quirky internet culture—the agency has seen a notable dip in applications. Efforts to attract Gen Z and millennials with social media campaigns and job fair appearances aren’t gaining much traction.
One former agent admitted that public perception plays a big role: “It’s tough to convince people to join a job where you’re increasingly seen as part of the problem.” The rise of harm reduction models and calls for decriminalization have made traditional enforcement roles less appealing, especially to a generation more concerned with systemic justice than locking up nonviolent offenders.
Budget cuts are compounding the issue. The DEA’s resources are stretched thin, making the job less stable and less attractive compared to other federal law enforcement careers.
With changing attitudes toward drug use, particularly cannabis and psychedelics, the DEA is at a crossroads. Whether it can reinvent its mission—or recruit enough people to carry on with the old one—remains to be seen.
Dabbin-Dad Newsroom
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