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This is what I once thought about drug legalization:

Drug Legalization Would Be A Mistake


          Drugs are one of the biggest problems facing America today. One of the most controversial issues in the United States is drug legalization. Advocates of legalization find nothing to be said in favor of the current system and they are convinced that drugs should be legalized. The fact is, drugs cannot be legalized because legalization would cause an increase in drug consumption, new drug users, and an increase in accidents and problems due to substance abuse.

          If drugs were legalized, the average consumption of users would increase. First of all, if we look back on the history of prohibition, studies show that, after the repeal of prohibition, alcohol consumption per person doubled. Second, legalization would create a market that would cause the price of drugs to be a lot cheaper and allow users to buy and consume more. Last, supplies would be more readily available to the user and this would also increase potential for consumption.

          There would be an increase of new drug users due to the legalization of drugs. The drug programs in school, that have helped many students stay away from drugs, would appear less credible to some students after legalization. This would be due to the fact that the same government that creates these programs against drugs would also legalizes drugs. This contradiction will cause confusion and lead some students astray. In addition, with society's sanction lifted, people would not be as reluctant to use drugs because of legality making it more acceptable. Also, people would become users due to drug advertisement and marketing. So, the number of drug users would increase because of a decrease of drug program success, legality causing drugs to be acceptable, and the lure of drug advertisement and marketing.

          With the legalization of drugs would come an increase in accidents and problems due to substance abuse. If drug consumption and the amount of drug users are increased, all things associated with substance abuse would also increase. With more users, there would come more maiming crashes, job accidents, and more child neglect. There would also be more babies born addicted and retarded, more teenagers drugged out of an education, careers destroyed, families wrecked, and more people dying of overdoses. Is legalization worth this?

          In conclusion, drugs cannot be legalized because legalization would cause an increase in drug consumption, an increase in new users, and an increase in accidents and problems due to substance abuse. Drugs will probably always be a problem in the United States, but legalization is not going to contribute to minimizing this problem.

This is what I think about drug legalization now:

Drug Legalization Is a Right



You should be able to do anything you want to do in this country that does not directly harm, another person.

When government takes away an individual's freedom to choose for the self, given that what one wants to do is not harmful to others, the effected people will hurt others to regain their freedom.

If drugs are legalized, the negative effects discussed in my earlier article will occur. However, the prevention of these negative effects, should come second priority to the individual's right do with himself what he pleases.

To those who think drugs should be legalized because drugs aren't really harmful and addictive; I disagree with this reasoning. Many of the people who hold this view are drug users themselves, and are in some degree of denial. Whether drugs are harmful or not is not the issue, and should not be taken in to consideration. It should not be the federal government's job to prevent people from intentional harming themselves. Nor should the federal government use tax dollars to encourage individuals not to harm themselves intentionally. The federal government should be socially, morally, and ethically neutral. Under a neutral government, if one wants to promote that drugs are harmful, and should not be used, he or she could contribute money to a special interest group to promote this encouragement. It should be impossible to pass federal laws that infringe on an individuals right to choice for himself. Under the current system, special interest groups try to influence laws. If this were made impossible, then their would only be special interest groups that aim to influence the population, rather than the politician. That is the Hard Core Truth.
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