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Why Drugs Should Be Legalized!!!!
Why Drugs Should Be Legalized!!!! Why Drugs Should Be Legalized!!!! Man, as a creature, is inherently bored. Since the dawn of time, it has been the natural instinct of man to find alternative methods to enhance his being. The many means by which man has turned to include sex, gambling, and the consumption of substances beyond the requirements of nutrition. The consumption of substances can be further broken down into legal and illegal substances. The question then becomes, who are we to place labels on certain substances by deeming them legal and prohibit others by creating penalties for their use? The issue of prohibition is certainly not a new one to our nation. In 1919, the 18th Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages. "Suddenly honest, responsible Americans who just wanted a drink, were turned into criminals. Respectable bars became underground speak-easys, and legitimate liquor manufacturers were replaced by criminal bootleggers." Gang warfare, bribery, and criminal activity reached an all-time high. Standards on illegal alcohol were much lower than those on the previously legal alcohol which led to the blinding or death of many consumers. Finally in 1933, politicians buckled and repealed the 18th Amendment. The Prohibition attempt of the early 20th century provides the perfect historical support for the decriminalization of drugs. "Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." The rise in violent crime over the years has been a concern to most. A major cause of this increase in crime is the illegal trafficking of drugs. As violent crime continues to increase, we are unable to devote our financial resources and time into preventing and prosecuting those who commit crimes such as murder, rape, and assault. The reason we are unable to devote these resources where they are needed is because we are foolishly spending them on a battle that we cannot win-the "War on Drugs." Prior to Ronald Reagan's "War on Drugs," America's crime rate had been declining. Since the introduction of the new wave drug laws, violent crimes have increased 32% between 1976 and 1985. Eighty percent of all violent street crimes are now drug related. Most of the violent crime associated with drugs can be traced directly to the drug dealers and not the users. "The 'war on drugs' drives up prices, which attracts more people to the drug trade. When potential profit increases, drug dealers resort to greater extremes, including violence." For example, the street price of heroin has risen 5,000 times that of hospital costs. These artificial prices lead to turf wars in which one dealer attempts to protect his sales from another. These turf wars cause dealers to kill each other, law enforcement officials, and often innocent bystanders. The rising cost of the drugs causes desperate addicts to commit robberies in order to keep up with the inflating prices. If the importation, sale and use of drugs were legal, the open competition would eliminate the profitability of drug dealing. Without the economic incentive to commit violent crimes, the violence of drug dealing would be dramatically reduced. In addition to the elimination of the economic incentive, the health risk factor would help to reduce the role of the drug dealer. A potential customer would probably choose to buy a market-tested product from a pharmacy as opposed to buying a product of unknown dosage and quality from a corner dealer. Without the lure of potential profits, the drug dealing profession would lose its luster. A major problem is that children in lower-class areas see selling drugs as the only way to make money. Minimum wage salaries can not compare to the huge profits associated with dealing. Failing to acquire job skil... This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Academic Library. Please register below now!
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