Legalization of Drugs

In the above debate argument you that, "If it legalized drugs, the United States could save $85 billion to $90 billion per year. Roughly half that is spent on the current drugs policy and half that is lost in taxes that the state could have levied on legal drugs. " The answer to this point can be said in one sentence,Money cannot stand above the spoiled life of the drug addicts and their families.The money saved from legalization of drugs is of no value it costs many life of innocent people. Another point was, "2.Safety Why do so many people overdose on drugs? for example heroin apart from its addictivness is almost harmless for your body." Now this is an article from About.com Alcoholism As with most illegal drugs, heroin use has both short-term and long-term effects. Whether injected, snorted or smoked, heroin will begin to affect the body's central nervous system almost immediately after it is used. Short-Term Effects Shortly after using, a feeling of euphoria will come over users, in which they have a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth and the feeling of having "heavy" arms and legs. After the initial rush, users will go into an alternately wakeful and drowsy state sometimes called "on the nod." Because heroin suppresses the central nervous system, the user experiences "cloudy" mental function. Users will begin to breathe at a slower rate and their breathing can reach a point of respiratory failure. Long-Term Effects Repeated and chronic heroin users who fail to use sterile technique or share equipment will begin to experience the long-term effects of such practices: "Infection of the heart lining and valves, normally due to lack of sterile technique. "Liver disease - approximately 70-80% of new hepatitis C infections in the U.S. each year are the result of injection drug use, and even sharing snorting straws has been linked to hepatitis transmission. "Kidney disease. "Pulmonary complications, which are often infection related "Skin infections and abscesses, especially among chronic injectors who suffer scarred or collapsed veins In addition to the risk of contracting the hepatitis virus, heroin users also have an increased risk of catching human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other blood-borne viruses. Overdose The most serious health effect of heroin use is the possibility of death due to accidental overdose. Because heroin is an illegal drug and can be handled and cut (mixed with other ingredients) by various suppliers before it reaches street-level users, those who use the drug never know how potent or pure the heroin they are using is until they use it. Heroin is often mixed with sugar, starch, quinine, and sometimes, strychnine or other poisons, adding other potential dangers. Because of the unknown strength and actual contents of the heroin they are taking, users are at a great risk of overdose and death. Addiction Another dangerous effect of heroin use is the highly addictive nature of the drug. All heroin users, even those who only snort or smoke the drug, can become addicted with repeated use. Over time, heroin users develop a tolerance for the drug requiring them to use increasingly larger amounts to achieve the same feeling they experienced when they first began to use. After awhile, the tolerance level to the drug rises to the level that heroin use in any amount stops producing the euphoric effect the user once experience altogether. When this occurs, the addict continues to seek and take the drug just to feel "normal." They become physically dependent upon the drug. Withdrawal When people addicted to heroin try to stop using they can experience extreme withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms can include: "Extreme craving for the drug "Restlessness "Muscle and bone pain "Vomiting The most severe heroin withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after stopping use and can last up until a week. Now my argument A 2001 Australian study of 18- to 29-year-olds by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research suggests that prohibition deters illicit drug use.[30] 29% of those who had never used cannabis cited the illegality of the substance as their reason for never using the drug, while 19% of those who had ceased use of cannabis cited its illegality as their reason. Controls and prohibitions help to keep prices higher, and higher prices help keep use rates relatively low, since drug use, especially among young people, is known to be sensitive to price. The relationship between pricing and rates of youth substance use is well-established with respect to alcohol and cigarette taxes. There is literature showing that increases in the price of cigarettes triggers declines in use."[31] The DEA argues "Legalization has been tried before"and failed miserably. Alaska"s experiment with legalization in the 1970s led to the state"s teens using marijuana at more than twice the rate of other youths nationally. This led Alaska"s residents to vote to re-criminalize marijuana in 1990."[32]