The US should legalize all drugs

I am going to focus on one drug right now, that is very life threatening, and should never be legalized, it's heroin. A study conducted by the Center For Disease Control and Prevention showed that heroin related deaths have skyrocketed over the past 5 years. In 2013, 8,200 American"s died from Heroin overdoses. Recently there has been a lot of controversy on a program the White House has recently passed to combat the rise in Heroin deaths. As told by CNN News, the plan will focus on tracing the sources of Heroin, and will also prioritize treatment of addiction over punishment for users. To fund this, it will take 2.5 million dollars. That"s where the controversy comes in. A problem that many see, as stated by former congressman, Patrick Kennedy, is that it needs much more funding, so why put towards the money when there is more financial commitment needed, much more than the White House is providing. My response to that is any amount of money put towards the program, will help in several ways. This program not only works towards stopping trafficking of heroin, it also gives help to those struggling with addiction, which is much needed, in my opinion, and in the opinion of others. Yet there is the opposing side that claims addiction is a choice. My argue against that is simple, addiction isn"t a choice, research shows that. It has been proven in many studies. A study done by Dr. Brad Lander, a clinical director of addiction psychiatry, found that addiction is a chronic disease. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction is now known to be a chronic and progressive brain disease that attacks and damages key parts of the limbic system and cerebral cortex, which in turn results in compulsive cravings, obsessive seekings, and irrational over-use despite harmful and often devastating consequences. Addiction is considered a brain disease because alcohol and drugs literally change the brain chemically, structurally and functionally. While it"s true that for most people the initial decision to partake of alcohol or drugs is voluntary, over time these substances literally change numerous aspects of the brain to the point where the individual cannot stop using or drinking even if the desire to do so is high. As was just stated, by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addiction is a real thing, and is a disease. Getting help to those that have addictions, such as a heroin addiction is something I feel very strongly about, because it"s something I've seen first hand. In 2013 I lost my sister to a heroin overdose, and I got to see a glimpse of how hard it is to overcome a heroin addiction. As I saw my sister struggle with her addiction, I gained a lot of knowledge, when it comes to addiction, and gained so much love and compassion for those struggling with one. Addiction is something people can"t fully understand unless they have struggled with one, or have seen first hand someone they know and love struggling with one. I may not have a full understanding of it, but seeing my sister struggle with one really showed me how hard it is to overcome a heroin addiction, let alone any other addiction. Legalizing drugs would put so many people at risk.