The abuse of illegal drugs ought to be treated as a matter of public health, not of criminal justice

OK i will start by addressing my case then move on to attack my opponents case... Define: Abuse: as addiction to My value for this debate will also be social welfare, which we both have id like to start by saying the person who can uphold this value will win this round. This value applies because this topic goes around the people, to say in terms its to benefit society which treating drug abuse as a public health matter will do such. As well as my value my Criterion is also the same Utilitarianism which is the greatest good for the greatest amount of people possible. In this case this would be our society which the preference is under, Which clearly it does not really define one so I go with the U.S. However i would like my opponent to not state that the U.S already treats it as a criminal matter as this is a debate of what it ought to be. Contention 1: Putting criminals in jail is not fixing the root of the problem, by having some addicted to a drug and putting them in jail you are only sweeping the problem under a carpet hoping in will disappear. Jail time might subdue the drug addict for a period of time but this does not insure they won't go back into society and do this act again. This however will not benefit society, which criminals newly out of jail go back to their old ways of cocain, or Etc. Which i will agree drug users are unable to understand their actions fully as their judgment is impaired. Jail in this since i just a waste of costs where these drug addicts are concerned, jail does not correct them and teach them to stop and help them get off these drugs and by just throwing them in jail you do not benefit the society, for 1 it is a waste of money to shelter and feed the prisoner as well as legal fees and Etc. When they get out and go right back to doing it again and putting society again you are putting your people at risk. As well as drug users are dangerous and up untill you put them in jail again there is a wide range of thing they could do for the drugs, murder,theft, or influence others to do drugs this does not benefit society. Contention 2: By providing this medical health treatment you are treating this problem at the roots, this is really basic economics. We cure these addicts, we cut the demand of these drugs and reduces the amount of drug trade. Reduction of drug trade less people who get into drugs, less illegal drug usage, less people going to jail for it, Dramatic jail cost reduction benefiting society which then taxes can be used for more use than jail costs. Contention 3: Also lets go to our society, look at this our society is made up of our people, by not provide help for these drug users we are not benefiting our society. This is because they make up our society as well as the others, which just putting them in jail does not help them. It creates that circle that mentioned in contention 1, until the die, nor again does this help society. Opponents Case--- --The highest value in today's round is Social welfare. That is society's overall well-being. Social welfare is the most important value in today's round because having all of society being well is a moral obligation of the U.S. government. But that cannot happen unless the abuse of illegal drugs is treated as a matter of criminal justice-- Yes I agree with this as the highest value but this criminal justice matter is false as i have proven in my case how just putting them jail does not help the society you are just sweeping the problem under the carpet hoping it will fix its self but when they get out they will most likely go back to the drugs and commit these same acts. --The best criterion to uphold this value is Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is best explained by the fact that there is a punishment, then people will abstain from doing that which causes punishment. Utilitarianism upholds my value of social welfare because by having punishment to prevent actions that would be harmful to society. Now I will present two contentions to support my value and value criterion.-- Yes I agree with this as the highest value but this criminal justice matter is false as i have proven in my case how just putting them jail does not help the society you are just sweeping the problem under the carpet hoping it will fix its self but when they get out they will most likely go back to the drugs and commit these same acts. cross applied --My first contention is that drug abusers are harmful to society's well-being. If an individual is not sent to jail for abusing drugs, that person still has the potential to harm society's well-being because of the effects that abusing drugs has done to him or her. By sending these people to jail, it would get them off the streets and away from anywhere were they could cause harm. This contention supports my value of social welfare because by having these people away from where they can do harm, it is protecting society's well-being.-- I agree but he plans to send them to jail for a set number of years them get out and do it again how is this helping society it is not, its not helping the problem its just covering it up. Because this will not stop their addiction, he will send them back in to society as addicted as they were, and allow this while he said they are dangerous in society he will set them back in society the same. --My second contention is that punishment is needed to prevent crime. When people have the knowledge that there is a punishment for abusing drugs, it would make them refrain from abusing these illegal drugs. If people are already doing drugs and they then see the consequences of abusing drugs, it would show them that they should stop. If there was no punishment for abusing drugs, no one would be afraid to do that, but what happens is that the mindset of the people says that punishment is far worse than what the drugs actually do to the body. This contention supports my value of social welfare because by having the punishment, people are more likely to abstain from abusing drugs out of fear.-- No- people who are addicted need this drug they are bound to in like Golem in lord of the rings was addicted to the ring, they will kill for this drug and they cannot determine their actions, there judgment is hindered they need help to get over this. As well my opponent might say they had to take the drug the first time to get addicted this may be true but this is about the abuse of illegal drugs this is were they constantly take these drugs over and over again, which would mean they are addicted and need help to get off of it. To them im sure Treatment is punishment enough killing them inside struggling,trying to get off them but can't without help this is not benefiting society nor helping the greatest number of people.