All drugs should be legal.

"a mass addiction can strangle a society" It's important to remember that the Opium Wars took place in the mid-1800"s when very little was known about drugs, especially in China where as you have stated, the plant is not native. Due to the lack of knowledge regarding the plant, addiction to it became rampant. In modern times the majority of the population is educated on the adverse effects of heroin along with other harmful narcotics. As I've stated, companies would not be legally allowed to produce propaganda relating to their products further protecting the general public from a mass addiction. Addiction to drugs is directly connected to poverty and lack of happiness. Generally, the quality of life for the citizens of first world nations and second world nations is better than those of China in the mid-1800"s. It is also important to remember that drug use would not increase if drugs were legalized (proven by my sources from round two) and it may even decrease as it has for Portugal. Due to these factors and many others, the chance of a mass addiction is extremely unlikely especially in a first world nation such as the US, UK, Germany etc. "True, it is your business what you do with your body, but when your a parent who can no longer properly care for your children because of an addiction, then that's abuse, not freedom." Freedom - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Slavery - cause (someone) to lose their freedom of choice or action. It's unintentional abuse and freedom. Once you turn 18 you are free from your parents and no longer need to do what they wish for you to do. No one should be enslaved by their parents. "When the parents of an addicted child are made to worry about the fact that their child is a junky, that's heart wrenching, not civil liberty." It's both, and they are not made to worry about their children being a junky. If everyone did what their parents wanted them to do, then we would be behind in scientific discovery. Isaac newton's parents wanted him to be a farmer and were disappointed when he chose to be a scholar. If he listened to them we wouldn't understand calculus, gravity and extremely basic physics. It's also important to remember that legalization doesn't increase usage. If I heard heroin was legal tomorrow, I wouldn't even think of running to the nearest head shop and buying pounds of heroin. "When the paramedic can't inject the narcan into the victim in time to save them, that's just another junky statistic, not inaliable rights." That happens despite drugs being illegal and legalization would not increase that. Individuals who choose to intake heroin are educated on the possible risks and understand the possibilities. Restricting someone's freedoms because you feel that it's wrong and you personally wouldn't do it is immoral. "There are those who would argue that legalizing all drugs would cause less overdoses, but I would have to point out that policy only caused horror for the people of China." According to the statistics in Portugal legalization, in fact, has caused a decrease in overdoses. As a matter of fact, they drastically decreased. The chance of a heroin overdose actually decreased by 50% after the legalization of small amounts of heroin. The reason for the results in China is the lack of knowledge regarding drugs and that would not be an issue for first world nations.