drug legalization

Well said, and your logic is on point so far as it deals with every day consumerism. Unfortunately, it has rarely been the case that recreational drug users or social users have been the main cause of theft or criminal activity. I am a frontline Social worker dealing with homelessness, addictions, and mental health population. One of the biggest issues with substance use is the overall lack of self-control that addiction creates. Addicts will not see the overall cost per month; they will look at the total amount they can acquire with the funds on hand. When those run out, then they go looking for more funds to get more. this is there cycle of thought. There is no room for reasoning or rationalizing. Higher functioning addicts may see benefits to lower costs, but they are not the ones perpetrating the B&E’s, stealing from retail stores and exchanging goods for drugs. What people need to understand is that people who are drowning in active addiction do not think like rational, regular people. Their chemical, neurological make-up has been twisted by drugs, this is what drugs do. The high achieved is the physiological response to having your brain chemistry altered from normality. Touching on the warning labels, in theory this is an acceptable practice. Unfortunately, people do not read them. Just look at cigarettes and Alcohol. This brings up a good point; cigarettes and alcohol have been legal for a long time now, and the percentages of harm and new addiction caused by them has not decreased. It’s become common place that young teens, as a rite of passage, go on drinking binges. Even though they are underage. People aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States [1]. In 2012 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 24% of youth aged 12 to 20 years drink alcohol and 15% reported binge drinking [2]. In closing, take a look at the number of death caused by Drugs (legal and illegal) [3], now tell me that after making all drugs legal, that these numbers won’t sky rocket. Of those who do not die, the number of hospital visits will increase, taking resources away from studies and care for other patients. Take a look at the effect on the economy just from alcohol alone [4]. Yes I understand that Nobody has a right to obstruct others desires. At the same time, our actions affect more than just ourselves. This is why I feel that the legalization of drugs needs not be. The argument that people will use them anyways is very valid; however, legalizing them will cause the consumption rates to increase, not to mention, it will introduce more people into the culture. People who avoid it at the present moment because it is stigmatized and illegal. Where is their right not the be obstructed by peer pressure or falsified security that it is safe? [1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. Rockville, MD [2] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings (NSDUH Series H-46, HHS Publication No. SMA 13-4795). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2013. [3] http://www.drugabuse.gov... [4] http://www.cdc.gov...