Also, people have an absolute right to control for themselves what they put in their bodies. The War on Drugs has been a miserable failure. It costs far more in resources, lost freedoms and damaged lives to continue the drug war than to decriminalize drugs. No one really believes it can ever be won. Illegal drugs create a black market which breeds violent crime.
Gangs control their turf where they traffic drugs with violence.
Addicts who must pay high black-market prices commit muggings and armed robbery. Police try to protect themselves with surprise raids and overwhelming force - too often against innocent people. There is no credible evidence to show the Drug War has prevented drug abuse, but even if it can, preventing one million people from getting high is certainly not worth the life of one child killed by a stray bullet. People who take drugs are making their own choice. They have this right, along with a corresponding obligation to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.