A Continuing Debate on Drug Legalization
A drug is described as a substance which changes the standard biological functions of human body. The government has always prohibited the manufacturing of the illegal drugs within a country and they, strictly control its use because illicit drugs can lead to habituation or addiction. Also, if the drugs are used in the right way they can also be beneficial to an individual, the society and the nation at large. For example, drugs like marijuana, cocaine and heroin can be helpful if they are used correctly and enormously dangerous if the drugs are misused. Due to the benefits and issues of the use of drugs, it has led to a continuing debate on the legalisation of the drugs. It is where the proponents agree with the notion of legalizing drugs due to the benefits it possesses while the opposing side disagrees on the legalisation of drugs because the problem of misuse and drug use own severe issue within the nation. Therefore, the text will discuss how the proponents of the drug legalisation defend their concerns and also how the opponents try to justify their stand about the issue of drug legalization.<\/p>
Effects of Illegal Drugs
Illegal drugs influence individual within the country. It affects the drug dealers, victims of the drug-related offences\/crime, and users of the illicit drugs themselves, the family members of the addicted person and also affects the relationship of the addicted person with his or her friends (Walters). Also, the opposing people believe that drugs should not be legalised because of several reasons. First, legalisation of the drug within the country will increase the issue of drug abuse within the state that would result in severe conditions that would also lead to the death of the drug users. People may begin to misuse drugs such as cold medication to relieve pain which may make them start abusing illegal drugs when they are legalised (Walters). Second, prohibition of the drug causes the drugs laws of the federal to be continuously dubious. It is where the nation is only given the power to control some of the medicines living others that can still be misused.<\/p>
Increase in Crime Rate
Thirdly, legalization of drugs increases the level of crime rate within the country. It is where the addicts of the illegal drugs will be forced to commit offences\/crimes to pay for the drugs they are addicted to which can quickly and affordably be obtained by them if the drugs are legalised (Kondracke). Also, when drugs are legalised, they will be accessible to many people, and without any regulation, there will lead to more individuals committing crimes. Fourthly, legalisation of drugs acts as an example of the country throwing its revenue to the problem. It is because the governments spend a lot of money in enforcing laws on drugs each year instead of channeling the money into productive use (Kondracke). Drug legalisation also leads to the widespread of the social upheaval that can result in turning out societies into upending regular social orders and battlefield by developing a criminal subculture within the country.<\/p>
Abuses of Civil Liberties
Also, it has also lead to the abuses of civil liberties. It becomes the demand for the federal government to win the unwinnable war within the society has led to property seizures, entrapment, wiretapping and any other abuses of the people's traditional liberties (Doug and De Marneffe). Also, the opponent also fear that when drugs are legal, it will lead to abuse of those drugs that can quickly affect individual behaviour and cognition. It is because it will encourage more firm to enter into selling medications that will help more people to buy leading to increase in addiction to the drugs. Finally, legalisation of medicine will lead to the removal of penalties and also reduce the drug prices that will lead to increase of the demand of drugs. Hence it will make it easier for prescription cheaper and more accessible for drug users to obtain, increasing the number of people who are going to try it (Doug and Peter Marneffe).<\/p>
Benefits of Drug Legalization
The proponent of the idea of legalisation of drugs indicates that drug is unsafe and unhealthy for people, but its prohibition is not the solution to nation\u2019s drug problems (Clare). The country should consider the idea of legalising drugs and reap the benefits (such as saving money, reducing drug-related crime and make the drugs safer) of legalising drugs within the country. First, drugs should be sanctioned by the government to save money and increase the state's revenue. The government can tax the drugs and generate money that will assist in keeping millions and billions of cash. The collected taxes from the legalised drugs can be used in funding the governmental programs (Clare). For example the treatment programs for the addicts of drugs and also education programs that will educate people about the effects of drug and how to prevent themselves from being addicts. Secondly, it will reduce the government expenditure. It is where the expenses that arise from enforcement of the laws used in drug prohibition will then be eradicated (Clare). Also, the government will therefore not have to stand for or pay for prosecutions, court proceedings or even sustenance if the prisoners incarcerated from the illegal drug sales or use.<\/p>
Solving Real Issues
Thirdly, legalizing of drugs will assist in addressing the real issues within the country. The county will channel their energy in solving the real problem that leads to people using drugs such as the economic and social factors like poverty (Kailash). Hence when the state addresses these underlying causes that make people use drugs, they will be able to solve the problems and reduce the number of the problematic users of drugs. Fourthly, it will help in eliminating the marketplace for criminals. When the drugs are legalised, the state will use, supply and produce the drugs which will create a vacuum on how the organised crimes are moving (Kailash). Also, it will force the organised crime groups from the drug trade, starve the assembled group of their income and allow the government to control and regulate the market. For example advertising regulation, laws on the sales to the minors, licensing or even prescription.<\/p>
Reducing Crime Rate and Providing Safer Drugs
Fifthly, legalization of the drug will assist in reducing crime rate within the nation. The use of the illegal drugs is usually expensive which lead to drug users to engage into crimes such as stealing to raise money to buy the drugs, which also increases illegalities within the nation (Cardoso et al.). Therefore, legalisation of the drugs will enable the state to regulate the drug market and make the drugs prices as low as possible that will reduce the need of the drug user to raise money through criminal activities. Sixthly, there will be adequacy access to education and truthful information. Legalization of drugs will help in disseminating accurate, honest and open data to the non-users and users to assist them in making decisions about how or whether to use the drugs (Cardoso et al.). Lastly, legalisation of the drug will help the state to make all the drug safer. Prohibition of drugs has led to marginalisation and stigmatisation of the drug users. Also, the nations that operate on the ultra-prohibitionist laws have high rates of diseases such as HIV\/AIDS among the injecting users. Hence when the state legalise drugs, the country will be able to provide clean needles for the injecting users and also provide safer sex education to youth.<\/p>
Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, the opponents believe that legalising of the drug does not lead to any benefits but instead leads to the increased rate of abuses, crime rates and also additions. Also, the opponents argue that prohibiting and enforcing drugs will assist in keeping the balance between the unaffected and the affected. Moreover, the debate over whether the federal government should legalise the drugs in the state or not has been everlasting, and the war against illegal drugs has continued to bring more harm to the society than good. Therefore, the proponent\u2019s arguments for the legalisation of drugs are stronger than the opponent\u2019s discussion on the legalisation.<\/p>
Also, the proponent argument is stronger because the laws that have been enforced to prohibit drug have failed over the years to protect individualist intends to defend and lead to more damage to the society. For example increase rate of black market and crimes within the nation. Furthermore, the prohibitions of the drugs have also brought about a continuous war between the users and the government and the battle between them is increasing. Hence the fight on drug within the state should be stopped and pave the way for federal government to impose several measures and also legalise the entire business of drugs. Also, when the government legalise drugs within the state, the outcome of the result will benefit drug users and the nation itself in the fight against the world drugs crime.<\/p>
Work Cited
Cardoso, Fernando Henrique, César Gaviria, and Ernesto Zedillo. "The war on drugs is a failure." Wall Street Journal 23 (2009).
Chand, Kailash "Should drug be decriminalised? YES. (Cover story)." BMJ: British Medical Journal 10 Nov. 2007: 966. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 13 Oct. 2009.
Husak, Doug, and Peter De Marneffe. The legalisation of drugs. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
Kondracke, Morton M. "Don't Legalize Drugs". Readings for Writers (13th Edition). Ed. Jo Ray McCuen-Metherell and Anthony Winkler. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2010. 358-362
Walters, John P. "Don't Legalize Drugs. “Wall Street Journal. 19Jul.2002, Eastern edition: ABI/INFORM Global, ProQuest. N.pag. Web. 13 Oct. 2009
Wilson, Clare "Legalize drugs. (Cover story)." New Scientist 203.2725 (2009): 32-33. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 23 Nov. 2009.
