Drugs Should Not Be Legalized Essay, Research Paper

Drugs Should Not be Legalized

The question of whether to legalize drugs or not is a very

controversial and important issue. Drugs affect so many areas of

society. “The U.S. population has an extremely high rate of alcohol

and drug abuse” (Grolier). Several groups have formed and spoken out

regarding their position. “Speaking Out Against Drug Legalization

is the first step in helping to deliver the credible, consistent

message about the risks and costs of the legalization of drugs to

people in terms that make sense to them. The anti-legalization message

is effective when communicated by representatives of the Federal

Government, but takes on even more credibility when it comes from

those in the community who can put the legalization debate in local

perspective” (Internet).

After learning about the issues regarding both sides of the

argument, I would choose to support those who oppose legalization

of any drugs. Drugs simply create problems which effect society in

several ways. The government has made several efforts to control drugs

and their users, however, to most the problem appears too out of hand.

“Others see potential profit in legalizing drugs and still others

simply believe that individual rights to take drugs should be

protected. The group also acknowledged that the legalization concept

appeals to people who are looking for simple solutions to the

devastating problem of drug abuse” (Internet). Society’s answer to

the problem is to trick the drug user by giving him what he wants.

People believe that making drugs legal will take away the temptation

to use them. This idea is wrong and far from logical. If drugs are

legalized then they will be more accessible to the young, addicted,

and ignorant.

“As a result the ready availability of addicting drugs, and as

a result of their heavy use for medical problems, many individuals

became addicted to the narcotics contained in these potent medicines.

In fact, in 1900, there were more narcotics addicts, proportionate to

the population, than there are today. At that time, most of the users

who became addicts were medical addicts. Very few abusers took drugs

for “recreational” purposes. In 1914, in an effort to curb the

indiscriminate use of narcotics, the federal government passed the

Harrison Act, making it illegal to obtain a narcotic drug without a

prescription. During the 1920’s the Supreme Court ruled that

maintaining addicts on narcotic drugs, even by prescription, was in

violation of the Harrison Act. Some 30,000 physicians were arrested

during this period for dispensing narcotics, and some 3,000 actually

served prison sentences. Consequently, doctors all but abandoned the

treatment of addicts for nearly half a century in the United States”

(Grolier).

The only resulting effect will be a negative one. There are no

positive aspects of putting drugs on the streets with a label reading

“legal.” There are plenty of people in society that find enough

trouble on their own without the help of their country. Legalizing

drugs would have a devastating result that would affect society as a

whole.

“Audiences need to understand that 70% of drug users are

employed, and that the school bus driver who drives your children

to school could smoke marijuana, that the surgeon who operates on you

may have cocaine in his system, and that the driver in back of you may

be on speed. The debate needs to demonstrate graphically how the

common man will be impacted by drug legalization” (Internet).

There is an idea that the “drug user” is a low class,

unemployed junkie. This is untrue. The drug user is often a white

collared worker with a family and a future. They are not all dirty

with missing teeth and poor grammar. The common misconceptions of the

“user” are dangerous to those members of society trying to rid the

world of the problem.

“Drinking on the job is a social and economic problem with a

long history. With the growing popularity of illegal drugs in the

1960’s and 1970’s, it was to be expected that their use in the

workplace would emerge as a major issue by the 1980’s. Estimates of

employee drug use vary greatly, ranging from 10 percent to 25 percent

for the proportion of workers who use drugs occasionally on the job.

The safe performance of some occupations – among them, airline pilot,

air traffic controller, truck driver, and physician – can be

compromised by drug use” (Grolier).

One of the greatest concerns of drugs is their contribution

to the crime rate. Crime will always be a problem as long as drugs

exist and are abused. “One category of crime is the victimless crime,

which includes drunkenness, drug addiction, prostitution and gambling.

The use of the term victimless is an extremely qualified one. It

refers to acts committed by consenting adults in private; the acts

involve only the participants and are not harmful to others. If harm

occurs; it is inflicted only upon the willing participants. Victimless

crimes are often characterized by the exchange of sought – after

goods and services, and they generate huge amounts of illegal income.

It has been argued, however, that no crime is victimless. The drug

addict suffers physical and emotional harm and often commits property

crimes to obtain money for buying drugs” (Grolier).

Crime too often is the result of a drug problem. The crime

rate would probably lower if drugs were illegal because the drug

abusers wouldn’t need to steal to pay for their drugs. Legalizing

drugs would just add to an already rising problem.

“Compared with other countries that keep crime statistics, the

United States has the highest rate per 100,000 population for reported

murders, rapes, and robberies. It is important to remember, however,

that the incidence of crime is influenced by such factors as

industrialization, urbanization, drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment,

and the availability of fire arms” (Grolier).

This should be reason enough to make all drugs illegal.

Legalizing drugs will just feed the problem that teenagers and young

adults face daily. Making drugs legal makes them more conscience

accessible and easier on the “The illegal use of psychoactive drugs

is vast and extensive in the United States. Some 70 million Americans

age 12 and over have tried at least one or more prohibited drugs for

the purpose of getting high. The illegal drug trade represents an

enormous economic enterprise. Sales of illegal drugs in the United

States may have totaled $100 billion in 1986, more than the total

net sales of the largest American corporation, and more than American

farmers earned from all crops combined. About 60% of the illegal drugs

sold worldwide end up in the United States” (Grolier).

The problems that society already faces with the unemployed,

homeless, criminals, and high school drop-out rate will simply

increase. What society would want such problems to escalate. The

thought of how seriously this could impact our entire nation is both

ridiculous and terrifying.

I strongly believe that there are a great deal of people who

have not tried drugs out of fear of getting caught. If this fear were

taken from them, they would probably become drug addicts. As stated by

the National Commission of Marijuana and Drug Abuse, “The term abuse

has no functional utility and has become no more than an arbitrary

code word for that drug which is presently considered wrong”

(Grolier). I believe that our country should uphold a few basic

standards, and keep drugs and the problems they create out of our

society. Legalization is an act of neglect and ignorance.