Sometimes, America’s hypocrisy has no boundaries.
Every year, more than 400,000 people die from cigarettes according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said 17,013 deaths were alcohol related in 2003. Certain health officials claim 40 percent of children space out on some kind of behavioral drug.
Meanwhile, have you heard of any one dying from a marijuana overdose? Hard streets drugs like cocaine and heroin kill about 52,000 a year according to ACEP, but this number does not compare to the deaths caused by legal drugs.
It’s OK to die from legal drugs, and it’s cool if kids are on drugs, but these other drugs are illegal?
All drugs should be legalized. Let the government regulate and tax the substances, and watch the economy grow.
Concerning marijuana, many think, “Well, if pot was legal, then too many people would become lazy.” On the contrary, if people knew they could buy pot legally, they would work harder for their high. Let their habit fuel the economy.
Otherwise, we will continually deal with those pesky black markets over a drug that causes hunger and the readiness to write abstract poetry.
As for the hard street drugs, many argue that legalizing these drugs would cause an increase in their usage. How can you be sure? No one says, “Man, I wish methamphetamines were legal. I would buy some and have a picnic with the family.” You will never hear, “Why isn’t heroin legal? I want to inject some in my tear duct.” Of course, the addicts wouldn’t get off their heroin or speed if the substances became legal, but they already consume these drugs. Why not let their personal choices serve the economy?
Let’s assume that hard drug usage would increase with legalization. Shouldn’t you have the freedom to destroy yourself? At this moment, people can smoke their lungs into a cancerous frenzy and die, coughing brown stuff up on the way. People can drink their livers into oblivion while they beat their families and pets. Someone can lose his check, car and house while gambling at a casino. Why can’t they hurt themselves with these other drugs?
Also, if all drugs were legal, this would encourage the authorities to chase after the dealers. Catching and jailing users wastes money and does not make our society safer. Do you feel any safer with some heroin addict behind bars while a gun-weilding dealer walks the street? Will catching Daryl Strawberry for the umpteenth time for carrying pot on an airplane secure America? No, leave the users alone. Attack the malicious dealers. They are the criminals.
Another benefit of complete drug legalization would be the drop of diseases contracted by filthy needles. The government could pass out clean needles for all the injecting citizens.
Finally, didn’t we learn anything from the Prohibition Era? During this period, crime and murder escalated. It’s better when alcohol is regulated, and this would work with other drugs as well. When a substance is declared illegal, the wicked see an opportunity for business. Allowing these pseudo-businessmen the chance to make money from teenagers is completely absurd. Cripple the black market by legalization, and crime will be minimized.
The “War on Drugs” has been a joke from the start. These silly commercials, weak slogans and dopey parental protests do not fool any one. Legalize everything. This will help the economy (i.e. more funds for rehabilitation programs), minimize crime and diseases contracted from needles and make America appear less like a giant hypocrite. If you can’t beat the drugs, let people do them.
Jed Pressgrove is a junior communication major. He can be reached at [email protected].