Legalization is Not a Realistic Alternative to the War on...

Legalization is Not a Realistic Alternative to the War on Drugs For years, the issue of legalization has been an increasingly controversial subject. Millions of dollars are spent annually in the War on Drugs causing many to wonder if this fight is cost-effective or if an alternative such as legalization would be more realistic than current efforts in drug prevention. Opponents state that with legalization would come an increase not only in availability, but also with everything associated with that availability. This includes suffering of users and their loved ones, death of users and innocent alike, increases in health-care costs, cost to employers, drug-related crimes, and increases in various other social, economic, and emotional†¦show more content†¦The American experience with drugs at the end of the 19th century demonstrated the serious problems that can be caused by the general use of a wide range of legally available drugs. These problems were judged unacceptable by Americans of that day. Prohibition was the result of nonpartisan public outcry over the negative effects of unrestricted drug use. (Trebach 41-44) The most important question in regards to legalization is how it would affect use and abuse in this country. Advocates of legalization such as Steven Duke and Albert Gross argue that those who do not use under prohibition will not use under legalization. Duke is a law professor at Yale University, and Gross is a lawyer from San Diego, California. They are greatly respected advocates for legalization, their greatest fame stemming from their co-authored book, Americas Longest War. The key argument made by advocates Duke and Gross is that the major reasons why people desist from smoking and drinking - health, social stigma, morality, aesthetics - are also applicable to the drugs currently labeled illegal (120). Whether Americans choose to avoid recreational drugs in the first place or to quit using or abusing them is linked to the quality of their lives and their perceived prospects for a rewarding life without drug use or abuse. As Duke states, illegal-drug use has been reducedShow MoreRelated Drugs Essay1467 Words   |  6 Pagestypical politicians are afraid to address is that of what to do with the nation’s illegal drug problems. Although we hear terms like quot;The War on Drugsquot; and quot;Drug Treatmentquot;, a fresh approach to this issue is needs to come soon. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The country should take a new look at drug legalization as a solution to a problem that has been long out of control. 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