Introduction
The Drug Policy Dilemma is an issue that has raised concerns in many countries of the world including the United States of America (Thornton, 20007). This legal dilemma has been on whether to legalize drugs or not. Legalizing the use of drugs would mean that the production, distribution, and sale of drugs would not be prohibited.
This is a moral issue because drugs have always been associated with such vices as violence and they have caused mortalities due to accidents and such incidences. Illicit drug use has always been on the high as many individuals crave for the feeling that is associated with it. Drugs usually have a mind-altering effect and may lead to addiction and abuse.
The trading of illegal drugs is one of the biggest businesses worldwide. It has been estimated to be a $322 billion business. It has attracted various criminal organizations due to the potential profits associated with it. Another issue that is of great concern to many nations is the possibility of individuals taking advantage of drug trafficking to do other forms of crime or political insurgencies.
This is due to the fact that drug trafficking across the borders brings about a lot of money that may be used to fund such activities. Some of the major illegal drugs that are usually trafficked include cannabis and heroin. Others include ecstasy and methamphetamine. It has been estimated that over two hundred million people worldwide use illicit drugs. Of this number, twenty-five million of them are problem users (Benjamin & Miller, 1991).
The issue of criminalizing or decriminalizing drugs is a moral dilemma that is faced by many countries. Various countries such as U.N. and U.S. have held a position that drugs should not be made legal. They have also emphasized the need to clamp down on the trade of illicit drugs. This has led these countries to spend more on law enforcement and this explains why some of the prisons overflow with such criminals. In this paper, I will provide some of the views of certain individuals concerning this issue and support my position that drugs should not be legalized.
My position
I believe that drugs should not be legalized. This is because the use of drugs cannot be associated with any virtue. Drugs are only designed to make the user hooked up. This is because it leads to addiction and makes the user dependent on the drug. Since the individual would not be able to do without it, it becomes a form of bondage and enslaves the individual. Therefore, I support Wilson’s view that drugs enslave the mind and destroy the soul.
James Wilson strongly protested against the legalization of drugs (Woo, 2012). He argued that even though people are aware of the harmful effects of drugs, they still want to support its legalization. He emphasized on the immoral nature of the drugs. He believes that they enslave the mind and destroy the soul. Califano, on the other hand, interpreted the results of a drug survey among students in high schools. He was troubled by the fact that drug abuse was common among these students as they easily traded on the commodity and used them on occasions such as parties. Califano argued that parents should help in combating this issue since they are the ones who stay with the children longest.
Drugs should not be legalized because they are associated with violence and other vices. Drugs have a mind-altering effect and may cause an individual to be involved in things that he or she would not have done without the influence of drugs. When drug users become violent, they may cause harm to innocent individuals and this is a criminal offense. Violence also arises during the trafficking and sale of drugs. Drug trafficking is a million-dollar business and it may attract many criminal groups as they try to have a share of the ‘big cake’. This has resulted in several deaths especially when deals go bad.
The war against drugs has been intense in the United States. Various suggestions on how best to combat it have arisen. Some suggestions point out that law enforcement should be prioritized. Some suggest the use of education while others believe that treatment is key. William Bennett has also been against drug use and he came up with a strategy on how to control drug use.
This way, he could use the available resources to help combat the drug issue. Bennett had several options and he was only to select the one that could best deal with the issue. The first option that he had was to employ the resources on ensuring law enforcement. This would mean that more individuals would be employed to do the same. The issue, however, is that the available law enforcers have not been able to significantly reduce drug trafficking.
The other option may be to employ international action. This would require the use of more resources to combat the production and trafficking of drugs on an international scale. The issue with this is that some of the countries involved may be unwilling to support the venture. Another option is to channel resources to support education to combat the issue. However, this may take a significant amount of time to be effective. Lastly, the other option may be to emphasize the treatment of addicts. This may be worthwhile, but this would be very costly.
Alternative Views
One of the activists who have strongly supported the decriminalization of drugs is Ethan Nadelmann. He has taken a different view on this issue since he advocates for the application of approaches that would lead to the reduction of the harmful effects of the drugs rather than criminalizing it. Nadelmann supports the use of some drugs for medical purposes.
For example, he argues that, if regulated, cannabis may be used for medication and recreation. He also suggests that those abusing the drug should not be criminally charged but only be imposed with a civil penalty. He argues that the war on drugs has not provided solutions to the drug issue in America. He also argues that humans naturally love drugs and need only to find a way to live with it in peace. He believes that drugs are here to stay and should be regularised rather than being prohibited. He argues that this would make it much easier to regulate its quality and provide treatment for its abuse.
Milton Friedman is another individual who has supported the issue of legalization of drugs (Thornton, 20007). He argued that this would help in the reduction of the number of crimes and also lead to an increase in the quality of law enforcement. He argued that delaying the process of decriminalization would only worsen the situation.
Criticisms of alternative views
Nadelmann supports the use of drugs for medical purposes and for recreation. He believes that drugs may be regulated and used for good. However, I do not agree with Nadelmann. He fails to understand the fact that illicit drugs are addictive. I do not believe that such drugs could be regulated because one develops a craving for more of the drug as one uses them. This only means that one would take more of the substance in order to satisfy the need. The other problem is that an individual who is dependent on the drug may not regulate its use because this would lead to withdrawal symptoms. Drugs may also lead to health issues (Block, 1996).
I also do not agree with Friedman’s view on the drug issue. He argues that legalizing drugs would lead to a reduction in the number of criminal activities. I believe that this is the exact opposite because drugs may only increase crime since individuals may require stealing in order to have money to purchase drugs.
Conclusion
The issue of whether to legalize drugs or not has been a global dilemma. Various individuals and states support their legalization as others fight against it. I join hands in the fight against drugs because of the harmful effects associated with it. The use of drugs leads to addiction and abuse. They also contribute to violent acts and crime. Attempts to stop using the drugs also lead to withdrawal symptoms, which is harmful to the individual. Therefore, drugs should never be legalized.
References
Benjamin, D. K., & Miller, R. (1991). Undoing Drugs: Beyond Legalization. New York: Basic Books.
Block, W. (1996). Drug Prohibition and Individual Virtue. Review of Political Economy, 8(4), 433–436.
Thornton, M. (2007). Legalization: Do economists reach a conclusion on drug policy. The Independent Review, 11(3), 417-433.
Woo, E. (2012, March 3). James Q. Wilson dies at 80: Pioneer in broken windows approach to improve policing. The Los Angeles Times, p. 1.