CRIMINALIZATION BEST DETERRENT AGAINST DRUGS

Students for a Sensible Drug Policy is a group dedicated to changing
the way our legal system deals with drug users. However, it is hard to
see how there could be any sensible way of dealing with drug users
other than punishing them as criminals. Drug users cannot live as
responsible citizens due to their addiction and the danger attached to
it.

The SSDP's value statement says, "because the War on Drugs has
historically been justified as necessary to protect youth, it is our
responsibility as young people to stop this harmful war from being
waged in our names any longer. As scholars, we seek solutions to
society's drug problems through focused research, honest dialogue and
informed debate rather than unquestioned extremism, punishment, and
propaganda."

The current president of UConn's chapter, Don Halas, believes that if
the government regulated drug use and distribution, the environment
for the drug user would be safer than buying drugs off the street. In
addition, the government could also see how much any particular person
uses. Halas said their "goal is to make drug addictions into more of a
health issue than a criminal issue."

SSDP's argument for government drug regulation is often compared to
the use of alcohol and all the laws controlling its distribution and
consumption. While alcohol is well known as a drug, there are many
socially accepted instances where drinking occurs, such as in a
restaurant with your dinner. It can, of course, be abused and cause
danger for the person drinking and others in the vicinity, but there
are many people of legal age who do not drink in excess, and instead
only for enjoyment. However, while alcohol is regulated by the
government, the laws are broken many times a day. People still drive
while intoxicated, sell liquor to minors and no one can regulate how
much a person drinks per day.

There are enough drugs controlled by doctors and the government that
are already abused. Many painkillers can easily be obtained by
prescription and used for enjoyment rather than to dull pain.
Pharmacists can determine how many prescriptions are acceptable for a
person at a time, but they will never know how many drugs the patient
took per day, or if they were going to sell the pills to someone else.
In addition, many drugs prescribed to curb the cravings of drug
addicts can cause more harm than good. Methadone is a narcotic that
can be used to reduce the withdrawal symptoms in people previously
addicted to heroin or other narcotics. One of the warnings says not to
use while driving or performing any activity where one is required to
be awake or alert. It can also be habit-forming and become an
addiction in itself.

There is no way to logically argue that drug use can be regulated by
the government, or even a pharmacist, to make drugs safer for the
user. It is more important to protect the people around the addict and
this is where criminalization comes into play. Although many laws and
regulations would come with regulated drug use, as with alcohol, it
will not help to control its use or protect anyone from harm. It is
critical to penalize teenagers and young adults for drug use. The
earlier they see the destructive effects drugs will have on their
lives, the better off they will be later on when they have familes and
real responsibilities.

Criminalization should be seen as a deterrent and the most effective
way to help them in the future. The SSDP says health issues and
education should be the most important tools to facilitate change in
young adults caught with drugs. While attention should be given to
health issues and education, punishment should be the first response.

The SSDP does not promote drug use in any way. They just try to make
drugs safer for the users. However, we should really be focusing on
protecting those that are in danger because of the drug users, rather
than making drugs more accessible.