REGULATE ILLEGAL DRUGS INSTEAD OF INCREASING COMBATIVE MEASURES

Illegal drug use is a serious problem the United States. According to
the American College of Emergency Physicians, "Despite the nation's
drug prevention efforts, about 16 million Americans currently use
drugs, and 5.6 million people meet the criteria for needing drug
treatment. About 93 million Americans reported using an illegal drug
at least once in their lives and 28 million had used an illegal drug
in the past year." Another interesting fact is that "Americans spent
about $36 billion on cocaine, $11 billion on marijuana, $10 billion on
heroin, $5.4 billion on methamphetamines, and $2.4 billion on other
illegal substances in 2000."

What is the United States doing to address the horrendous numbers? The
war on drugs has mainly meant tougher laws and longer prison
sentences. Are legal and punitive efforts, rigid laws and imprisonment
with no rehabilitative measures ways to combat the lure of drug culture?

People turn to drugs and drug dealing for many reasons; most of the
incentives to do drugs are psychological and social. Depression,
hopelessness and peer pressure are a few factors that make illegal
drugs attractive to users. Once a person has tried hard drugs a few
times, addiction sets in. Addicts must continue to use drugs to
prevent withdrawal and sickness.

Many people that don't have means to more income will start selling
drugs or making drug labs to survive. This isn't just people in
inner-cities or impoverished areas. Many of the nation's meth labs are
in small-town Indiana.

How can the United States really win the war on drugs?

The obvious solution is to make illegal drugs legal. Legalizing drugs
would destroy drug culture. Why would anyone buy drugs from a dealer
who may have used Drano to make his meth, when one could go to a
pharmacist who made sure the drug was safely made?

The bottom line is, people are going to use drugs, so why not regulate
illegal drugs and ensure that people are consuming drugs in ways that
are not life threatening? The drugs that are illegal today have only
been so recently. Cocaine and heroin were socially acceptable,
prescribed drugs during the 19th century.