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How Legalization Affects Public Drug legalization has become one of the most acute problems that divides our society in two enemy camps that are always at odds and can not reconcile to work out some reasonable common solution. Of course, it is not easy for proponents or opponents of drug legalization to change their mind and accept the contrary opinion, but we should remember that our ambitions will lead to nowhere. It is high time to think about our next generations taking into account our history and the experience of our neighbors. Many proponents of drug legalization claim that marijuana is not so harmful as alcohol and tobacco that are legalized. It is well known that alcohol is the main factor that contributes to most traffic deaths, violent crimes, robberies and murders.
Tobacco, as estimated by the British medical journal, Lancet, is the cause of death for 20 percent of the people in the developed world. Nevertheless, we should not overlook the fact that a dose of cocaine or marijuana is much more dangerous than a drink of alcohol. Studies suggest that alcohol has an addiction rate of 10 %, whereas cocaine has an addiction rate as high as 75 %. From the economic point of view drug legalization is considered to increase the tax revenue.
But according to the research made by the Institute for Health Policy, Brandeis University, total tax revenue from the sale of alcohol is $ 13. 1 billion a year, but alcohol extracts over $ 100 billion a year in social costs such as health care and lost productivity. It is very unlikely that drugs will significantly increase the total tax revenue, but the damages from their use will be huge. Claiming that decriminalizing drugs will reduce the number of crimes proves our shortsightedness. According to the experience of California where marijuana was decriminalized in 1976, within the first six months arrests for driving under the influence of drugs rose 46 percent for adults and 71. 4 percent for juveniles. Decriminalizing marijuana in Alaska and Oregon in the 1970 s resulted in the doubling of use. Those who suggest that drug legalization will eliminate the black market, should keep in mind that legalization will only deteriorate the situation and will foster the development of the black market of those drugs that will not be legalized.
The experience of other countries is often cited as successful, but most European countries admitted that after legalization the number of drug addicts has increased drastically. In Netherlands where marijuana is legalized and the police seldom arrest cocaine and heroin users officials blame the significant rise in crime on the liberal drug policy. The city's 7, 000 addicts are blamed for 80 percent of all property crime and according to the statistics Amsterdam's rate of burglary is now twice that of Newark, New Jersey. Drug problems have forced the city to increase the size of the police force and the city fathers are now rethinking the drug policy. The allegation that drugs can be helpful in treatment of many diseases was discredited by numerous scientific researches. Philip Lee, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, announced in July 1994, "The scientific evidence doesn't support using marijuana to treat glaucoma or nausea caused by AIDS or cancer treatment. " The DEA reports that marijuana is not accepted as medicine by a single American health association.
Dr. Mark Gold, a recognized expert on cocaine, states, "Whereas one out of ten alcohol users become alcoholics, one out of four users of cocaine become addicted. If, for example, cocaine becomes legalized and use rose from 6 million to 60 million, this would mean we would have 15 million addicts in need of treatment, without prospects for a complete cure, constantly relapsing. " These numerous facts prove the necessity of keeping drugs forbidden. The majority of our population that cares for the future of our nation understands this and supports the laws preventing drug legalization. Despite the fact that a unanimous decision can not be taken yet, the mere presence of this deep argument testifies that our people are not indifferent to the problems of vital importance. That means that public awareness has improved of late and it happened due to easy access to various sources of information that help people deeply understand the core of the problem and on the basis of their knowledge frame their own opinion.
References: 1. Maginnis, Robert L. Legalization Of Drugs: The Myths And The Facts. Family Research Council. 28 Apr. 2004 < web > 2. U.
S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Drug Legalization: Myths and Misconceptions. Seattle: U. S. Department of Justice. 1994. 28 Apr. 2004 < web >
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