Post by Amanda Kogut-Rosenau on Feb 18, 2016 21:14:42 GMT
What is your point of view?
I believe that drugs should be legalized and regulated.
· What are your reasons for supporting the point of view?
The current crime and punishment approach has not reduced drug use. According the CDC, in 2002 8.3% of the population over the age of 12 admitted to using illegal drugs, this number increased to 9.4% in 2014.
Drug use and abuse are a matter of public health and can best be addressed in this context. If drugs were legalized, this would greatly reduce the “black market” for drugs and provide public health regulations for their safe manufacture, purchase and use. Additionally substance use is a documented disease and those with this disease should have access to medical care and treatment that the current crime and punishment environment does not support.
· Why do you think that?
Currently anyone of any age can buy drugs. According to the Center for Addiction 90% of people with a substance abuse problem began using drugs before they were 18. By legalizing drugs and establishing a buying age, society could better control the access young people have to drugs.
According to the CDC in the period 2010-2014 there was an 18% increase in deaths caused by drug overdose.
There is a great variance of the quality of drugs one can purchase; many drugs are combined with other toxic and harmful substances. Regulating the quality of the product produce would insure that drug users we not unknowingly ingesting toxins.
There is little public education about drugs—how to use them safely, how to avoid overdose, what drugs should not be combined. Stronger public education will reduce the number of deaths and long-term disabilities associated with combining or overdosing on drugs.
In 2010 the Center on Addiction found that 85% of the prison population met the threshold for substance abuse disorders, but only 11% received treatment. Legalizing drugs would reduce the number of individuals incarcerated for drug related crimes and improved regulation and public health education could insure better connection to treatment.
Finally, regulating drugs would allow for the government to collect revenue through taxation. This revenue could then be applied to the costs associated with drug treatment and education—things we already pay for.
· Are there different perspectives on the issue?
There are different perspectives on this issue. Some people feel that no drugs
should be legal, others feel that all drugs should be legal and not regulated at all.
I believe that drugs should be legalized and regulated.
· What are your reasons for supporting the point of view?
The current crime and punishment approach has not reduced drug use. According the CDC, in 2002 8.3% of the population over the age of 12 admitted to using illegal drugs, this number increased to 9.4% in 2014.
Drug use and abuse are a matter of public health and can best be addressed in this context. If drugs were legalized, this would greatly reduce the “black market” for drugs and provide public health regulations for their safe manufacture, purchase and use. Additionally substance use is a documented disease and those with this disease should have access to medical care and treatment that the current crime and punishment environment does not support.
· Why do you think that?
Currently anyone of any age can buy drugs. According to the Center for Addiction 90% of people with a substance abuse problem began using drugs before they were 18. By legalizing drugs and establishing a buying age, society could better control the access young people have to drugs.
According to the CDC in the period 2010-2014 there was an 18% increase in deaths caused by drug overdose.
There is a great variance of the quality of drugs one can purchase; many drugs are combined with other toxic and harmful substances. Regulating the quality of the product produce would insure that drug users we not unknowingly ingesting toxins.
There is little public education about drugs—how to use them safely, how to avoid overdose, what drugs should not be combined. Stronger public education will reduce the number of deaths and long-term disabilities associated with combining or overdosing on drugs.
In 2010 the Center on Addiction found that 85% of the prison population met the threshold for substance abuse disorders, but only 11% received treatment. Legalizing drugs would reduce the number of individuals incarcerated for drug related crimes and improved regulation and public health education could insure better connection to treatment.
Finally, regulating drugs would allow for the government to collect revenue through taxation. This revenue could then be applied to the costs associated with drug treatment and education—things we already pay for.
· Are there different perspectives on the issue?
There are different perspectives on this issue. Some people feel that no drugs
should be legal, others feel that all drugs should be legal and not regulated at all.