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should drug use be decriminalized

should drug use be decriminalized To begin examining this statement, one should first examine what drugs purposes are and if they have a worthy enough purpose to be excepted into society. Drugs such as Marijuana have been legalized for strictly medical purposes only. Marijuana has been found to treat the nausea suffered by cancer patients and also treat the wasting of AIDS patients. Both fatal diseases with no cures. But what effects overall does Marijuana and other elicit drugs have and are these effects mild enough and worth subjecting to those who are non-terminally ill? The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign provides information and descriptions on the six most popular illegal drugs used in America. Ranging from Marijuana to Crystal Meth. Marijuana, the most common used illegal drug, interferes with memory, learning, and attention. Marijuana also impairs judgment and reaction time. A study done recently in Memphis, Tennessee showed that one out of every three drivers stopped for reckless driving were high on marijuana. 15% of accident victims also had been smoking marijuana. Smoking 1 to 3 marijuana cigarettes is equal to up to 15 regular cigarettes including up to 15 times the lung cancer risk. Cocaine, also known as crack, comes from coca plant leaves found in South America. Cocaine, which is processed into a white powder can be snorted or melted and injected. When it is smoked it is then referred to as “crack”. The sharing of needles for injection purposes result in a high risk of diseases including AIDS. Activists who are Pro decriminalization argue that legalization will help to promote safe drug usage by creating centers to distribute clean supplies, such as needles. This is incremental to eliminating diseases caused by unclean needles, but what about the diseases caused by Cocaine is an extremely addicted drug. It interferes with judgment and emotions and users can even become aggressive and violent. In few cases results in death, from either cardiac arrest or seizures leading up to respiratory arrest. Users are also unable to take care of themselves properly and suffer from malnutrition. The actual effect of cocaine is the killing of the brain’s nerve cells, resulting in a higher dosage needed each Ecstasy, which has rapidly been growing more popular at party scenes, is a synthetic drug with both hallucinogenic and amphetamine like properties. Ecstasy causes the heart rate to increase, increasing blood pressure, nausea, blurred vision, faintness, chills, sweating, confusion, depression, sleep problems, craving, severe anxiety, paranoia, and psychotic episodes. If that isn’t already overwhelming enough, add to the fact that ecstasy not only kills the nerve branches in the brain, but also makes them re-grow abnormally,(reconnecting in other and wrong areas). These reconnections may be permanent which results in changing emotions, learning disability, memory, and Heroin is an depressant that can be smoked, inhaled, or injected under the skin or in a vein. Low doses of heroin have such effects that depress the nervous system including reflex functions such as coughing, breathing and heart rate. With higher doses, or even an over dose, the user may go in a coma and may possibly die from respiratory failure. Heroin becomes extremely dangerous if it is taken with other depressants, such as alcohol. Users feel a dependence upon heroin in order to achieve a fix, “in order to As for the Natural Liberty introduced by Liberal Philosophers, one should; preserve life, protect property, and avoid shame. Most of all, one should avoid harming oneself and others. Drugs, such as the ones mentioned above, definitely do not preserve ones life, can very well bring upon shame if one is addicted and is no longer able to maintain an income, and can place others in a great deal of danger. By the libertarian view, no way should drugs be accepted into society. In Anarchism, each being should strive to achieve a higher level of life, a moral autonomy. Without being subjected to laws and institutions, anarchists believe that one will be able to grow morally. Although, anarchists would reject the idea of any sort of law, prohibiting the use of drugs, they would also reject the use of drugs, because drugs are capable of destroying ones life and subjecting them to human captivity. People should own their own body and life, drugs can not offer a “natural life process” in which we should live in order to achieve a natural change. Traditional Conservatives also reject the ideal of drug usage, because users will place a burden on society if they are unable to work, and begin to have physical, mental Ethan A. Nadelmann, who refers to legalization as the, “Commonsense drug policy” claims that by decriminalizing drug use, harm will actually be reduced. Although the only harm that could possibly be reduced is the harm the user takes upon them self, protecting them against unclean needles and the tampering of the packed drugs. Helping those who want to, “shoot up heroin safely” able to go to their nearest drug clinic and pick up their sterile supplies. Nadelmann admits that, “drug abuse is a serious problem”, but society should have a more open attitude in order to take control of the situation. Nadelmann also claims that decriminalization is the key to lower the crime rate. To argue this one would have to believe that drugs, do not cause violence, but violence comes from depriving a drug addict of drugs. To make the child stop crying, do you give Whether or not legalization would reduce crime, the risk of creating more drug users is just too high. Many people do not do drugs, because they are illegal. More importantly, legalizing drugs would likely increase physical illness and create a handicap in which many would be unable to work. Physical abuse, which in most cases is related to drug use would increase, and over all the nations problems would surely sky rocket. All great enough reasons why drug use should not be decriminalized. Bibliography: (none)

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