Should Drugs be Legalized?

FIRST: FREEDOM

1. Taking drugs is an individual's choice.

2.Those who want to use drugs do so even if they are illegal.

3. State like dictatorship.

Others unhealthy habits are not prohibited

If you are going to punish drug users simply because it is unhealthy then you need to punish…

1. Mac Donald’s and Burger King fast food 2. People who do not exercise

Fatty foods

There are other products such as alcohol and tobacco; ridiculous reality shows, Internet addiction… also They cause damage and are legal.

Internet addiction

Second: The prohibition didn’t work and doesn’t work

Do you remember?

1. The underworld became big business in the United States when alcohol was prohibited.

2.Legalizing drugs would eliminate this huge income source from under organized crime.

3. Resources used in the fight against drugs could be used in education.

And what is the worst aspect of this prohibition?

Generations of young people have been introduced to criminality

1. More crime than ever before!

What are the effects of the Prohibition of Drugs after 40 years plus of prohibition?

3. More addicts than ever before!

2. More anti social behaviour than ever before!

4. More drug related deaths than ever before!

5. More addicts than ever before!

Opium production in Afghanistan, 1980-2005. Based on United Nations data

Third: The Drug against war isn't working

The official number of deaths attributed to organized crime-related violence in 2010 (15.273) was almost six times higher than the total in 2007.

1. Classify drugs

The solution to the War on Drugs is so obvious : Legalization . But, How?

2. Legal age

3. Treat Addiction as an illness

4. Make it illegal for anyone to supply drugs to minors

5. Tax drugs will be used training in schools, medical/pharmaceutical

6. Impose harsh penalties (large fines, community service and imprisonment) on anyone who causes harm to anyone else while under the influence of drugs

7. Re-education and community service (a substantial amount of it-like 2 years)

8. Legalization should be done in steps.

9. For new drugs we need to provide users with good information so they don’t kill themselves.

The War on Drugs Is a Failure

Leaders call for legalizing drugs

Open Letter to UN Secretary General

Kofi Annan, June 1, 1998

Fourth: Legalizing Drugs Will Reduce Organized Crime

1. Drug trafficking is a millionaire business

2. It puts production and sales in control of governments instead of guerrillas and dealers.

3. Drug legalization would free up police resources to fight non-drug related crimes against people and property.

4.The Drug-related crime goes away if the business is legitimized

5. Availability to minors

Fifth: Legal drugs would be safer. Legalization is a consumer protection

issue.

2. The use of drugs could be monitored by medical professionals depending upon the drug. 

1. Today, the consumer of drugs literally doesn't know what he's buying.

3. Guaranteed levels of purity

4. Pharmaceutical prescription: EVERY TIME YOU USE IT…

Excise Taxes on Drugs1.Would decrease supply of the drug ( excise tax is an additional cost of production)

2. Level of tax should be correlated with the drug’s harmful public health effects

3. Decrease in supply caused by excise tax causes an increase in drug’s price and a decrease in its use

4. Revenues from excise tax could be earmarked for treatment and education programs

Sixht : Legalization would stabilize foreign countries and

make them safer for residents and travellers.

1. Reduce corruption of officials.

2. Legalizing drugs would make our streets and homes safer.

3.Unclog the court system. 3.Unclog the court system.

4. End prison overcrowding.

Legalization of Other Victimless Crimes

1. Economic analysis of legalization of drugs can also be applied to other so-called victimless crimes

• Prostitution???????????????????????????????????????

• Robbery, burglary, …

2. Equilibrium quantity would undoubtedly increase with legalization, but regulation and taxation for regulatory purposes might well be more efficient than prohibition

• But social issues related to legalization may outweigh economic issues

Regulation through Economic Policies

Economists who favor drug legalization or decriminalization often argue:

– Greater percentage of government expenditures on drug-related programs should be directed toward demand-side treatment and education programs

– System of excise taxes (tax applied to purchase of a specific good or service) can be levied on legal drugs

Seventh :Legalization would slow the spread of AIDS and other

diseases.

1. Legalizing drugs would eliminate the motivation to restrict the sale of hypodermic needles

Harvard economics professor Jeffrey

Jeffrey Miron on CNN discussing Marijuana Legalization

Legalize Drugs to Save Our Lives

PROBLEM

what are all of the drug cartels and

other organized crime groups going

to do when drugs are legalized?