Drugs Are a Major Social Problem, We Cant Legalize Them

Lee P. Brown was the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under
President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1997.
Illegal drugs continue to be a major problem in America. They will never be legalized, and they
should not be.
Advocates of legalization argue that drug prohibition only makes things worse. They argue that
crime, the spread of HIV, and violence are major consequences of drug prohibition. But these
represent only part of the damage caused by drug use. Consider drug-exposed infants, drug-
induced accidents, and loss of productivity and employment, not to mention the breakdown of
families and the degeneration of drug-inflicted neighborhoods. These too are consequences of
drugs.
Others argue that drugs affect only the user. This is wrong. No one familiar with alcohol abuse
would suggest that alcoholism affects the user solely. And no one who works with drug addicts
will tell you that their use of drugs has not affected othersusually family and friends.
Some argue that drug enforcement should be replaced by a policy of "harm reduction," which
emphasizes decriminalization and medical treatment over law enforcement and interdiction. But
people do not use drugs simply because they are illegal. Equally significant, effective
enforcement reduces drug supply, increases price, lowers the number of users, and decreases
hard-core drug use. There is an inverse relationship between the price of cocaine and the number
of people seeking emergency room treatment.
Legalization advocates claim widespread support. But the fact is that there is no broad public or
political outcry for the decriminalization of drugs.
Contrary to what the advocates of legalization say about the European models, decriminalization
has not worked there. The Dutch policy of "responsible" drug use has resulted in thousands of
foreigners going to the Netherlands to buy drugs. These users then commit crimes to support
their habits and drain Dutch taxpayers to provide treatment for their addictions. The number of
marijuana and heroin users has increased significantly.
The British experience of controlled distribution of heroin resulted in the doubling of the number
of recorded new addicts every 16 months between 1960 and 1967. That experiment was ended.
A 1994 resolution opposing drug legalization in Europe that was signed by representatives of
several European cities stated in part that "the answer does not lie in making harmful drugs more
accessible, cheaper and socially acceptable. Attempts to do this have not proven successful."
Supply and demand. An effective drug policy must focus on reducing the demand for drugs
through prevention, education, and treatment without overlooking enforcement and working with
source countries. That was the policy that I developed while serving as the nation's "drug czar"
under President Clinton. The formula is simple: no demand, no supply.
In 1988, the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control, chaired by Rep. Charles
Rangel, a New York Democrat, held hearings on the possible legalization of drugs. The
questions asked by Rangel then are equally relevant today: Which drugs would we legalize
heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, and PCP, as well as marijuana? What would we do with
addicts? Would we support their habit for life or pay for their treatment? What would we do
about those who are only experimenting? Would legalization contribute to their addiction? What
would prevent a black market from emerging?
Because these and other questions cannot be answered to the satisfaction of the U.S. public and
our lawmakers, America will never legalize drugs.
Legalization does not get to the problem's core. In seeking to satisfy the few, it subverts the best
interests of all. In purporting to provide a quick, simple, costless cure for crime and violence, it
fails to answer why more drug availability would not lead to more drug use and more devastating
consequences.
We must, however, change our drug policy and view drug use as a public health problem, not
just a problem for the criminal justice system.













Drugs Are a Major Social Problem, We Cant Legalize Them

Lee P. Brown on his article drugs are major social problem, we cant legalize them
said that Drugs become are major problem in America. Its caused the effect of using drugs, and
it wont legalize. Many people think that, drugs only make trouble in live. Not only for user, but
also for others people and environment. Some people argue, in America only need reduce drug
supply because it can make reduce user of drugs. In some countries in Europe, drugs are
legalized, such as dutch, Netherlands, etc. America not have a concret role about drugs, what
kinds of drugs can be legalized, what is function, what are effects of using it, etc. people and
government should be know abaout drugs more. I think we should know firstly about details of
drugs, so we can devide it, legalize or not.
Advocates of legalization argue that drugs only make trouble in live. They said no
positive effect of drugs. Crime, spread of HIV, etc, caused by drugs. But we must be ctitical
about that. Who use it? What for he or she use it? Of course drugs have negative effect such as
above. Maybe drugs have more negative effect than positive effect. But we cant claim that it
only have negative effect and only make things worse. It also have positive effect, maybe in
medical, etc.
Many kind of drugs, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, PCP, marijuana. We have to
know what for that drugs respectively. Example heroin. In Wikipedia.org/wiki/heroin explain
that heroin is an opioid analgesic synthesized by C.R. Alder Wright in 1874 by adding two acetyl
groups to the molecule morphine, found in the opium poppy. It has name (5,6)-7,8-
didehydro-4,5-epoxy-17-methylmorphinan-3,6-diol diacetate and molecule formula
C
21
H
23
NO
5

. First, it used as a medicine. But, it have risk when we use it without control of
doctor. This is one of example the function of drug. About the risk, it is a reasonable, because all
of medicines from chemistry substances certainly have effect. So we cant say drugs only make
worse.
Some argue about solution of using drug is harm reduction. This method for decrease
user of drug which emphasizes decriminalization and medical treatment over law enforcement
and interdiction. It is a good solution, but this is cant reduce negative effect for user if the user
dont know about drugs. America just need how the negative effect of using drug is decrease in
environment and for user, or maybe no negative effect.
We cant claim drugs just from negative side and said that it cant be legalized. We must be a
intelligent and critical person. The best way I think are knowing the drugs, and make a rule
firmly about using the drugs because drugs have negative impact, but it also have positive side.
Example is in medical, etc.