Drugs

Introduction

This study is about drugs. In this study I will talk about definition of drugs, history and choices. In this study I will also highlight various alternatives and pros and cons of this issue. Finally, this study will give us a short conclusion that what we have done yet and what should we do now.

Definition

A drug, generally speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily task. (http://www.gargaro.com/drugs.html)

History

The United States has continuously been fighting a losing war on drugs, spending billions of dollars and imprisoning seemingly innocent individuals. There is minimal evidence that drug use and possession has decreased because of what our government has spent on the war. Many valid points have been brought up by various professionals on whether or not this battle should continue to be fought in the same way, and what benefits and disadvantages legalizing certain drugs could bring our society.

First, there are reasons that should be considered in the defense of continuing the war. For the past few decades, American society has been obsessed with healthy lifestyles. If we are so concerned with healthy living, then why stop the war on drugs or attempt to legalize them? Drugs have been made illegal because of their intoxicating effects on the brain, damaging impact on the body, and potential for abuse. Their use threatens the health, welfare, and safety of all people. If America were to discontinue this battle against drugs, it would also take away many job opportunities throughout the country. The entire DEA force would be out of employment, and there would be less of a need for police officers. Another reason to continue fighting this battle is to prevent the amount of abuse that would occur if drugs were made legal. If illicit drugs such as heroin and marijuana were as easy to get a hold of as alcohol and tobacco, there would be an increase in usage, especially by the younger population. There would be no incentives for people to not get involved with drugs because there would be no more punishments for it.

Alternatives

Alternatively, the war on drugs has wasted more of our government's money than any other single war that America has been involved in. Billions of dollars have been dealt out chasing suspected drug dealers and housing non-violent drug offenders in prisons. For example, because of the war on drugs, State and Federal prisons can no longer afford to house violent criminals for appropriate amounts of time. In one specific case in 1997, Lamar Gray purchased a pound of marijuana from an undercover informant, was arrested and fined $25,000, then sentenced to life in prison without parole. The same year, a man raped and mutilated a teenage girl, leaving her in the desert to die, and received the maximum penalty of 14 years, of which he only served. America's prison system could not afford to house the murderer, but found a way to house a simple criminal imprisoned with the possession of ...