Drug legalization is a hotly debated topic in today s society. Proponents of this plan state that it will put drug dealers out of business and take away the rebellious allure that causes many young people to take drugs. This theory could not be farther from the truth. If illegal drugs were legalized, drug dealers would be brought to the forefront of one of the fastest growing industries in history. They would form giant corporations and make much more money if people could freely buy drugs whenever they want. While many psychologists like to believe that kids take drugs to rebel against their parents, they really simply want to get high. Maybe it is partly a form of rebellion initially, but those kids who do drugs regularly do so because they like the way it makes them feel. If these drugs are legalized, kids will not quit just because it is not as rebellious of a thing to do. Furthermore, by legalizing drugs, the government indirectly tells young people that they are not all that bad. Even some kids who were afraid of breaking the law and screwing up their lives will be enticed to experiment when they see packs of marijuana joints and bags of cocaine sitting in the checkout line in the supermarket. Finally, like alcohol, illegal drugs will alter one s state of mind and increase the likelihood of committing crimes. As it is right now, drugs are a leading cause of violence. Imagine what a violent world it would be if these drugs were widely available.

People like to say that drug dealers would go under if market prices for drugs decreased due to their legality. For small time middleman drug dealers, this is true. However, the largest drug dealers in the nation would thrive off being able to sell directly to consumers. Drug legalization would make billionaires out of the most evil drug dealers in our country. Does anyone ever stop and think why it is drug users who are the main group pushing for legalization? It is definitely in their best interest. Get rid of the middleman and they can buy more drugs for less. Is that what we really want?

There is also the argument that kids only do drugs because of the thrill they get out of breaking the law. True, this is a cause of drug use, but the real reason kids continue doing drugs is because it gets them high. This obviously cannot be eliminated. Its illegality needs to be enforced rigorously. This is the only true way to prevent drug use; give kids tougher and more likely consequences. Legalizing drugs will only make it easier for kids to get high and it will cause the more cautious kids to now experiment with drugs.

By legalizing drugs, the government indirectly tells people that drugs are not all that bad. When have you ever been able to buy something in a supermarket that can kill you? People will trust their government s judgment and start to believe that if they can be purchased at a store, drugs must not be as bad as once thought.

Finally, drugs are a leading cause of violence, rape, and automobile accidents. If they are legalized, they will obviously lead to increased usage, which will consequently lead to a huge increase in violence, rape, and automobile accidents. This simple logic needs to be recognized by politicians. Drug legalization would be devastating to the welfare of the country.

The ill effects of drug legalization far outweigh any benefits it may cause. It would make business tycoons out of large drug dealers. It, of course, would not make anyone stop doing drugs, and would also encourage others to experiment. Legalizing drugs makes them seem to be ok and perhaps not as detrimental to one s health as before. It would also cause a giant increase in crime due to the probable increase in drug-related incidents. There are no definite benefits of legalizing drugs and several definite drawbacks. There is a reason why some drugs have been made illegal. They are extremely detrimental to society in many ways. Legalizing them would only increase the amount of drug use in the country, thereby increasing the many ill effects that accompany such drugs.