Explanation of Views

That drugs should be legalized.

There are great numbers of people in Australia who believe that legalizing hard-drugs, such as heroin, speed, cocaine etc, would improve the drug problem. This may be a true statement, however such legalization is yet to be proven, and can cause some severe consequences, which outweigh the possible benefits. Such consequences include an increase in uncontrolled use and thus increases in overdosing and intravenous (I.V.) transmitted diseases.

For several decades drugs have been one of the major problems of society. There have been escalating costs spent on the war against drugs and countless dollars spent on rehabilitation, but the problem still exists. Not only has the drug problem increased but drug related problems are on the rise. Drug abuse is a killer in Australia. Some are born addicts, with the addiction being passed on from mother to child, while others become users.

The result of drug abuse is thousands of addicts in denial, of which some have had to resort to crime to support the drug habit. One controversial solution is the proposal of legalizing drugs. Although people feel that legalizing drugs would lessen crime, it would not solve the theft of items to support the drugs only the crime of consumption. Drugs should remain illegal in Australia because there would be an increase of drug abuse and a rapid increase of diseases such as AIDS.

The belief that legalizing drugs would lessen crime exists in many communities. They point out that the legalization of drugs would deter future criminal acts and they emphasize prohibition. When the public realized that Prohibition could not be enforced the law was removed. This is true of alcohol, however drugs should not be legalized because there would be an increase in drug abuse due to its availability, of which there was little before. Once legalized, drugs would become cheaper and more accessible to people who previously had not tried drugs, because of the high price or the legal risk. Addicts who tend to stop, not by choice, but because the drugs aren't accessible would now feed the addiction if drugs were made legal. These drug addicts would not be forced to kick the habit due to the availability of the drug they would partake eagerly. The temptation to use drugs would increase when news reports of cocaine, heroin and speed’s legalization are shown on television and in newspapers. Instead of money used by employed addicts, you will see welfare funds used to purchase drugs. If welfare funds were to be misused, a major problem in the economy could occur.

Health officials have shown that the legalization of drugs would cause a rapid increase of diseases such as AIDS. AIDS poses a growing threat to addicts, and thus to society as a whole. The virus that causes AIDS is growing, due to drug addicts who share needles and syringes. The sharing of such needles by intravenous drug users helps increase the spread of AIDS. The problem is the sharing of needles, which is causing the spread of AIDS. IV drug abusers are killing people all over the world at an amazingly fast speed. AIDS, which surfaced in the 1970’s, is now on the rise and even more deadly to IV drug users. The sharing of needles must be stopped. Drugs should not be legalized.

Although people feel that legalizing drugs would lessen crime, drugs should remain illegal in Australia because there would be an increase of drug abuse and a rapid increase of diseases such as AIDS. Australia can not afford such a problem. Drug abuse has gotten worse, with its effects on addicted babies, drug addicts, and the I.V. user. There must be education for the survival of Australia, not legalization.

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