during the Vietnam War, thousands of soldiers became addicted, and when they returned home, 85 percent quit within one year
OK, but if it would be easier to get drugs, maybe more people would continue. In order to get a hold of some heroin a person must go out and have encounters with shady characters, break the law, risk arrest etc. Most normal people don't like that. If they didn't have to go through all this nonsense, many more would remain users. With legal restrictions removed, social taboo's would weaken. Maybe most became addicts in Vietnam because drugs were available - and using them was felt to be acceptable.
I've seen many people end up dead from overdosing. What's to stop "legalized" drug users from pushing their luck? How many among us didn't have a drink (or 3 or 5) too many in our lives? Alcohol continues to destroy millions of lives - after we are familiar with it for thousands of years.
Another objection, in my mind an important one, is - where do we draw the line, if at all? Forget about old fashioned heroin and pot - what about new designer stuff which is - or will become - more fun, and very cheap? Do we want to see people walk around with little apparatuses implanted in the "pleasure centers" of their brains, permanently high? For, if we ARE to draw the line somewhere, why not leave it where it is now? And if ALL restrictions are off, are we ready to face a world which may prove to look quite unfamiliar to its todays inhabitants? |
