Decriminalization Of Drugs Essay

A distinction needs to be made between decriminalization and legalization, as these two are not the same but are often used interchangeably. Decriminalization is when an act is no longer a criminal offense, while legalization is when an action is now permitted under the law. Just because an act is decriminalized does not necessarily mean that it is legal. The decriminalization of drugs has been at the forefront of public debate for over 50 years due to the War on Drugs that began in the 1970s under the Nixon Administration. However, based on my personal experience and research, I do not support the statement that “the decriminalization of drugs will be a social and financial benefit to the general U.S. population in the years ahead.” This statement

Then it would make sense that the number of overdoses and overdose deaths would also increase. Deterrence theory states that criminal penalties punish those violating laws and deter or discourage others from committing the same crimes. Based on the deterrence theory, drug use would undoubtedly increase if decriminalization occurred (MacCoun, 1993). There would not be a deterrent in place to discourage drug use. An overdose death or overdose does not only affect the person that dies or overdoses but also has lasting effects on that person’s family and friends. “Drug use is not a victimless crime” (McCaffrey, 1999). Often, an entire community is affected; therefore, this senseless crime has many victims. McCaffrey discusses other repercussions of drug use, such as increased child abuse and neglect, drugged driving accidents, workplace accidents, and decreased productivity (McCaffrey, 1999). Decriminalization would encourage experimentation and make it easier to access dangerous drugs. Therefore, the decriminalization of drugs would not be a social benefit to the U.S. population. However, decriminalization advocates argue that society would benefit because the black market for drugs would be significantly reduced. A sizeable criminal presence comes with this underground economy, and drugs obtained by recreational users must be obtained from

However, secretive behavior would not be necessary if drugs were decriminalized, and the drug culture would disappear. In the last several years, there has been a marketing campaign to “sell the American public legalization by normalizing drugs through a process designed to erode societal disapproval” (McCaffrey, 1999). There is an attempt to make drugs accepted in society, no longer frowned upon, and to decrease the stigma associated with drug use. Proponents of decriminalization will refer to harm reduction to attempt to confuse the American public. Actual harm reduction can be a proper treatment program, not a scheme with no scientific backing (McCaffrey, 1999). Harm reduction theory is a methodology to help drug addicts prevent overdoses or other harm. Based on Gallup polls from 2021, 90% of Americans still believe drugs are a serious problem. These numbers have gone virtually unchanged in the last 20 years, as illustrated in Table 2 (Gallup World Headquarters,