I affirm: Resolved: The abuse of illegal drugs ought to be treated as a matter of public health, not of criminal justice.
I define the following key terms:
Treated- to act or behave toward (a person) in some specified way to consider or regard in a specified way, and deal with accordingly:
2. to consider or regard in a specified way, and deal with accordingly
3.to deal with (a disease, patient, etc.) in order to relieve or cure. (dictionary.com)
Public health- health services to improve and protect community health
Criminal justice- the system of law enforcement, involving police, lawyers, courts, and corrections, used for all stages of criminal proceedings and punishment. (dictionary.com)
It is important to remember that …show more content…
Legalization of drugs would decrease the amount of harm done non-users in society.
Instead of just telling people that drugs are bad and arresting them if they use them, we should create places where they can go to get help and do as least amount of harm to themselves and others.
A good example of this is the needle exchange program, which provides clean needles to be injected in drug users. These clean needles dramatically halted the spread of HIV throughout the communities of drug users. Programs like these should be used to help the struggling ones and get them the help they need.
3. Using the justice system does not solve the problems of drug users.
Going to prison often times does not help drug users stop using drugs. This is proven with the statistic that two-thirds of prisoners reoffend within three years of leaving prison accordin to The New Times. This proves that the majority of prisoners who go to jail do not learn their lesson while being there. Instead of sending them straight to jail we should establish programs to rehabilitate them. Instead of making jail a place of complete punishment lets amke jail a place of education where we caninform the lost drug abusers and help them get their lives together …show more content…
The negative will now prove the treating of abuse of illigal drugs should be a matter of criminal justice because first of all the absense of punishment will lead to an idea of acceptance among drug users. Secondly, locking up drug abusers is an effective way to keep them from harming civilians. Thirdly, the only way a drug abuser can quit is only if they want help and want change themselves.
This issue adresses not only the U.S but also the rest of the world The legalization of drugs will lead to an idea that since its legal everyone should do it. It will increase in use not only in adults but also in youths, according to Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch. People will start to use and abuse drugs like never seen before.
When something is illegal it is much harder to find than when it is available to all. The same principal applies here because not only will more adults be abusing drugs but their kids might just as easily get a hold of it and ruin their lives at a young