geb@cadre.UUCP (05/24/84)
There has been a lot of discussion on net.legal about the absurdity of alcohol laws. It is interesting that no one (at least I didn't see it) has commented on the similar absurdity of our drug laws. Medically speaking, alcohol is more damaging to the body than most of the other commonly abused drugs (such as cocaine, opiates, and cannibis). Most of the morbidity from intravenous use comes from lack of sterile technique, which is probably in large part due to the fact that access to sterile syringes is illegal in most states. Seemingly the only argument for prohibition that would have a hope of validity is that we have enough legal poisons already (tobacco, alcohol) and adding some others would increase misery in society. This must be balanced against the fact that adults (I am not arguing that children should be able to take drugs, or alcohol) should be given responsibility for what they choose to ingest (and held accountable for any acts committed under the influence), and the realization that much social misery concomitant with ILLEGAL drug use is visited upon innocent bystanders (junkie mugs tourist in NYC to get money to buy drugs which are artificially high-priced and peddled by Mafia who use the profits for more mischief). The other aspect is the terrific tax-payer-footed bill for enforcement of the drug laws. The costs of Delorean's trial alone will probably exceed the actual cost of purchasing (on the legal medical market) enough doses of morphine to satisfy all the heroin addicts in the country for a year. All of this money is spent for completely non-productive purposes. I doubt if legalization would greatly increase the number of addicts in this country, and may even decrease them since "pushing" would no longer be profitable. Sterile IV technique and drugs free of dangerous adulterants would certainly diminsh the medical morbidity of drug abuse. Of course, given the current moral and political climate in this country, I realize that such a proposal has little hope of being seriously considered. I should add that I myself take neither drugs, alcohol, nor tobacco.