Think of all the changes that have happened over the past fifty years. When I talk about changes, I mean there was a day when a woman couldn't vote. There was a day a black man couldn't sit on the same side of a restaurant as a white man. For the most part change is important, but maybe not in every instance. For example, there are some people who want to change the law on drugs. They want drugs to be legalized. Drugs should never be legalized. There are three main reasons why I feel this way: The first, drugs are bad for you. The second, there will be more addicts. The third, there will be more violence.
The first point I"d like to make on why drugs should not be legalized is a very simple one: Drugs are bad for you. If they weren't bad for you they wouldn't be illegal. I personally know all about drugs, as I"m a recovering addict. Sure it all starts out as fun. People go out with their friends smoke some weed. Everyone knows weed won't hurt you. It's not addictive. That's why I went from smoking a couple of joints a week to smoking a couple of joints before breakfast. Marijuana is the gateway drug: it alters your mood, it makes you lazy, and in a word, it makes you stupid. If you experiment with marijuana, your chances of experimenting with harder drugs like cocaine or heroin increases. In the mid 70's cocaine also was considered nonaddictive; that's why John Belushi lived the long prosperous life he did. And if cocaine isn't addictive, why did I go from snorting it, to smoking it, to shooting it? Drugs caused me to lose several jobs, because I couldn't make it to work or I just couldn't function on the job. I lost my family's respect, and I lost respect for myself. The only reason I"m sitting in an English 111 class is because drugs are no longer a part of my life.
What about the future? If drugs become legal there would be more addicts, due to easy access. People who would have never used drugs when they were illegal, would probably be more apt to use them if they were sold at your local convenience store.
