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Originally Posted by The Libertarian
No, basing laws on irresponsibility which causes many many problems is what is useless and meaningless. People aren't just going to quit because they are illegal.
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No, they aren't, because most of the drugs are addictive. It's not just an every day choice to quit a drug like that; a kid might get into it for the rebellious feel or because the high is supposed to be good, but getting out is obviously different. How do you let someone choose to practically enslave themselves? (Can a free society have slaves?) Is a person honestly choosing that path, or is it more likely most people don't realize beforehand?
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Originally Posted by The Libertarian
How is it any different when they are legal? Oh yes, society would go straight to hell because the streets would be filled with "druggies". After all, everybody I know would just love to do crack or heroin but is just waiting for the laws to change.  |
It's different because the government would have no basis to help addicts, because dealership would be mainstream (ever wonder why cigarettes aren't out of fashion?), because more people would try hard drugs, and because parents would have a lot more trouble protecting their kids.
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Originally Posted by perdidochas
Useless or not, it's still a freedom regardless. The government's job is not to protect you from you.
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Is the power to hurt both themselves and society, with no potential for benefit, something the government should assume people want? Regardless, the government is not protecting people from themselves; it is protecting people from chemicals. Do you think the average person even understands what Advil does to them? The average person can't be expected to read up on all of the medical information behind a drug; I know I never have, just summaries. That's why we have the system of prescription. Is your idea that people should just be able to go out on a whim and pick medicine based on the ad? Trust the free market to decide what a substance really does to you?