Pubdate: Sat, 19 May 2012
Source: Glenwood Springs Post Independent (CO)
Copyright: 2012 Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/ys97xJAX
Website: http://www.postindependent.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/821
Author: Zell Zordel

THE DANGERS OF LEGALIZING DRUGS

I read your article that described the graphic detail of 49
dismembered bodies found in Mexico that were tied to the drug cartel
wars which have been happening since 2006.

The author's state that 47,500 people have perished in drug-related
violence so far. It should be pointed out that this does not include
the other deaths related to drugs; the thousands of overdoses,
suicides, families destroyed, and violent crime that occurs here in
the U.S. every year. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) reported that in 2009, the number of deaths attributed to drugs
exceeded those caused by motor vehicle accidents, killing 37,485. To
put that in perspective, the total American casualties in the war on
terror to date: Afghanistan: 1,969, Iraq: 4,486. The 18 years of
Vietnam, 1957-1975, with a total of 58,156 deaths shows how severe
the drug problem truly is.

I am told that drugs are a "victimless crime" by the people that are
trying to legalize them. It has been proven multiple times that
marijuana is a gateway drug to harder and harder substances.

Government regulation will not make any of these things disappear. We
have seen what government regulation has done with regards to alcohol
consumption. The Bureau of Justice stated that 73 percent of felonies
involve alcohol. What would be the same statistic for legalizing drugs?

We are still talking about addiction fueled crimes here. The only
difference is what substance is used. You still have a downward spiral
that includes the medical industry on the verge of collapse and the
drug cartels still being involved because their product would be
cheaper than the highly regulated products provided by the government.
This still does not address the other crimes that accompany it, such
as human trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping and many others.

Isn't the alcohol-related crimes enough? We have one legalized drug,
why would we want to increase the problems?

Zell Zordel

New Castle
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