| > But I think the shame associated with drugs, forcing people to use drugs in the shadows, exposes us all to the biggest risk, which is addiction. You know, i'm not entirely sure about that. On one hand, that is a good argument and speaking about all of the "vices" that humans enjoy in a more frank manner and how to engage in them in a more safe manner could be a good thing. Also, the legalization of certain substances could lead to more regulation, quality control and tax income. I could draw parallels with how men in society are oftentimes expected not to show emotions, or how mental health isn't really addressed in social discourse all that much, leaving many feeling miserable. Or perhaps how sex workers often operate without proper testing in place or worker protections, versus the countries where that sort of thing is legalized. On the other hand, i'm not sure that normalizing potentially harmful behaviors is acceptable. For example, personally, i don't even drink alcohol - i've tried it a few times, but didn't feel like it's for me. Being detached from drinking just makes me aware of how much of a deeply ingrained drinking culture there is in our society - people drink for celebrations, for relaxation, talk about the supposed health benefits of wine, there are commercials on TV and online for alcohol and the end result is that many people end up drinking. This leads to traffic accidents (DUI). This leads to preventable disease and lower life spans. This leads to more violence due to drinking. This also leads to the kind of addiction that makes members of society lose their income and housing. Perhaps this plays into your point about addictive personalities or just poor decision making. I feel like it's the same story with cigarettes. And that it would be the same story for other types of substances. Either way, it's a pretty slippery slope and it's hard to reason about these things. |