Alcohol kills, too - but take a moment and see the dreadful result of prohibition in the 1920's. Like cocaine nowadays, people could still drink alchohol if they wanted to.
The black market enriches criminals, crooked police, and corrupt politicians.
There are certain vices that people will partake in no matter how illegal it may be - the organised criminals take advantage of this.
America learned from the drive-by shootings and mafia wars of Prohibition, and repealed the 18th Amendment, realizing that it's worth it to have some people choose to overdo legal drugs, in order to take the profit away from the Mafia.
The current corruption makes the 1920's criminals look like a bunch of Girl Scouts at a picnic.
Even at the height of Prohibition, the government would never have *dared* enact today's asset forfeiture laws.
That's progress for ya.
Very true. The other side to the coin is that people are more apt to experiment with legal drugs than they are illegal drugs. The sheer factor of risk-avoidance will prevent numerous kids from using cocaine. But if we legalize it, there's not that stigma there. It's out there and available. And more people will try it.
So what's better? Bobby going out and getting sloshed one night and puking everywhere, or Bobby getting coked up out of his mind?
I might be able to see the legalization of marijuana. I'd vigorously oppose cocaine and LSD.
But we have better policing today. Computers in squad-cars, cell phones, Ipods, etc.
Market forces be dam*ed, and individual liberty be dam*ed. Eventually this war "will" be won and we'll all learn to respect their 'authori-tye'.