[Rocksalt]

"Alcohol and tobacco are by far the greatest scourges of American youth and adults. When you can answer your own questions as they apply to alcohol and tobacco, you'll understand my position (or you'll have come out for banning alcohol and tobacco"

As I stated before,I am not in favor of alcohol and tobbacco prohibition. One reason is these are the choice of your average working man,which MDMA,heroin,etc. are not. Alcohol and Tobbacco are not even in the same league as hard drugs such as MDMA. I'm not for making anything illegal,I think citizens should have as many freedoms as possible,but I think the only positive aspect to legalizing all drugs would be elimination of the black markets for these substances.There's no easy solution to the drug problem,there is no black and white absolutes on this issue.

[MrLeRoy]

I am not in favor of alcohol and tobbacco prohibition. One reason is these are the choice of your average working man,which MDMA,heroin,etc. are not.

Why is popularity a justification for legalization of deadly addictive drugs?

Alcohol and Tobbacco are not even in the same league as hard drugs such as MDMA.

Nonsense. Alcohol is highly addictive, and tobacco is #1---more addictive than heroin or cocaine. And alcohol can kill you in a single evening of use.

the only positive aspect to legalizing all drugs would be elimination of the black markets for these substances.

"Only"? That's a HUGE benefit. Think of what the black market involves: innocents killed in drug-turf wars; user deaths due to contaminants and unexpectedly high purities; inflated prices that motivate crimes by users (whereas winos can get their next fix by collecting cans or panhandling); enriched criminals; and corruption of the justice system by criminals' riches.

There's no easy solution to the drug problem

The only problem not solved by legalization is the self-destruction of some users---but there is NO governmentally imposeable solution to that problem.