An Argument Against Drug Legalization

I am trying to keep up on the continuing stories about drug legalization. John Walters writes in the March 6 WSJ that "Drug Legalization is not the Answer." He points out that "since 2001 the number of young people using illegal drugs has dropped by 900,000 to 2.7 million." He adds, "For decades we did not want to believe that alcohol or drugs could have the power to take over our lives, alter personality or steal individual freedom." Why? Surely anyone who had an addict in their family could see the damage caused by substance abuse?

Walters attributes this failure to the psychological defense mechanism of denial. "Denial increases as dependency worsens," he asserts, but then he argues that, "Substance abuse can be prevented and successfully treated. The rate of drug use among high school seniors has been cut nearly in half since its peak years of 1978 and 1979, to 22.3% in 2008."

The criminal justice system now has more than 2000 drug courts. Child welfare programs also push drug treatment. Courts are now the most powerful force in the country supporting addiction treatment.

Screening for substance abuse is now becoming very common in the health care system. Random drug screening in the military, schools, and many workplaces has produced good results. "3.8% of workers tested positive for drugs in 2007, down from 13.6% in 1988 when random testing began."

10% of the 100 million Americans who drink alcohol each month are alcoholics, and illegal drug use touches 19 million Americans each month, with about a third of those being addicts, according to Walters. He points out that every nation that tried becoming more permissive on drug legalization has backed away when the "resulting destruction became clear." Columbia and Mexico have presidents who are fighting the drug trade, and Columbia has succeeded in making their streets safer.