Resumo de Arguments For And Against Drug Prohibition

Drug prohibition as a solution to perceived problems of society
Some proponents of Drug prohibition, such as members of the Temperance movement, support drug prohibition on the basis that many of the perceived problems or flaws of society are caused by the use of drugs or drug addiction. Proponents of drug prohibition fear a society with more addicts and drug pushers (attracted by profits) if drugs are legalized. Drug stores would sell cocaine and other drugs. They believe addicts are more likely to commit more crimes because their minds are altered, much as drunk criminals do sometimes; however scientific studies have demonstrated users under the influence of alcohol are far more likely to commit violent crimes than users under the influence of most illegal drugs. More drugs would seem to promote more drug addicts, and therefore more problematic behavior. Thus, prohibition solves problems and improves society as a whole.

Arguments against prohibition
Arguments against drug prohibition tend to fall into one of three categories:

The war on drugs is having little or no effect on the trafficking of drugs, except to make them more expensive. Since the use of all major recreational drugs except opiates has increased since the passing of the laws which illegalized them, the increase in cost cannot be said to discourage the use of the drugs.
The war on drugs is extremely costly to our society in terms of taxpayer dollars, lives, productivity, the inability of law enforcement to pursue mala in se crimes, and social inequality. It is easy to demonstrate that the financial and social costs of drug law enforcement far exceed the damages that the drugs themselves cause.
The war on drugs is counterproductive to the goal of discouraging drug use. The primary mechanism for this is reverse psychology. Forbidden things become fodder for rebellion, and illegal drugs have been popularized by this perception. In addition there is a great disparity of our ability to enforce drug laws among those above and below the age of 18, and this causes high-school aged children to become the conduit through which drugs are distributed, contravening our "protect the children" intentions.
The drug war in turn may induce people to indulge in harder drugs with significant problems because drug dealers carry a variety of substances. Ending prohibition would reduce the use of hard drugs as it has in countries such as the Netherlands.
Critics of drug prohibition often cite the fact that the end of alcohol prohibition in 1933 led to immediate decreases in murders and robberies to argue that legalization of drugs could have similar effects. Once those involved in the narcotics trade have a legal method of settling business disputes, the number of murders could drop.

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