It has been said that you can't legislate morality. This is true. Over the ages various vices have been banned or made illegal by law, but it hasn't stopped people from indulging in those vices. Instead these vices have gone underground and become large criminal endeavors. There is even a vice squad in the big cities all devoted to going after these criminal operations. So much time and money is spent trying to put a stop to peoples own lack of self control.
For example drug use. Alcohol was once banned. Alcohol is a drug that is widely used and after the prohibition years where it was proven that people would not give up alcohol just because it was illegal, the ban was over-turned. When prohibition was overturned the machine behind the criminal enterprises were left without businesses. They did eventually turn to other criminal endeavors but there was a short time where they floundered. Most other drugs are illegal but drugs such as nicotine in cigarettes and cigars, caffeine in coffee, chocolate and soft drinks and alcohol are all legal substances. These substances are just as damaging to the body and lifestyle as the drugs deemed to be illegal. As far as I am concerned they should make all drugs illegal or all drugs legal. Just because a drug is commonly used doesn't make it a good thing.
So why legalize all drugs instead of making them all illegal. First of all by legalizing drugs you remove the criminality of it and free the police to work on burglary, assault, kidnapping and murder cases. Second if the government legalizes the industry and regulates the heck out of it then the available drugs won't have the possibility of being lethal at first dose. Third if you legalize drugs and tax them to the max as the government does with alcohol and tobacco then it becomes a line of revenue that can be used for treatment programs. The bottom line is that people are going to use. By legalizing it you take away the thrill of the forbidden for those who do things because they are illegal. You make the drugs as safe as possible, create a line of revenue for the government and stop spending copious amounts of money on law enforcement on a vice that people are not going to avoid just because its illegal.
Another example would be prostitution. Prostitution has been around since the dawn of time and is known as the oldest profession. Men and women are victimized and exploited all in the name of sex.
Making it illegal has not stopped it and never will. Prostitutes are rounded up time and time again to just be released once again to ply their trade. Men troll the streets looking for those willing to service them for a price often putting wives and girlfriends in danger through unsafe sexual practices. The people who are employed in this manner are in unsafe environments and are usually lured into the trade through drugs or deception.
Here is what will happen if you legalize the trade. Just like above it gets regulated and taxed. Police are freed up to deal with other crime. The environment these people work in become safe like the bunny ranch in Nevada. The practicioners get weekly health check-ups for std's and drug use. I believe that sex workers should be screened for drug use because if they have to use drugs to get through their job then it is not a healthy place for them to be and they will find themselves in dangerous situations because their judgment is impaired. Because of these check-ups innocent women will not be harmed by having their husbands or boyfriend bring home HIV or other Sexually Transmitted diseases. Or in some cases men won't have their women bring it home etc...
I personally don't believe that drug use or sex outside of marriage is a good thing, but I can't impose my beliefs on other people. By making these vices legal you make the world a safer place due to regulation. For those who are curious I do not hold this same view on abortion as abortion is the ending of innocent life and therefore harmful to the world.
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