War on Drugs in America
Alexandria Cooker
Professor James
November 9, 2012
Essay 4 Michael Huemer: “America’s Unjust Drug War” In the essay “America’s Unjust Drug War” by Michael Huemer, Huemer discusses the facts and opinions around the subject on whether or not the recreational use of drugs should be banned by law. Huemer believes that the American government should not prohibit the use of drugs. He brings up the point on drugs and how they harm the users and the people in the user’s life; he proves that the prohibition on drugs in unjust. Huemer believes that drug prohibition is an injustice to Americans’ natural rights and questions why people can persucute those who do drugs. The most prominent argument against the use of drugs is the harm it has on the users. Although drug use is potentially very harmful to the users the government should not be allowed to prohibit people from harming themselves. Many things people regularly take part in are equally as harmful as drug use such as “smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, eating too much, riding motorcycles, having unprotected or promiscuous sex…(Huemer, Para. 5).” There is no way that the government can prohibit all those acts for it is not any of their business. One might argue that drug use is more harmful then those acts, they would be wrong in most cases because all of those acts lead to death which is as harmful as you can get. The Office of National Drug Control Policy claims that drugs kill eighteen thousand Americans a year while tobacco kills four hundred and forty thousand Americans per year. Another relevant statistic is obesity causes up to four hundred and twenty thousand deaths per year. Neither tobacco smokers nor obese people have been punished yet many drug users are imprisoned. Another point prohibitionists suggest against the use of drugs is that drugs harm one’s quality of life however many other things harm one’s quality of life such as dropping out of high school or working at the same job your entire life;
Professor James
November 9, 2012
Essay 4 Michael Huemer: “America’s Unjust Drug War” In the essay “America’s Unjust Drug War” by Michael Huemer, Huemer discusses the facts and opinions around the subject on whether or not the recreational use of drugs should be banned by law. Huemer believes that the American government should not prohibit the use of drugs. He brings up the point on drugs and how they harm the users and the people in the user’s life; he proves that the prohibition on drugs in unjust. Huemer believes that drug prohibition is an injustice to Americans’ natural rights and questions why people can persucute those who do drugs. The most prominent argument against the use of drugs is the harm it has on the users. Although drug use is potentially very harmful to the users the government should not be allowed to prohibit people from harming themselves. Many things people regularly take part in are equally as harmful as drug use such as “smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, eating too much, riding motorcycles, having unprotected or promiscuous sex…(Huemer, Para. 5).” There is no way that the government can prohibit all those acts for it is not any of their business. One might argue that drug use is more harmful then those acts, they would be wrong in most cases because all of those acts lead to death which is as harmful as you can get. The Office of National Drug Control Policy claims that drugs kill eighteen thousand Americans a year while tobacco kills four hundred and forty thousand Americans per year. Another relevant statistic is obesity causes up to four hundred and twenty thousand deaths per year. Neither tobacco smokers nor obese people have been punished yet many drug users are imprisoned. Another point prohibitionists suggest against the use of drugs is that drugs harm one’s quality of life however many other things harm one’s quality of life such as dropping out of high school or working at the same job your entire life;