Pro and Cons of Legalizing Heroin and Cocaine in the United Kingdom - Example

Pro and Cons of Legalizing Heroin and Cocaine in the United Kingdom Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code and Name: University: Date of Submission: Pro and Cons of Legalizing Heroin and Cocaine in the United Kingdom Organized crimes are unlawful activities that are done by at least two people for the reason of getting profits. Most of these activities are punishable and in most cases the criminals are sentenced to more than seven years in prison. As a result of these activities, a number of large underground drug markets have been established. The trade of illegal drugs involves transactions of large sums of money (Rawlinson 2009, p. 65). Some of these business transactions are not accounted for by the government. In a number of countries drug been legalized and the aftermath is taken care of by the government. In the UK, the issue of legalizing drugs has been the source to a number of debates. This matter has brought up different personal opinions and emotions to various citizens. Some individuals are totally against while others are supporting it. Both sides have their own reasons for opposition or proposition. This issue has been the theme to many articles, books and magazines in the UK (Matrix 2008, p.168). It has also dominated the top page of news papers one year after another. Moreover, it is it the internet and different individuals have brought out their opinion. Up to today, the two different sides have not come to an accord on whether to legalize it or not. This paper focuses on the pros and cons of legalizing heroin and cocaine in UK. It also aims at bringing out different opinions as well as illustration on the subject. Legalization of heroin and cocaine in the UK will assist more than any other strategy in eradication of the many socio-political difficulties. This can be possible by eliminating tight regulatory practices that have been imposed to the peddlers, buyers and consumers of these drugs. Primarily, making these two drugs legal will improve the safety of people’s dwellings. If the supply of these drugs is constrained, their price will definitely go up. As a result, those individuals who rely on it will have to use other ways so as to adapt to these fluctuations. A number of addicts have families, relatives and friends who rely on them for financial support (National Drug Intelligence Centre 2010, p. 58). So if the price goes up they might resort to robbery. For instance, a seller of cocaine who has a family will have to do his best so as to continue providing the same amount of food. This will be by turning to crime to meet the needs of the family. If the price increases then he or she has to steal more. In addition, these individuals have to do their best to meet their habit. Consequently, those individuals who have the drug will be the next target. Moreover, if the price shoots up, the addicts might decide to attack the police because they are taken to be the informers of law (NICE 2009, p.199). Police officers who are against drugs are seen as barriers and so a number of them might end up losing their lives. Through fights amongst the addicts streets can become unsafe. This is because the dealers compete against each other to take charge of specific intersection joints. As a result, some dealers end up being injured by gunshots or daggers. Some passer-by’s and close residents to the scene also end up being wounded. Additionally, buildings nearby are short at and they get ruined and this leaves behind a tattered picture. The government of the UK at all times keep constructing new prisons to meet the increasing number of convicts. Legalization of these drugs will reduce the population of prisoners. This will do away with overcrowding in the prisons. Studies confirm that, prisoners charged of drug abuse have the largest numbers. Prisons are known to have very hazardous and unsafe environmental conditions (Pacula & King 2004, p. 134). If this number is reduced then the environment will definitely improve. The inmates will get enough food and there will be no congestion in the cells. Cases of prisoners assaulting each other will reduce since there will not be numerous inmates in one cell. It is also evident that drugs are sneaked in prison and they have brought a lot of wrangles in the prisons. If the sneaking is stopped there will be reduced cases of wrangles between prisoners. In most prisons warders regularly have had hard times searching for drugs. Some end up being wounded while others are even murdered. Such cases will no longer be there and the warders are going to enjoy some peace of mind. After legalizing these drugs, the prison will definitely be alleviated the strain. This is because there will be no cases filed to court about heroin or cocaine abusers. As a result some family members to the culprits will save money that was used to hire lawyers. Cases of drug abuse are rather challenging to the judges and for that reason they will be relieved stress. In addition, drug legalization will help the police to preserve their resources (Dorn & King 2005, p. 132). The resources that were to be used against these culprits can diverted to fight against other non-drug crimes. These resources could also be used to protect other innocent individuals from criminal activities. Other culprits who do not engage in cocaine or heroin related crimes will have a hard time. This is for the reason that the police will be focusing on other criminals such as rapists, killers and thugs. In general the crime rates in UK will reduce thus making a number of citizens feel secure. UK is facing a high increase in criminal activities and the number of judges available is not enough to handle these cases efficiently (Caulkins & Reuter 2006, p. 214). Legalization of these drugs will reduce the number of cases that each judge is supposed to handle in a day. Individuals will have to wait for a shorter time for their case to be handled in court. The judges on the other hand will have enough time to come up with right and reasonable judgments after evidence has been presented. If the lower stages handle their cases efficiently, there will be no cases of appeals at the higher stages. Consequently, there will be reduced cases to be handled at the Appeal Courts. Legalizations will also reduce corruption especially in the police sector. Corruption among the police can be linked to these drugs in two ways. Police officers use their powers to guard the drug peddlers so that they can also get a share of the benefits. After seizing criminals they usually grab the drug loads and go to put up for sale by themselves. A number of them will ask for some money before they can release the suspects. In a case at Philadelphia a number of police officers were charged for giving out false information about the drugs they had confiscated. The suspect quick to inform the magistrate that he was charged of having 8 pounds of cocaine yet the police got confiscated 11 pounds. In Miami a similar case was evident and a number of police officers were suspended from their occupation (Serious Organised Crime Agency 2008, p. 46). The difference in these two cases was that in Miami the police officers were not only prosecutors but also drug peddlers. Legalizing these drugs will help the police to wipe out their bad image since cases of corrupt officials will reduce. The UK has had a lot of issues with its citizens because of the rate of taxation. After legalizing these drugs the UK would save a lot of money which can be used in other nation building activities. According to Wharton Econometrics, the cost of prohibiting drugs was $6.2 billion in the year 1986. If the amount that paid by those prosecuted is added then the sum can be above $10 billion in a year. Since 1986 the cases of drug abuse has gone up thus the amount has also increased (Ruggiero 1997, p. 78). Basing on that fact, heroin and cocaine would also amount of revenue to the government. The money that would be saved can be used to create teaching that aim at educating kids on the effects of drug abuse. It can also be used to introduce a new unit and recruiting new teachers to teach students more about drugs. Into the bargain, the funds can also help the government reduce the taxes imposed to the citizens. The government could as well pay of the countries debts or distribute the funds to healthcare. Rehabilitation institutions can as well be built so as to cater for drug addicts. Legalization can also help to minimize the incidences of organized crimes. The mafias well known for heroin and Cartel for cocaine rely heavily on the money they get from underworld business. For instance, when United States of America prohibited alcohol the underworld became a big industry, and expanded its branches to other parts of the country. This can as well apply to prohibition of these drugs. That is the reason why the UK is still having organized crimes disturbing its citizens. After legalization the members of organized crimes will get fewer profits and thus a number of them will shift to alternative business. Addicts would prefer getting these drugs at a cheaper price from government premises. Moreover, cases of blindness and deaths will reduce because individuals will be using drugs that have undergone national tests. There will rights and laws for this drugs thus if the drugs have adverse effects they can take their case to court (Mazerolle & Rombouts 2007, p. 188). Through legalization, transmission of AIDS and other communicable diseases will increase slowly. The use of needles to inject heroin and other drugs inside the body has significantly contributed to the spread of diseases. Most of these individuals share needless because they are scarce and because some individuals do not have the time to wait as one goes for needles. If contaminated blood is passed from one individual to another before it dries, the recipient will definitely be infected. Hepatitis B is a well known disease that was affecting these users before AIDS came in (Caulkins & Chiesa 1997, p. 111). AIDS has led to the demise of a number of these uses but still they continue using unsterilized needles. Therefore, if these drugs are legalized the needles will be .readily available at almost all the shops. This will make the needles to be easily accessible and there will be no need for users to hide. Other means of immunization might also be introduced for instance swallowing or drinking. This will make drug use more hygienic and will reduce the cases of using needles. In contrast, the use of cocaine and heroin has their own adverse effects and a number of states have do not support the legalization. Most countries all over the world have been against these drugs and they are not planning to change their decision (Nicholas and Kershaw, 2005 p. 67). There are several reasons why a number of states are against the use of these drugs. Apart from state laws personal issues and opinions have been a great barrier towards coming to an accord. People differ and since most states practice democracy their opinions are also considered. One of the reasons for illegalizing these drugs is because they are perceived to be addictive. A number of doctors have come up with research and some say that if one takes cocaine it sticks in the body for a very long time (Caulkins & Reuter 1998, 232). When one takes cocaine or heroin he or she might end up liking it and therefore it can become part of his or her life. Recent research has shown that a number of users of cocaine cannot stay for even a single day without using the drug. If they stay for a day without it they end up being sick and a number of them usually complain of headaches. A number of individuals have been shown in news and their health status is that good. Some victims of aids have also testified that they obtained the disease after getting injections. Most of these individuals have an underworld operation and when exposed most of them look terrible. Furthermore some of the users come to light after their demise. Some individuals are against these drugs because their medicinal use is not well elaborated by doctors. Researchers have not come up with strong evidence that these drugs are not hazardous to human life. Scientists have come up with different opinions and it has brought up a lot of arguments. Therefore, to avoid these arguments several governments have resorted to illegalizing these drugs. If these drugs are justified, incidences of fatal rod accidents will increase (Serious Organised Crime Agency 2008, p. 123). Many truck drivers might end up using the drugs while they drive. This is because they will be getting it at a cheaper price since they work at the companies that produce them. The drivers thus might end up getting health hazards and once the mind is not upright it is very easy to lose concentration while driving. One can also collapse if he or she abuses the drug. Imagine of a situation where the driver collapses while driving. Two situations can arise in such a case. Either the driver will lose control and get out of road or can bump into another vehicle. This will make innocent individuals to lose their lives. If a transit vehicle rolls it can also lead to environmental risks. For instance, if a truck rolls it can explode or even enter into a building. Even if these drugs are legalized the government will still have issues with the registered individuals. A number of registered individuals would not reduce their dosage even after these drugs get legalized. In fact they will go for more since they will be accessible (McSweeney & Hough 2008, p. 267). Research has shown that after alcohol was legalized in USA (United States of America) the number of alcoholics increased. A number of individuals are afraid that the same can occur in the UK if legalization passes. Furthermore, the registered individuals might end up continuing with their criminal activities. The justification of these drugs will give an impression that drugs are good and they do have any adverse effects to human health. As a result, some people might start to use other drugs like bhang. Other individuals might use legalization to their advantage. Some illegal international organizations might end up sneaking in some illegal drugs into the state. If such drugs are sneaked in they will cause health hazards to innocent citizens. Different individuals will also get the opportunity to manufacture their without following the right procedures. Moreover, such drugs can get their way to local citizens and as a result the there will be health vulnerability. Cocaine and heroin sellers will probably benefit if legalization passes in the UK but for the users they will receive less benefit. Even if these remedies are legalized the needs of the users will still remain the same if the government fails to employ them. Actually they will be incurring more cost from hospital bills. If the prices of these drugs go down it means the users will increase their intake. This will cost them more money if incase of price fluctuations in the drug market (Reuter & Stevens 2007, p. 246). Since they are unemployed, they will look for alternative methods to meet their needs. This can be through several illegal practices such as robbery. Moreover, users can get stress from family members and friends if they force him or her to quit from taking drugs. In addition stress can be as a result of his or her family. If an individual is the bread winner of the family he or she is likely to be overstressed. As a result one can decide to segregate him or herself or even commit suicide. According to the points above the pros are more than the cons and in the future the UK can decide to legalize cocaine and heroin. Most of the cons are related to the health hazards while the pros are related to financial issues. In the contemporary times, doctors and economist have been coming up with different solutions to this matter (Reuter 1985, p.102). Their dissimilar opinions have left various individuals on with mixed reactions. Consequently, people are not sure on whether to legalize or prohibit these drugs. In some countries, legalizing some drugs has worked well while in others this strategy has failed. All in all, there ought to be rules and regulations if any drug is legalized so as to avoid its misuse. List of References Caulkins, J & Reuter, P 1998, What price data tell us about drug markets? Journal of Drug Issues, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 593-612. Caulkins, J & Reuter, P 2006, ‘Illicit drug markets and economic irregularities’, Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Vol. 40, pp. 1-14. Caulkins, J, Rydell, C, Shwabe, W & Chiesa, J 1997, Mandatory minimum drug sentences: throwing away the key or the taxpayers money? Santa Monica, Texas. Dorn, N, Levi, M & King, L 2005, Literature review on upper level drug trafficking. Home Office Online Report 22/05. Home Office, London. Mazerolle, L, Soole, D & Rombouts, S. 2007, Crime Prevention Research Reviews No.1: Disrupting Street-Level Drug Markets. D.C. U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Washington. Mazerolle, L, Soole, D & Rombouts, S 2007, Drug Law Enforcement: A Review of the Evaluation Literature, Police Quarterly, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 115-152. Matrix 2008, Dedicated Drug Court Pilots: A Process Report, Ministry of Justice, London. McSweeney, ., Turnbull, P & Hough, M 2008, Tackling Drug Markets and Distribution Networks in the UK: A review of recent literature, UK Drugs Policy Commission, London. National Drug Intelligence Center 2010, National Drug Threat Assessment 2010, United States Department of Justice, Washington. NICE 2009, Needle and syringe programmes: providing people who inject drugs with injecting equipment, Public health guidance 18, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, London. Nicholas, S, Povey, D, Walker, A & Kershaw, C 2005, Crime in England and Wales, 2004/2005, Home Office, London. Pacula, R, Chriqui, J & King, J 2004, Marijuana decriminalization: What does it mean in the United States? Viewed August 08, 2011 < http://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/2004/RAND_WR126.pdf> Rawlinson, P 2009, ‘Understanding organized crime’ in Hale, C., Hayward, K., Wahidin, A. & Windups, E. (Eds.), Criminology, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Reuter, P 1985, The Organization of lllegal Markets: An Economic Analysis, National Institute of Justice, Washington. Reuter, P & Stevens, A 2007, An Analysis of the UK Drug Policy: A Monograph Prepared for the UK Drug Policy Commission, UK Drug Policy Commission, London. Ruggiero, V 1997, Criminals and service providers: Cross-national dirty economies, Crime, Law & Social Change, Vol.28 pp. 27–38 Serious Organised Crime Agency 2008, The United Kingdom Threat Assessment of Serious Organised Crime, SOCA, London. Read More