In the society we live in today, it seems as if having any kind of opposition to the decriminalization of drugs is an unpopular opinion to hold. Many people approach the topic of drug abuse with the misconception that the only one affected by drug use is the user, an idea that can be described as nothing more than an absolute fallacy.

Drug abuse affects not only the addict, but also the family and friends of the user. When one begins to use drugs, they become an entirely different person; the individual they were before addiction might as well be dead.

The behavior of an individual who begins to resort to drug use becomes altered in devastating and frequently disastrous ways.

For many politicians, the simple solution to drug abuse would be the legalization and decriminalization of drugs. Legalization is simply not the answer; instead of enabling individuals in our society to use, we should be investing resources and devoting energy to not only treatment programs, but prevention programs as well. Steer people away from drugs before it becomes an addiction for them.

The societal costs related to addiction are countless; whether it manifests itself in the form of the breaking up of a family, crime, or homelessness. As devastating as it can be to see these events transpire in anyone’s life, there are solutions to this problem other than legalization and decriminalization.

Additionally, decriminalization of drug use could have a devastating effect on those who may have a genetic predisposition toward addiction; those with a predisposition because of maybe family history would automatically be more inclined to become addicted to and begin using drugs.

While treatment and prevention should be the route that addicts and family of addicts take instead of fighting for the legalization and decriminalization of drugs, unfortunately, there are not yet enough resources for those seeking treatment and prevention options because more energy has been invested into decriminalizing drug use and enabling addicts to continue using as opposed to helping them get out of the binding situation they currently find themselves in.

For users who actually want to get themselves help, one of the worst things that could possibly happen for them would be for the legalization of the substance(s) they are trying to kick.

The decriminalization of drugs would result in lower street drug prices, which would lead to more accessible drugs for addicts, which would make an already hard temptation to resist even more difficult.

Choosing to legalize the use of drugs would be a counter-intuitive solution to the growing problem of drug use in the country.