Quote:
Originally Posted by AceArcher
It is also the overwhelming opinion of the worlds scientific community that legalization / de-criminalization is the most effective method by far to combat drug use.
America has cut teen cigarette use in half, not by criminalizing possession and use, but through a combination of honest education and sensible regulation. That's what been shown to be effective.
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The most effective efforts to date to reduce drug use by adolescents in the United States was a combination of Reagan's "Just Say No!" campaign with diligent enforcement of existing laws:
High school seniors using cannabis dropped from 50.1% in 1978 to 36% in 1987, to 12% in 1991 and the percentage of students using other drugs decreased similarly. Psychedelic drug use dropped from 11% to 6%, cocaine from 12% to 10%, and heroin from 1% to 0.5%.
If scientists in other countries want to legalize drugs, let them do it in their own countries, and we'll see over decades if these countries prosper and grow or decline. Likewise, let's keep an eye on Colorado and California before we rush into the abyss.