Soft drugs should be legalised - presentation

Public opinion has been recently shocked by some proposals presented in various countries that are aimed at legislation to control the use of drugs, but also to facilitate access to so-called "soft" drugs. Drug dependence is a phenomenon that is spreading. It poses serious psychological, social, spiritual and moral problems. Nowadays we face the dilemma mainly from the point of view of the individual and his family, because we must not forget that the human person is unique and unrepeatable, with his or her own interior life and specific personality, and it is a human being that is really at the centre of the problem of drug dependence.
According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction ( EMCDDA ) in Lisbon one in five Europeans ( 45 million persons ) have tried cannabis at least once. Around 15 million Europeans have 'experimented' with cannabis in 1999. The United Kingdom is the front runner with 10 percent of adults. Spain follows with 7 percent; Denmark is at the lower end with 3 percent. All other member states have a score of maximally 5 percent.

When the European Union will be expanded, the contrast between countries that denounce the tolerant policy and those that ( quietly ) favor it will only intensify. According to namy sociologists, basically there wil be countries that want to slowly legalise softdrugs and others that adhere to the repressive model
- The Dutch model of 'soft' drugs has already advanced into French-speaking territory. The controversial policy of tolerance is no longer reserved to the Netherlands; now Belgium no longer penalizes smoking a joint. Nevertheless these countries are expected to receive much criticism. On the other hand, the department of justice and the police would rather catch a crack dealer than a hash smoker.
Ladies and gentlemen, today I would like to ponder over the impact of soft drugs on our existence. I would like to stess that I am a strong opponent of legalising soft drugs, taking into account their detrimental influence on society. To make my opinion unbiased, first I would like to present the arguments of the legalisation supporters, then I will present sound arguments in favour of my stance.
Firstly, when arguments are presented for the legalization of "soft" drugs, simplifications and generalizations cannot be avoided, and especially the politicization of an issue that is profoundly human and ethical. Some supporters of soft drugs legalisation state that the moderate use of certain substances, classified as "drugs", would lead neither to biochemical dependence nor to physical side-effects. Others say it would be better to know and assist drug addicts rather than leave them in a state of illegality, in order to help them and to protect society. These are the arguments are unfortunately unfounded as it has not been proved that free access to drugs helped young people to control the use of it or helped the counrty to monitor drug dealers or limit drug consumption.

Secondly, science and technology have always sought to take advantage of chemicals in order to cure pathologies, to improve conditions of life and to increase the pleasure of being together. Users have observed that some of these substances produce sensations that are either pleasant, euphoric, tranquillizing, sedative, stimulating or hallucinogenic. But, these "drugs" at the same time cause a loss of concentration and an altered sense of reality. Consumption of these substances initially leads to isolation and then to dependence, and the intake of increasingly stronger products. In some cases, the product creates such a dependence that the user lives only to consume it.

Now, ladies and gentlemen let me focus your attention on arguments which prove ireffutably that soft drugs legalisation may have detrimental effects on our life and its side-effects may turn out to be devastating to society.
Firstly, in the short space of a few decades drug dependence has passed from a relatively limited use, confined to a well-off and self-indulgent social class, to a mass phenomenon affecting young people especially, destroying lives, cutting short much promise, and which so far no country has succeeded in reducing or even controlling. The majority of drug-users are young and the age of initial drug use is constantly being lowered. Children and adolescents trivialize the use of drugs even at school in the sight of their powerless teachers. It is the very future of our society that is threatened by drug abuse. This is why young people should be our main concern� adolescents and young adults:� because today they are the first victims of drugs.

Secondly, the effects of drug use vary from one drug to another, without being able to distinguish, at the pharmacological level, between the categories of "soft drugs" and "hard drugs". It is the quantity consumed, the way of absorption and eventual side-effects that are the decisive factors. Moreover, every day new drugs arrive on the market, bringing new effects and new questions. Lastly, the problem of drug dependence should rightly be extended to include many substances (tranquillizers, sedatives, anti-depressants, stimulants) that are not considered "drugs", including tobacco and alcohol.

Thirdly, drug dependence among the young, reveals many serious human problems. The young person tempted by drugs has a fragile, immature and disorganized personality and this often relates directly to the upbringing he did not receive. For many years, most specialists in the behavioural sciences have been saying that society is abandoning young people, that they are not cared for and respected and that their environment does not provide them with all the social, cultural and religious elements needed to develop their personalities. We live in a world where the child is left to his own devices too early. We hope to awaken his freedom and make him independent while, at the same time he is deprived of the support of adults and society that he needs to mature. Lacking this basic support they seek support and therefore cultivate various relationships of dependence on others, on various substances and on dangerous behaviour.

Moreover, because drug dependence among young people is due to the weakness of our educational system, it is not apparent how the legalization of these substances promotes greater control of them by young people and, above all, how could it help them understand what they are seeking through these substances. The legalization of drugs implies the risk of causing the opposite effect. In fact, it is easy to admit that what is legal is normal and therefore moral. Through the legalization of drugs, it is not the product that is thereby legalized, but rather the reasons leading to the consumption. No one can deny that drug use is an evil. Whether drugs are illegally purchased or distributed by the State, they are always harmful to man.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that I managed to convince you with my speech that the legalisation of soft drugs is harmful and may lead to negative side effects in our society. Faced with this escalation of arguments in favour of their legalization, we should ask ourselves about real threats it poses. Do we really know why the free circulation of drugs should be legalized? Do we still want to fight against drugs, or have we given up? Has sufficient consideration been given to what experts have been saying for years, that drug dependence is not a question of drugs but of what leads the individual to take them? In view of these problems, the primary duty of the State is to safeguard the common good. This requires it to protect the rights, stability and unity of the family. By destroying a young person, drugs destroy the family, both the family of the present and that of the future. Should this vital cell of society be threatened, society as a whole will suffer.