When I Read That The United States Has A “Drug Problem”,

When I read that the United States has a â€Å"drug problem†, I immediately thought of the obvious culprits like heroin or cocaine. What most people fail to realize, however, is that substances like alcohol and nicotine are considered to be drugs as well. Throughout my first year of college I have gotten to know more about drug abuse than I ever knew before. I realized that the way in which most young people cope with disorders like depression or anxiety is through substance abuse. While some people look at this as a helpful form of self-therapy, others look at it as a gateway to addiction and immorality. James Wilson is the chairman of the National Advisory Council for Drug Abuse Prevention. At the time he was appointed, the main drug our†¦show more content†¦Sure, â€Å"forbidden fruit† is appealing, but as a broke college student, cheap goods are equally, if not more appealing. Wilson also argues that alcohol should be legal in place of other drugs, because it poses a less serious issue than drugs like heroin or cocaine. There are arguments against the legalization of alcohol, like drunk driving fatalities and the health risks associated with excessive drinking. However, Wilson still believes that â€Å"the government cannot legislate away the addictive tendencies in all of us, nor can it remove completely even the most dangerous addictive substances. But it can cope with harms when the harms are still manageable† (Wilson, 232). I agree with this argument because when the government has tried to outlaw alcohol in the past, it led to an increase in gang violen ce and death. There are counseling groups readily available for those who may have a drinking related problem, and while it takes a lot of work and dedication, in the end it is effective in helping addicts. This is not as easily attainable when it comes to more addictive drugs though. Douglas Husak has a different point of view on the war on drugs. He believes that the government has taken the wrong approach to decreasing drug abuse, and that calling it a â€Å"war† puts a much more negative connotation with drugs than what is necessary. The media portrays drug use as a gateway to crime, poverty, laziness, and death.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Nancy Reagan s Just Say No 955 Words   |  4 Pages I recently read and analyzed a speech given by Nancy Reagan entitled â€Å"Just Say No†. In the late 1980s, around the time that Nancy Reagan gave her speech the U.S was facing a major drug problem. During that time a new drug, cocaine, was recently introduced. Because thi s new drug was cheap and addictive, youth drug addictions became a major problem. 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