Alcohol & Tobacco vs. Illegal Drugs

The definitions have progressed from tolerance or withdrawal symptoms from a specific drug to chronic intoxication, continued use with increased dosage, dependence, and damaging effects to user (Reinarman 2005). Both of these definitions proved to be too restrictive because all drugs do not have the same effects on every user. The current definition used by physicians and the criminal justice system is based on seven criteria (Reinarman 2005). The constant evolution of how the professional world views drug dependence mirrors society’s change in the understanding of addiction. Historically, “the drink” was viewed as the devil and drugs were often thought to be the cause of many criminal acts (Schneider 2003). After the medicalization of addiction and dawn of decriminalization of drug abuse, public opinion of deviant alcohol and drug use has changed. For the family unit, it is much simpler to accept and approach treatment for addiction if it is classified as a medical disease. In society, drug users can be framed as patients instead of criminals based on current standards. By looking at addiction as a treatable set of signs and symptoms instead of holding the individual accountable for actions they committed while intoxicated, the disease concept releases a lot of the stigma that goes along with

Alcohol and marijuana are two drugs commonly used and abused in the United States. Alcohol is the number one abused drug, while marijuana is number one among illegal drugs. While alcohol remains legal, and marijuana illegal, this does not necessarily mean that alcohol is better for you. There have been many arguments where people suggest that marijuana should be legal because alcohol is more deadly. On the other hand, there are alcoholics who would tell a pothead that smoking weed is bad for you. Both substances are very bad for your health and should not be heavily used by anyone.

For many years, the prohibition of marijuana has led people to believe that marijuana was extremely dangerous, therefore, it could never be legal; but, most dangers spoken about marijuana are myths as it is found less harmful than alcohol, and even tobacco. In 2007, research done by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare came to the conclusion that alcohol was a large contributor to death and the cause of more than 3% of the overall disease and injury in Australia, while marijuana was accountable for no deaths and only 0.2% of disease and injury. Despite what many are told to believe, this research poses that marijuana holds way fewer risks than alcohol does, and alcohol is legal. Around 88,000 deaths occur each year due to alcohol consumption, and half of those are due to binge drinking. With this in

Alcohol and marijuana are two drugs commonly used and abused in the United States. Alcohol is the number one abused drug, while marijuana is number one among illegal drugs. While alcohol remains legal, and marijuana illegal, this does not necessarily mean that the alcohol is better for you. There have been many arguments where people suggest that marijuana should be legal because alcohol is more deadly. On the other hand, there are alcoholics who would tell a pothead that smoking weed is bad for you. Both substances are very bad for your health and should not be heavily used by anyone.

Prohibition of Alcohol in the 1920©ˆs. These two major issues of their time may not

There are many differing viewpoints in the United States when dealing with drug policy. Within the political arena, drug policy is a platform that many politicians base their entire campaigns upon, thus showing its importance to our society in general. Some of these modes within which drug policy is studied are in terms of harm reduction, and supply reduction. When studying the harmful effects of drugs, we must first to attempt to determine if drug abuse harms on an individual level of if it is a major cause of many societal problems that we face today. In drawing a preliminary conclusion to this question we are then able to outline the avenues of approach in dealing

The 1920s, also known as the Roaring Twenties, was a time of speakeasies, organized crime, and corrupt government officials. This was largely to blame for the Eighteenth Amendment and prohibition of alcohol. The Eighteenth Amendment had made the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol illegal. By illegalizing alcohol, the Eighteenth Amendment attempted to decrease domestic violence, increase productivity in the workplace, and diminish poverty and health problems associated with the consumption of alcohol. Instead it created organized crime, disrespect for the law, and general resentment towards the government. The Eighteenth Amendment and the Prohibition of alcohol had failed because of the rise of organized crime, with gangs forming for the purpose of transporting and selling alcohol, which increased violent crime, and corrupted law enforcement and government officials.

"It causes more harm than all other drugs combined," this argument may well be true, but without supporting data is merely one person’s opinion that appeals to emotion.

In today’s society, doing drugs is one of the most common forms self-harm. Drug legalization is one of the most argued topics because people do not know whether or not there should be limitations on what people are allowed to do their bodies. This form of self-harm has been debated for decades and continues today because people could not come to an agreement. There are some people who believe that people should be allowed to do anything with their bodies. Nevertheless, there are a number of people who argue that there should be limitations on what people can do with their bodies. In this paper, I will argue that drugs should not be legalized because they are harmful to the individual and also will be damaging to the society.

Nowadays there is a big dilemma to whether legalize marijuana or not and whether marijuana is really a lot more dangerous than tobacco. There are big differences between the two of them, but there is, without any doubt, one that has a lot more negative effects on the human body and the human brain than the other. Due to research we can compare them and conclude which one is worse.

“‘Your ballot is your hatchet, to build up the good, to cut out the evil. The home defender; the home builder.’ Those words appeared on an election poster produced by advocates for ‘prohibition,’ or a legal ban on the manufacture, sale, or consumption of alcoholic beverages in the early Twentieth century.” (Prohibition. Web. 2017) In the 1920s, prohibition was an outrage. Everywhere, people hated that they couldn’t drink, so they all thought of a way around the law. Speakeasies were created where young and old, rich and poor, or men and women would come together and drink. Black markets were created and thrived by shipping alcohol from other countries to sell here in the United States. “In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt

Because the authors of the first article bombard the reader with word usage designed as a scare tactic, it ultimately has little effect. This rhetoric could end up backfiring on those who use the article in a drug awareness effort due to blatant lies and half-truths. Not to mention, the authors of the first article are researchers, therefore, the only responsibility is gathering the information without taking a direct stance on the issue. This limits the credibility of the authors, who work for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The author of the second article uses data from the same source as the previous, without the feeling of information shoved down the readers throat. The article has a more realistic approach because every reader can identify with the content. Although there may be some exaggerated points, the article speaks to what people know, therefore, more creditable. To the author’s credit, a recipient of nine teaching awards for drugs and human behavior, leading researcher in psychology and addictions, the Associate Professor of Clinical Science and Director of

Throughout the course of time, the consumption of alcohol has been a part of culture used for socialization, hospitality, celebration, and relaxation. Many previous societies claim that alcohol was and could be used for remedies and healing, and that alcohol solely held positive attributes and impacts on members of society. Although, in the beginning of the 20th century the government of the United States began to question the effects and outcomes of consumption of alcohol on its citizens. Many members of society also believed that consuming alcohol made people act dangerously, have lower productivity and that it caused criminal activity and for these beliefs, the consumption of alcohol became very controversial. The federal government of

Drug legalization is an enduring question that presently faces our scholars. This issue embraces two positions: drugs should not be legalized and drugs should be legalized. These two positions contain an array of angles that supports each issue. This brief of the issues enables one to consider the strengths and weakness of each argument, become aware of the grounds of disagreement and agreement and ultimately form an opinion based upon the positions stated within the articles. In the article “Against the Legalization of Drugs”, by James Q. Wilson, the current status of drugs is supported. Wilson believes if a drug such as heroin were legalized there would be no financial or medical reason to avoid heroin usage;

Living in the 21st Century, a majority of the laws and regulations that guide our daily lives have already been legitimized and written decades ago. Although a large portion of these laws still exist today, there is always need to revise and rewrite laws. In this article I will talk about the myths and beliefs of marijuana and compare them to reliable sources to form an opinion on whether or not marijuana is a relatively safe drug for medical and recreational use along with the physical and social effects to the user and their environment. Regard, this paper will not focus on any other associated topics such as the price of prisons, annual marijuana dispensary revenue, drug trafficking or law policy’s. However many of the used articles compare and contrast the use of alcohol to cannabis.