Legalize Drugs?

The battle against drug abusers has been fought long and hard.  I personally believe that legalizing drugs would just open the door wide open to drug abusers across America.  "An estimated 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for non medical reasons."  Why such a high percentage?  Doctors are making more prescriptions than ever before.  There are even online pharmacies that allow patients to receive prescription drugs without a prescription.  

Why are these drugs abused?  Prescription drugs seem safer to abusers than street drugs.  Why?  Because these drugs are used by everyday people.  With that frame of mind, it is no wonder that prescription drug abuse is ranked second among the nation's most prevalent illegal drug problem, behind marijuana.

The three categories of drugs most commonly abused are as follows:

1. Opioids
2. Central Nervous System (CSN) Depressants 
3. Stimulants

Narcotics, or pain killers, are an especially risky drug when it comes to addiction.  People in severe pain need painkillers to relieve themselves from the aching they are experiencing.  The problem with patients with pain is that they may overdose on their pain-killing prescription, and may eventually become addicted.  

If prescription drug abuse is the second most prevalent illegal drug problem, why wouldn't we regulate them?  In my opinion, I believe the system we have now, in which doctors prescribe drugs to their patients, is the best way to distribute these drugs.  Prescription drug abuse is on the rise, and if we don't keep regulating them, the situation could get out of hand.  Perhaps there should be more regulations! 

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