It's ok for someone to do something as dangerous as jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. But not something as harmless as, sitting at home and get high? I just don't follow the logic behind that.
I am not positive about this but if I was to lay bets - which I don't - I would bet that the plane thing, probably hasn't ruined many lives.I would bet it hasn't caused one to steal from a family member or lie or sell ones self to pay for it.
Concern yourself with things that effect you. Not things that effect other people.
I truly do not believe that you would be that heartless or selfish to not care about those whom drugs do effect. I do not think there is a family that drugs have not touched in some way. So I believe that is also a very naive view.
Newsflash: drug dealers don't care how old a person is, only that they have money to buy drugs. There are plenty of things that are not "drugs" per say, that are much more harmful, that arent age restricted, or regulated in any way, that kids are using all the time.
I agree drug dealers do not care and it will be even more readily available if it is legalized. So drug dealers will be able to make more money - especially off our youth, whom I would assume would not be able to purchase said drugs legally still. The other part about legal stuff kids do use, I do not know what that is - can't comment on it.
People must face the consequence of the bad choices they make, even as kids. I am in no way I am saying that children should be allowed to use drugs. But there exists no evidence that legalizing drugs will lead to an epidemic of drug use amount teens (beyond that of what we already have) There is however evidence to support the opposite, based on past prohibitions, there repeals, and subsequent user rates.
But kids are not mentally capable of making those kind of choices. The capacity to fully understand the consequences to their actions is not yet mature enough - having a limited knowledge of the lasting implications that can arise from "recreational" drug use. They do not go in thinking - oh yeah man I wanna get hooked on this. So allowing that choice to become even easier is scary if we love our kids.
As far as the evidence that supports the prohibition movement - more use of alcohol, etc...
I am not sure that evidence is substantial and from what I looked up, it seems to be controversial. In one article that I read, they measured how many more were being diagnosed during prohibition as opposed to before prohibition, with cirrhosis of the liver. They claimed that more were. In the same article however, they stated how the alcohol in these speakeasies was far stronger than alcohol prior to prohibition. So those going to these underground places or purchasing alcohol during this time were "looking" to get drunk and not have a casual drink.
Given the strength of the alcohol, the logical conclusion would be, that it was far tougher on the liver. So the higher rate of diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver, would make sense. This in no way proves that the consumption was higher during that time. It also does not mean we should experiment with drugs because we have no evidence to the contrary.
Drugs are dangerous not only to those who use, but to those with whom they(the user) come in contact.