Prohibition in the 1920s didn't work, why does anyone think the so called war on drugs will?

Question

"The most notable of those consequences has been labeled the "Iron Law of Prohibition" by Richard Cowan.[9] That law states that the more intense the law enforcement, the more potent the prohibited substance becomes. When drugs or alcoholic beverages are prohibited, they will become more potent, will have greater variability in potency, will be adulterated with unknown or dangerous substances, and will not be produced and consumed under normal market constraints. The Iron Law undermines the prohibitionist case and reduces or outweighs the benefits ascribed to a decrease in consumption." From: Alcohol Prohibition Was A Failure by Mark Thornton, Mark Thornton is the O. P. Alford III Assistant Professor of Economics at Auburn University.
I don't condone the use of drugs, but how can it ever be stopped? The war on drugs has increased our: court backups & $, ER/hospitial over crowding & $, prisions & related $, law enforcement $, $ spent in So. America, all = bigger goverenment & $$$

Answer 1

You are defintely on the right track. Keep it simple. The government (the state) is not in the business of legislating morality. Whenever the state attempts to do so, people will continue to do what they want anyway and the government will eventually have to change the legislation to adjust to what they people really want anyway. The state will get by with whatever it can until people get tired of it.

Answer 2

the production of drugs illegal or otherwise still has to have an opposition.....yes it seems to be a huge waste of time and money but can you imagine what shape we would be in as a country (compared to now) if we didnt have laws prohibiting the illegal use/distribution of drugs that have no medicinal purpose?...we'd be walking zombies...we'd all use because we wouldnt have any regulation to tell us its wrong...i mean narcotics are medicinal but people have evolved into abusing them also....i imagine that even back then these drugs were abused but then we didnt have the technology or the means to research statistics for the abuse

Answer 3

yzyz, drugs ought to be legal now. nationwide regulation and education will take profits from the hands of criminals and keep those who choose to use(which WILL NOT be everyone, despite what some idiots seem to think) informed about their decisions. Taxes from drug sales can go to rehab/education/etc., so everyone benefits.

Answer 4

I never said it would. big waste of time, money, resources.