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I stand resolved: The abuse of illegal drugs ought to be treated as a matter of public
health, not of criminal justice. To clarify the resolution I offer the following
definitions:
Abuse of illegal Drugs: the use of any chemical substance (especially controlled
substances such as psychoactive drugs, narcotics, hormones, prescription
medication or over the counter medicines) in a way that society deems harmful to
the user or others. (WORDIQ)
Public Health: the art and science dealing with the protection and improvement of
community health by organized community effort and including preventive
medicine and sanitary and social science (Marriam-Webster)
1st Contention:
2nd Contention: treating the abuse of illegal drugs as a matter of criminal justice is
unfair because it is not efficient.
a) Deterrence fails
b) Waste of money
- Court system bogging, prison over-crowding, waste of money
3rd Contention: Abuse of illegal drugs leads to medical issues such as depression
and schizophrenia and is therefore a matter of PUBLIC HEALTH
Value: Social Welfare. Because the treatment of others affects the society, social
welfare is the best value for this debate.
1st Contention: If we didn’t treat it as criminal justice, the rates would go up.
BLOCKS
So if those were treated as a matter of criminal justice too, then it would be right.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject
only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose
of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of
others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order
and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the
purposes and principles of the United Nations.
http://www.drugsense.org/cms/wodclock
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Drug_Usage
Also, illegal drugs is a very large group which ranges from mild drugs like
cannabis to very dangerous one likes PCP. The affirmative will have to defend
the whole group, and the negative will have to argue even the mild ones deserve
a penalty.
This year alone, over $40 million have been spent on the War on Drugs. Over 1.3 million people
have been arrested this year for drug law offenses. And over 8500 have been incarcerated for
those offenses this year