The Usage of Cocaine is Immoral

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The Usage of Cocaine is Immoral

In the chapter Against the Legalization of Drugs by James Q. Wilson, he states that “tobacco shortens one’s life, cocaine debases it” (LaFollette, 2010: 333) as a result cocaine, as opposed to tobacco is morally wrong. Throughout this paper I will be discussing the many different effects and experiences of using illicit drugs. I will go into details of the harm it imposes towards others such as their partners, family and friends and how the society and community are affected as well. I will especially address the physical and emotional harm done to oneself and how the quality of life begins deteriorated. Overall I will be taking the stand with Wilson, expressing why I agree that using cocaine is indeed morally wrong.

To begin, there is a crucial difference between recreational drugs and illicit drugs. The main distinctions between the two categories are that recreational drugs are mood altering while illicit drugs are mind altering. Some examples of recreational drugs are tobacco and alcohol and some examples of illicit drugs are cocaine and heroin. There are many reasons why people take drugs in the first place. Some may take drugs to fit in, to escape or relax, to relieve boredom, to seem grown up, to rebel, to experiment or to achieve a specific pleasure. But it is important to understand that there are many types of pleasures that are good and bad. More importantly all pleasurable behaviour can be addictive. The significances in pleasures of drug use and the pleasure of playing Flappy Bird are differently valued due to the fact that “addiction and harm, give us good reason to prohibit illicit drugs” (LaFollette, 2010: 332). As a result it is the essence of a strong moral argument against the...

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...uality of life is decreases from their safety to their involvement in the legal system. Overall cocaine truly does debase a person, therefore cocaine is immoral.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Addaction. (2012). How drugs affect the body. Retrieved from http://www.addaction.org.uk/page.asp?section=109

2. DrugScope. (2014). Are all drugs addictive?. Retrieved from www.drugscope.org.uk/resources/faqs/../are-all-drugs-addictive.pdf‎

3. LaFollette, Hugh. Ethics in Practice. 3rd. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2010. 314-344. Print.

4. NDIC. (2006, January). The impact of drugs on society. National Drug Intelligence Centre. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs11/18862/impact.htm

5. Unknown,. (2013, February) Reach Out. Impact of drug use on your life. Web. 11 Mar 2014. .

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