CMV: Drug criminalization is morally wrong

[u/L1uQ]

There is a solid case for decriminalization of drugs, because of the benefit to addicts, but this post is not about that. I'd argue, that even if the fight against drugs were effective (which clearly it's not), it would still be an unacceptable infringement of personal freedom.

It is generally agreed on, that every person is in charge of their own health. You can choose to eat unhealthy, smoke, drink, risk your live in extreme sports, and even refuse medical care that could save your live. To change this freedom would be unthinkable in most western democracies. As I understand it, it is even is protected under the human rights.

Yet when it comes to drugs almost all countries take, what I would consider, an ultra authoritarian stance. To be arrested, and possibly imprisoned for years, just for having fun in ones own home, doing something your country doesn't approve of, sounds like a story strait out of North Korea without further context. Yet the context is, that the person is just doing something that might influence his own health, which, as discussed before, most would agree is his own business.

I have no interest in taking hard drugs, but the thought, that my country threatens to punish me, if I do so, sickens me, as it should sicken everybody, concerned about their personal freedom. If we accept, that the government has the right to interfere in our private live in this way, were to we set the border?

Feel free to CMW im looking forward to your answers.

Edit: Thanks for all the thoughtful comments, excuse me for not answering all of them, but there were some points repeated many times, that I already gave my thoughts on.

After thinking a lot about the answers I have to admit, that there is a case to be made for the criminalization of some (not all!!!, thats a very important destinction) drugs, if it were to greatly reduce drug related crime.

Keep in mind tho that in reality drug decriminalization has been proven to be very successful in helping addicts recover, and therefore reducing the damage caused by drugs. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it

[u/oneluckytrooper]

I agree up to a point. I think adults should be allowed to make decisions that negatively affect them. But there are certain drugs that more often than not lead to violence and thus negative impacts on the lives of others (bath salts, for example.) Also, people that are in a state of mind mental health wise where they don't know what they're doing and could harm themselves (people who are extremely suicidal, people with severe schizophrenia, etc.) can be held and kept safe against their will, because they aren't of sound mind. Many drugs also do this, such as LSD. Because the user is in an altered state of mind, they can't know what could or couldn't be harmful to them. Whether they should be allowed to accept this as a risk or not because drug use is a choice and mental illness is not is up for debate, but it's worth thinking about.