Drugs...What do we do?

Alright this is going to be a controversial issue but bear with me. Just to start out I want to say that I am just presenting data on how economist might want to help resolve the problems with illegal drugs. What should and what morally should done is not the purpose I am just presenting this to make some people think and possibly enlighten on ways to counter act the negative effects of illegal drug use.

Before people get on to me I want to say something that is true. There may be exception but generally this holds true. DRUGS ARE BAD!! The reasons are they destroy lives, families, lead to crime, cause death of innocent lives, increases AIDS among the population, costs taxes to punishes them and more taxes to support people who use them and get sick. Those are proven and are consequences no one really wants to have. For this discussion I am only going to touch on illegal drugs rather then nicotine or alcohol.

So with that said. Here is the idea. There are typically two types of drugs: soft ones, which are less addicting and hard drugs, which are very addicting and hard to get off of after your hooked.

Drugs are bad but how do you really get rid of them. Well drugs are still in use because someone is making money off them. If someone wasn't making a profit selling drugs then, chances are they would virtually be gone. No one will waste time making drugs if they are just going to sit around collect dust. How do you kill the market for drugs then? Some people might say. Well arrest all the drug dealers and people who make them. I am going to show you how while that might help it doesn't really affect the market for drugs. I will use supply and demand curves to try to help paint the picture I mean.




Diagram 1 for Soft Drugs



First to explain the chart for you non-economic majors. D1 is the demand curve (yellow), S1 is the supply curve (blue). The orange Equilibrium Price is where the S1 and D1 intersect. Equilibrium Price is the spot where business make transactions with no shortage or surplus left over.

So what is the significance of this chart well it shows that illegal drugs sell over a wide range of quantity and prices. Lets say there is a series of police raids on the drug dealers and they put some drug dealers out of business. Now we have to draw a new Supply curve which is S2 in red. The creates a new Equilibrium Price. Now most people assume a drug bust would hurt drug abuse but if you look after that happen the supply goes down and the curve shifts to the right. Although They still can sell drugs at a higher price which makes up for any loss of quantity sold.

Drugs were selling for less but greater quantities before but after fewer drugs were sold but for a higher price. In the end drug dealers did not have any reason to be bothered by the change in business.

What about the hard drugs though? Well lets think about this. All drug dealers want to get the soft drug users to become hard drug users. Why you might ask? Once your hooked you will always need to buy more drugs. You just became a very loyal and practically permanent customer. Hard drugs are for the people who are completely addicted. They aren't taking the drug for a high or recreation, they need the drugs because they need them to survive now. They have to get their fix or they have serious problems. They have lost all dignity for the most part because that has become their primary motivation and desire. These are the people who will kill, steal, murder, and rob others for money to continue paying the drugs. They are so consumed with drugs that they probably don't a very good job because who really is going to hire someone who is always in another world needing a fix. Obviously these people have very little chance of recovery so you might ask why bother trying to help or even care what they do. Soft drug users never think they will become a hard drug user because they might believe they are just too good or too smart to get hooked. Until it is too late of course. The same is true for any addiction whether it is smoking, gambling or drinking. You never think it will consume until it happens.

So if we can do something about these people maybe they wont have to steal or murder others for money to get drugs. When that comes down to saving a life of your son or daughter then it seems like a good idea.

Diagram 2 for Hard Drugs

This is the demand curve for hard drugs. What this says is no matter what the price these hardcore addicts are going to pay the price to get it. They need the drugs and they will do whatever they need to get it. Cost doesn't matter getting the drug is paramount in there mind.

So what can we do to help? Well one idea is to make drug clinics. You create a place where addict can go and sign up for a drug addict card so to speak. They check themselves in the clinic and they get their drugs free and they get access to people who can help them rehabilitate. Let me further explain here. These are not simply like soup kitchen where you come get your fix and leave. You check in and you stay there to get your drugs and you stay while your under the effect of the drug. You go through physical test and examines to determine if you qualify to deter people just from going for drugs and once your in you stay until you can come off and function without.

Yes. I can hear people yelling at me. They are probably saying "How are you helping out by giving these people drugs for free?"

Here is how: If they are getting them free then they don't have to kill or steal from anyone to get money to buy the drugs, so that reduces crime. Also, this gives the select few a chance to recover at the same time of keeping the hopelessly lost for roaming the streets causing people harm. Second, drug dealers like hardcore addict because they are always going to buy the drugs no matter what but if they addict are getting their drugs free then they aren't going to be buying drugs from the dealers. This is will hurt the drug business overall because hard drugs are the big sellers do the nature of the addicts. So if drug dealers aren't making any money selling drugs then drugs use will decrease because the supply will not be there.

Some people might be saying these addicts aren't going to get helped because your giving them what they want, where is their reason to quit if they are getting it free. Well not to sound cruel or evil but our target isn't really to help them. Chances are they will never recover but if it saves a life because those addict won't have to kill someone innocent for money then we did good. People might say well people will still do that. True your right it wont get everyone but it will get some. Right 100 percent of the addicts are like that. If we can cut that by 50 percent or even 75 percent then we have still accomplished something significant. Crime goes down which reduces the need for police and less deaths as a result of needing drugs. People are more safe in dark alley and parking lots because addict wont be roaming around trying to find something to steal for money because they get the drugs for free. The ends justify the means. It wont solve everything but it is a start.

This only helps reduce half the problem which is the Hard drug side. So what do we do about the soft drugs? Well here is another diagram to help me explain what might be one answer.



Diagram 3 for government Regulated Price Floor

Yes I can hear some yelling about to come but we legalize drug use. Yes I know what a horrible idea but bear with me. This is chart for Soft drug users. You can see drug dealers are working at Equilibrium Price and they are happy sitting right there.

Now though if we legalize it there will be more supply and it will be government regulated. Drugs will be clean and moderated under must stiffer standards and a set a legal age to use. Well the government sets a price floor or a tax on the drugs. Similar to alcohol or tobacco. The lowest you can sell the drug will be 6 dollars but all the drug dealers get is 4 dollars. (Granted I am using low number just as examples) The other 2 dollars goes to the government and to do what. Well we use that money to fund the Hard drug clinics. The drug dealers aren't getting rich but they are doing it legal so they wont be getting arrested and wont get shot and crime will be down because they wont be running from the law. People wont need to kill or steal to get drugs but they will have to pay the price and taxes to get it. The taxes go back into further decreasing the negative effect of drug abuse. There will still be a few exceptions there always are. Some people will still sell drugs off the black market but right now 100 percent of it is black market anyways. At least with government regulation it can be taxed and it use that money to further help and decrease crime.

I understand this might not be the most moral or philosophically right course but it is a course that could still have a positive affect on society. It could save lives and it might save your children's and families lives. Answers are out there to help the world. You might be only 1 person but one person if they work hard enough can change the world. I hope maybe this opens some eyes and at least gets you thinking that there might be a way to make things better and things will only get better after people take action and start learning on what can be done to help out the world.