Step 02: Answer the following questions. Make sure to be specific in your answer and use evidence from the reading to support your claims.
1. Why does Husak concentrate on arguments for criminalization, rather than arguments for decriminalization?
2. Can the harm principle be used to defend the criminalization of drugs? Why?
3. Assess Husak’s response to the argument that if drug use was decriminalized, usage would soar.
Section 3: Let’s Quit Abusing Drug Users
Step 01: Watch the following TED Talk
Step 02: Answer the following questions.
1. Why does Dr. Hart change his mind about how drug addiction should be treated?
2. What information does he provide about the vast discrepancies in harshness of prison time for different drugs?
3. What evidence does he provide to counter the idea “people/animals will do anything for drugs”?
4. What are the three things Dr. Hart suggests?
Section 4: Are Drug Laws Racist?
Step 01: Look at the following chart. While it is difficult to measure what percentage of drugs is consumed by different race groups, this chart shows the deaths by different classification of drugs. Scientists have used this data to assume that White people are generally higher drug users than other races.
Step 02: Look at the following chart showing the racial makeup of prison populations
Watch these short interviews:
Step 03: Answer the following question. You are expected to do additional research on this topic. A good answer should cover topics about the origination of drugs laws, the arbitrary nature of enforcement of laws, and how resources to defence attorneys are not equal.
1. Why are Black people disportionately affected by drug laws?
Section 5: Harm to Children
Step 01: One of the reasons for the criminalization of drugs is harm to children. There are many accounts of drug abusing parents being neglectful and harming their children. But, some accounts may be over inflated. Watch this short report on Crack Babies:
Step 02: Answer the following questions. Make sure to be specific in your answers.
1. Why did doctors believe that there would be a crack baby epidemic?
2. What evidence was later found to support the idea that the crack baby fear was overblown?
3. This answer is not found in the video, I want your opinion. In the US there are harsher prison sentences for mothers whose babies test positive for drugs upon delivery, than if the mother had an illegal abortion as she went into labor. Why do you think this is so? Do laws like this disincentivize pregnant mothers who use drugs to get help?
Section 6: Sher
Step 01: Read pages 420-426
Step 02: Answer the following questions. Make sure to be specific in your answer and use evidence from the reading to support your claims.
1. What arguments does Sher give for the criminalization of drug use?
2. How does Sher respond to the claim that the reasons he has given are reasons not to take drugs, but not reasons to criminalize drug use?
3. How does Sher respond to the claim that his arguments should also lead to the criminalization of alcohol use?
Step 03: Watch this video about synthetic drugs:
4. Conject what you think Sher would say about people like Matt Bowden? Would he approve of synthetic drugs without additive qualities the way he does with alcohol use? Or, would he disapprove on the grounds that it still gets people high?