Most people engage in some type of amateur or even professional sport at some time in their lives. When one thinks of one's sport of choice, whether is be basketball, tennis, or even bike-riding or running, does it make sense that this sport should be criminalized to protect people against the inherent dangers? Obviously our society believes that people have an unalienable right to exercise our bodies in healthful ways, even if there are risks involved.
Now consider a drug that causes fewer deaths and medical problems than amateur sports yet is as addictive as intravenous cocaine. If that drug is criminalized, should amateur sports then also be criminalized? As stated above, we as a society believe in amateur sports as a way of life. While people need protection from certain dangers-such as a highly addictive substance-there are activities in life for which people's free will should reign. Amateur sports is such an area.
In the scenario of a drug that is highly addictive, but only to a small number of people, what should be society's legal response?
Casual users of this drug will influence those who may be susceptible to severe addiction, making it more likely that they will use the drug (Williams). We all know the power of peer pressure. We see it in our children who, as teenagers especially, have the habit of following friends down sometimes self-harming paths. As adults, we are guilty of following the crowd, also to sometimes less than positive ends. When one thinks of the phrase, "Keeping up with the Jones'," it is clear that many of us spend our money more freely than we should in order to seem affluent in the eyes of our peers. This has led many into financial troubles, as the recent economic downturn has revealed. At parties, people speak of having a drink or two "to be social" or eating a favorite aunt's fattening cooking so as not to hurt her feelings-even when we know it will break our diet. These examp...