Wasted Legal Efforts
The war on drugs has failed in every possible way, and in every possible place. Even countries with strict, devout, religious regimes in the Middle East and Central Asia have battled with drug addiction.
An immeasurable number of resources have been spent fighting drugs and the crime issues that accompany them, yet they do not work. While governments should not condone hard drug use, or any substance abuse, they should acknowledge what works and what doesn’t. The decriminalization and legalization measures that have been implemented in some countries have shown to be a success with lower rates of drug abuse, addiction, and harm. Legalization with regulation and taxation is the only way to eliminate drug cartels, drug crimes, and government waste. Tax and license revenues should go directly to health care and addiction centres, so as not to produce perverse incentives for governments to cash out on this behavior. Soft drugs (such as alcohol and marijuana) must be sold in specially licensed shops, with special consumption taxes on these products used to fund health care for the general population. Perhaps it should be considered that harder drugs should be available for sale in addiction treatment centres (after a consultation) to wean users off drugs and direct away from funding organized crime, under a similar tax regime. Drug users should pay the public instead of criminal gangs, and the public should not foot the bill for the crimes of gangs and addicts. Consumers should be informed about risks, but should have the liberty to consume what they wish, as long as the public is compensated for this behavior.Prostitution is another activity that cannot be prevented by law enforcement, and is morally agreeable between consenting adults. Sex is also an activity necessary for mental health, with therapeutic benefits, and should be accessible to all.
The issues once again lie with the involvement of organized crime, the potential for physical harm, and its effects on communities. So-called “red light districts” use public space in a way that may be considered undesirable. Therefore, a few competing, government-licensed digital platforms must be created where such transactions can take place. Platform requirements should be decided by (elected) representatives of sex workers themselves, so that they have absolute control over their safety and well-being. The platforms would act as an escrow to ensure both parties are appeased (as well as the use of ratings), guaranteeing that VAT is paid, and the use of digital (versus physical) transactions would reduce danger to both worker and client. Workers would also undergo legally mandated health checks, to prevent the spread of disease, as conditions for their licenses. These privately owned, licensed platforms would also be incentivized to ensure a black market does not merge, as they would be collecting fees on the transactions for a profit.Eliminating these black markets means less financial burden on citizens and businesses, more personal freedom, safety for the people involved, and a contribution to economic growth. It would also free up a vast amount of resources for governments to focus on more pressing issues.
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