To your point about addictive personalities, yes therapy can help, but only if the person wants it. I know several alcoholics who have been dry now for years now. I’m not at all advocating abandoning councelling or therapy; it can be useful. I just recognize there are many people who can’t or don’t want to be helped. My personal belief is that by making drugs and drug use open, legal, regulated and transparent, society will be more able to stop addiction before it starts. I see openess and honesty as more conducive to long term reduction in drug use than continuing to make laws against drugs.

Gent, there are people out there who enjoy sex. I have no problem with what consenting, repeat, consenting adults want to do with each other. I think the biggest problem is that many women and men turn tricks to support a drug habit. How many fewer would do so if they could get drugs legally and cheaply? We already have laws on the books that even consensual sex with a person 16 or under is illegal. I think that mitigates your concern about age.

Again, you can’t legislate morality. That is the lesson of Prohibition. And the fact is, the government says it’s ok to take some drugs and not others. I don’t think there would be a major increase in drug use or prostitution if they were legalized, in fact I believe the opposite would occur just as it has with alcohol and cigarettes.

pd