Is #decriminalizing drugs the solution that the country needs to this problem?

The simple truth is... NO.

To start with, decriminalizing something like drugs is tantamount to telling people that they have a free pass to help themselves with the substance(s). It shouldn’t come as any surprise then that there will be more and more people willing to give drugs a try under such circumstances, even if it’ll only be “for just one time.”

Because of the many failings of criminalizing drug use, it’s easy to forget that the mere threat of jail time alone has been instrumental in keeping a substantial amount of people away from ever trying drugs. This fact isn’t a joke either and even Seattle is starting to realize that now. That the use of fentanyl has increased by nearly 20% since the city began initiating decriminalizing policies speaks for itself.

But hey, let’s assume that’s a fluke and move on.

Another major problem with using drug decriminalization as a means of controlling substance use is that there aren’t nearly enough facilities to cater to treating addicted persons. But you might be thinking, isn’t incarcerating drug users even more expensive? Initially, yes it is.

However, with decriminalization policies in place, it should only be expected that the population of drug users will swell, meaning that the government would have to cater to more treatments, increasing costs in the process.

Yet another thing worth considering is the simple fact that decriminalization can have a powerful effect on drug prices. This is to say, because there isn’t as high a legal hurdle to jump anymore, the costs of these drugs will drop, making them even more readily available to people. Keep in mind that the element of affordability is something else that keeps a lot of people off of drugs.

Now, when that barrier is removed, should it surprise anyone that more people (who otherwise wouldn’t) would be willing to give these substances a shot? Now, not only would it be easier to get into the habit, but it would also be more convenient to sustain it as well. In the end, this is certain to make the drug epidemic even more prevalent.

The argument can be made that the above is one of the reasons why fentanyl use is so rampant in Seattle.

Finally, we have to consider that it’s a thin line between decriminalization and legalization. If legalization isn’t the endgame, why flirt with such a potentially deadly situation?

The bitter truth is that drug decriminalization sounds idealistic and perfect on paper. But in practice, it has too many loopholes to be considered a truly viable and long-term solution to the drug problem. And the sooner fringe left liberals in Seattle realizes this fact, the better.