Drug Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drug Debate - Essay ExampleThe divide came into sharpest focus in 1997 when Australian Federal Government decided to withdraw government support to methadone treatment in Australia as an antidote to heroin addiction (Bush and Neutze 2000). Prevailing moral attitudes towards dose utilisation Moral positions part widely from single(a) to individual. Those who give birth had no direct interactions with drug users and have no clear idea or so the menace have developed some sort fear and abhorrence nearly it and consequently consider drug abuse as something which is grossly immoral. As a corollary of this attitude, alone drug addicts in their eyes are people devoid of either ethics or morality and all those who back up these drug addicts in having their daily dose are equally immoral and corrupt. But those who have been in close contact with drug addicts have a much more sympathetic attitude about the issue of heroin maintenance (Dingelstad, et al. 1996). There are basically fo ur different moral viewpoints about this issue The first group believes that it should be permitted as long it does not inflict any wound on others. The second group believes that this is the only possible means to keep drug addicts alive and stepwise improve their health and would in some distant future also help them to get disengage of this habit completely. oThe third group believes that this method would not help the drug addicts at all and therefore disapprove heroin maintenance claiming that there definitely should be some other selection for improving the health of drug addicts and helping to get rid of the habit.oThe fourth group believes that this is null but an excuse to continue with drug addiction and is therefore strongly opposed to it (Alcorn and Brady 1999). Thus, it seems the possibility of a rapprochement between these widely differing positions is rather remote. But all hope need not be lost as groups holding different attitudes can be questioned regarding th e basis of their stands and we can reach a broad area of compromise. The first group, we may term them libertarians, might be questioned that though each individual should have liberty of choice but prolonged use of amphetamine might lead to choppy acts of intense aggression which could surely harm others. Thus, there should not be any blanket freedom in use of drugs. The fourth group consists of those that are strictly against use of any drugs. They are plausibly confused between use and abuse, since all drugs are used by medical practitioners in circumscribe doses to cure one ailment or the other. This brings us to the question how much use can be construed as abuse and this genuinely opens up the entire issue. The second and the third groups occupy a warmheartedness position as both these groups accept administration of drugs at permissible levels can be allowed provided it helps the drug users to finally overcome the habit and if that is the only way out. It is primitively necessary to bring the two extreme opinions closer to each other as public policy towards drug use must have the support of the majority for it to be a success. The middle ground should ideally be that drug use par se cannot be construed as immoral but if such use harms an individual or adversely affects community welfare, then such is to be restricted, if necessary by terming it as a vile act (Martin 1999 ). This debate is further marked by what may be termed as