Drugs and alcohol are cheaper

AIt has never been easier or cheaper to get drunk or high in the United States. In 1950, buying a bottle of vodka cost a large part of a worker's daily pay. Today, it costs very little. Marijuana has also become cheaper since it became legal in many states. At the same time, dangerous illegal drugs like fentanyl and meth have become cheaper and much stronger.

Lower social and legal risks

BFurthermore, the social and legal risks of using drugs are lower today. In some cities, people face no legal trouble for using drugs in public, and using substances like marijuana is now socially acceptable. While everyday necessities like food and gas are getting more expensive, drugs and alcohol are more affordable than ever.

The negative impacts on society

CBecause these substances are so easy to get, society is less healthy and less safe. Millions of Americans are addicted, and hundreds of thousands die each year from alcohol and drug overdoses. High levels of intoxication also lead to more crime and poor decision-making. As many addicts describe it, dependence on a drug is its own kind of prison.

A simple solution: raise prices

DFor legal substances like alcohol and marijuana, there is a simple way to fix this problem: raise taxes. Studies show that when alcohol is more expensive, people drink less, and fewer people die from alcohol-related diseases. While some argue that higher taxes are unfair to poorer people, these communities would also benefit the most from a decrease in violence and crime. Furthermore, higher taxes mainly affect daily heavy users, not casual drinkers who only have a few drinks a week.

Handling illegal drugs

EFor illegal drugs, the government cannot simply raise taxes. However, they can still create costs—or "friction"—to discourage use. Instead of sending people to prison for a long time, officials can use fines, community service, or the threat of jail to push addicts into treatment programs. Countries like Portugal have used this method successfully to help people quit.

Conclusion

FWhen you make something more expensive or harder to get, people use less of it. To solve this crisis, lawmakers need to make it harder to abuse drugs, but easier and cheaper to get treatment.