Richard MacAndrew, Ron Martinez-Taboos and Issues_ Photocopiable Lessons on Controversial Topics (LTP instant lessons)-Heinle ELT (2001)

Legatising drugs
Discussion
l. Makc a list of all the illegal drugs that you know:
2. Which of those are soft clrugs <strong>and</strong> u
3. which or the ;;,*, in your li,, n,. JI'fiTri,;!"("i',,
4. Dr yru know differeni names f;;;. same drug?
-5. Do you know what rhe following _."r,
rril a joint
rgerous are they?
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Reading
As you read through the articfe think of
rf you taere on the panet, *.,;:"r::;.;:,:;:::.,:;::"*,
conctusion?
J/
GRASS IS GOOD FOR YOU
A panel of doctors, economists,
parents <strong>and</strong> police officers in the
United Srates has decided rhat
drugs should be made legal. Their
conclusions took into account
factors of crime, medicine <strong>and</strong>
even prison space.
"We have a prison population of
over l0 million in this country.
Many of those are in jail for drug_
related crime, such as the sale Jr
people in prison are there because
of drug-related crimes, which
means little space is left for
violent criminals, the ones the
yuftic. would really like to see
rocKed awav.
But there were more reasons
for legalising
::tr"d "There drugs.
are cancer patients out
Legalising drugs
there who are w<strong>and</strong>ering around
dark.streets at night trying to buv
marijuana for pain reliei,.. said
one of the doctors
"They
on the panel.
should be able to gei wnai
they need without entering the
criminal underworld.
The effectiveness
On other substances,
of
the
marijuana
panel
on agreed that drugs
going
such as heroin
l:1i""1:
rhrough <strong>and</strong>
chemotherapy
cocaine did not has
serve long the
Ueln community
possession
known by the
in
of
medical
the same
illegal p.of"rrion,
way
substances,,,
marijuana
sarct
but political could.
an officer
conservatives
but argued that
of the Chicago
still keeping
raise those
Police opposition. substances
Force. Because One
illesal
senator
of new,
meanl
spoke money
tough laws,
out
for
against
criminalr.
currently the
3
panel,s
,,W.
out of 5 conclusions. ..I don't have people shooting can sympathise
each
other.
with.the over
patients,
tequila or
but
controlling
the iact is, prostitutes with Marlboros,,, saij
marijuana is addictive <strong>and</strong>
harmful <strong>and</strong> we don,t want that
kind of thing in our
communities," he said.
,l".panel disagreed.
:1
They
argued that, although mariiuana
r,": admirtedly u po,"niiully
addictive substance, research has
proved that legal substancesuch
as nicotine <strong>and</strong> alcohol are far
more addictive <strong>and</strong> harmful.
"Marijuana actually does some
good. The same cannot be said of
cigarettes <strong>and</strong> alcohol.,,
o1 tle
1_ll.l:.
panel. ..Keeping
orugs illegal allows people to do
rilegal thinss.'.
The pun"'i will shortly be
presenting its findings to the
government.
<strong>Taboos</strong> <strong>and</strong> /ssues
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