In this paper I will analyze the idea of voluntary exchange, and determine whether or not the mutual benefit created through free trade is socially responsible. A basic tenant of free trade is mutually beneficial exchange, a simple enough idea, but within the frame work of this “simple” idea lays a variety of taboo subjects that one might not initially expect to encounter. These subjects include but are not limited to ideas such as the decriminalization of narcotics, the legalization of prostitution, and even assisted suicide. I’ll exclusively explore the idea of voluntary exchange within drug markets, and analyze some of the social and economic costs and benefits to society. I’m going to present statistics and viewpoints that will evoke feelings …show more content…
Those who approve decriminalization (at least to some extent), and those who believe the very idea contradicts the nature of a productive society. I begin with a scenario that transpired in Portugal during the early 1990’s. At this point in time the Portuguese government found themselves trying to solve a problem we here in America are facing today, the issue of drug addition. They found themselves asking, "How can we best limit drug usage and drug addiction?". After a decade of deliberation a government counsel came to the conclusion that decriminalization was the best solution to their nations sweeping drug problem. (Gillespie 2009: Pg. 13). It’s important to note that the motive behind this move was not based on the capitalist ideology of the free market but rather in response to an epidemic. I believe this actually speaks more to their concerted effort to be socially responsible more then any economically based decision ever could. Decades later we now have enough established data to understand the impact the counsel’s decision truly had on society, both economically and socially. The results were astounding and the data showed that Portugal found itself with the lowest rates of marijuana usage in …show more content…
If we were to follow Portugal’s lead we would still maintain the illegality of drug trafficking. “Decriminalizing drugs implies that persons cannot be criminally punished when they are found to be in possession of small quantities of drugs that could be used for their own consumption.” (Becker 2009: WSJ). But what if the government controlled and regulated the drug trade? I won’t delve to deep into this scenario considering it’s just a hypothetical, but it’s important to mention. For starters the black market for drugs would seize to exist, drug traffickers would be out of work, which would create less violence, and the prison population would slowly decline. All positive things, but what stood out to me the most was a statistic I found in The Economics of Public Issues. According to the text, “about 8,000 people per year die as a direct result of consuming either cocaine or heroin. Of that total it is estimated that roughly 80 percent die from either an overdose caused by an unexpectedly potent product or an adverse reaction to the material used to cut the drug.”. These deaths were preventable and it’s fair to say that these families would still have their loved one if there were a legitimate market to regulate potency and carefully select safe cutting agents. As a society we could create a world where violence in ghettos is no more, where drug traffickers have no drugs to traffic, where human