Opinion Essay - Oriol García

Hallucinogens and substances that alter human behaviour have existed for hundreds of years, something that has been used since past generations to achieve economic or social benefits. Addictive substances, as its name suggests, make certain people need to frequently consume products, which are almost always in the hands of a small number of people, so that the power to put a price on these substances is hardly controllable.

The fact that this consumption is very widespread, makes the legislation want to take its share of economic benefit. The fact that part of the sale amount is tax proves it. The thin line that separates these two options will be defined, I think, by the degree of addiction and its subsequent effect on health. In particular, it would prohibit addictive substances, and in any case, they should be with regulations that indicate their price and degree of addiction, and eliminate mafias of sale, contraband and organized crime.

For this reason this excessive consumption make that many people need for example, medical treatment, and different attention in hospital, ambulance, etc... So the expense they cause is very high for a voluntary act, that is, not an accidental or contracted illness. There are many substances that are dangerously addictive, and these must be banned by the government. There are substances, which are equally addictive that could be allowed, since the freedom of each person in consumption must persist.