Drugs: Should We Legalize, Decriminalize or Deregulate? (Contemporary Issues) (Paperback)

~ Jeffrey A. Schaler (Editor) "Dramatic shifts in attitude have characterized America's relation to drugs..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, New York, First Amendment (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Excellent selection, raising many challenging questions for all sides." -- Future Survey, February 2000

Product Description

This rich and diverse collection assembles a wide range of views concerning the ongoing and heated debate over drug legalization, decriminalization, and deregulation in America. Essays by William Bennett, Thomas Szasz, George Will, and many others debate the ethical questions, as well as the anthropological, sociological, economic, political, and philosophical perspectives of the issue .

Product Details

• Paperback: 357 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573921963
• ISBN-13: 978-1573921961
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #757,702 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diverse collection of hard to find material, March 28, 2000

By A Customer

Dr. Jeffrey Schaler edits a collection of public policy wonk/highbrow academic articles on an contentious and important subject: the war on drugs. What most impressed me about this book was Dr. Schaler's well-balanced approach to article inclusion. While he makes no secret of his own views on the subject (Schaler is emphatically against the war on drugs), he offers several strong pieces on the other side of the issue as well.

This book may not be easy to get into for someone not accustomed to the Public Policy academic cadence, but in my opinion the material is worth the extra effort to anyone concerned about the efficacy of the current war on drugs.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Examination of the premises of the drug war., March 26, 2000

By A Customer

I can't believe that no one has reviewed this excellent book yet. This book is a collection of essays exploring the pros and cons of legalization. The first half features essays by those who are against legalization. Afterwards, there is a section on medical marijuana. The last part of the book is essays opposing drug prohibition, featuring such authors as Thomas Szasz, Milton Friedman, and Bruce Alexander. Read this book and decide for yourself if drug legalization is necessary, or if it would be a catastrophe.