This section includes two articles that introduce the reader to some of the issues surrounding public debate on the decriminalization of, or the legalization of, drugs. Prohibition of Drugs: Pro and Con is a short summary of the diverse opinions, expressed continually over the last 80 years, about the optimal way to deal with the reality that psychoactive drugs exist; that many people like the effects of those drugs; that some who use them do so to excess; that some are necessary for medical purposes; and that the substances themselves can be toxic not just for the user but for others who are affected by the user's behavior. The second article, Safer Use of Drugs, takes the view that society can reduce the toxic personal and social effects of drugs by informing potential users about how the risks of drug use can be minimized.

The argument that...