Choose one of these topics; Drugs or Guns.

View at least two videos from your topic selection. Alternatively, select videos/documentaries of your choice that are related to the topic.

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• Ethics – Drug Legalization and Criminalization (YouTube|27:56)
• Links to an external site.
• Meet the Neuroscientist Who Wants to Decriminalize Drugs (YouTube|6:11)
• Links to an external site.
  • Oregon is the first state in the U.S. to decriminalize drugs. VICE News meets Carl Hart, a professor at Columbia University, who wants the rest of the country to follow Oregon’s lead.
• Why Portugal Decriminalized All Drugs | The War on Drugs (YouTube|10:38)
• Links to an external site.
  • In 2001, Portugal decriminalized all drugs. Meanwhile, the police in the Philippines have spent the last four years shooting thousands of addicts dead in the street.
• How America Got Hooked on Opioids – The War on Drugs (YouTube|11:10)
• Links to an external site.
  • In The War On Drugs Show, we examine the social implications of prohibition worldwide. Any attempt to shut down the trade in drugs such as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine, or weed invariably sets off a chain of events that just makes things worse, leaving a trail of death, illness, violence, slavery, addiction, crime, and inequality across the globe. Everyone loses – except, in a weird kind of way, the drugs themselves.
• What is Harm Reduction? (YouTube|3:50)
• Links to an external site.
  • “Harm reduction” is defined as interventions aimed to help people avoid the negative effects of drug use, but many understand harm reduction as a way to meet people where they are with kindness and respect. In this video, we hear from people who use drugs, people who are in recovery, and harm reduction professionals on what harm reduction is (and isn’t) in their own words.
• The Harm Reduction Model of Drug Addiction Treatment | Mark Tyndall (YouTube|16:31)
• Links to an external site.
  • Why do we still think that drug use is a law-enforcement issue? Making drugs illegal does nothing to stop people from using them, says public health expert Mark Tyndall. So, what might work? Tyndall shares community-based research that shows how harm-reduction strategies, like safe-injection sites, are working to address the drug overdose crisis.
• The Reality of Legalizing Cocaine, Heroin, and Ecstasy – The War on Drugs (YouTube|11:13)
• Links to an external site.
  • The War on Drugs has failed. Okay, but ending it is more complex than just letting people sell heroin to kids in supermarkets. In this episode of The War On Drugs, we think about what a legal market might actually look like. We look at different classes of drugs, exploring exactly how legal, regulated markets for heroin, cocaine, and MDMA can be structured in order to protect users from harm.
• The World If … Drugs Become Legal (YouTube|4:40)
• Links to an external site.
  • As part of the Daily Watch ‘drugs week,’ we explore what the world might look like if legalization replaces the failing war on drugs. Join Tom Wainwright, Britain editor of The Economist and author of Narconomics, as he predicts what will happen to the cartels.

Essay 

Thoughtfully reflect on the issues discussed in the talks that you have watched. If you have chosen an alternative video to those on the list, please thoroughly identify the video.

In your essay, please address the following questions: 

• What is the speaker’s point of view about the topic? Is the speaker biased?
• What ethical issues and ethical reasoning are argued?
• Do you think that the issues discussed have moral and ethical implications? Why or why not?
• Do you agree with the speaker’s point of view? Be specific and thorough. Express how and why you agree or disagree and discuss how ethics and values contribute to your opinion.
• Consider the theoretical concepts discussed in the course. Do not just state your viewpoint; rather provide relevant details to support your findings and/or position.

Your document should be between 300-500 words in length. Any references to support your work must be cited in the most current APA format.

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