The Great Drug Debate!

I know it probably isn't the most positive item to kick start with, but after reading a few items I found it quite interesting on how people react to the subject. Not just drugs, I mean what people think should be done with them, or how the entire industry should be dealt with. To legalise or not to, this is the great debate.
Many argue that legalising drugs would ultimately lead to having some control over the trade. There would be no drug lords/barons, drug related killings and people would not have to worry what the drugs were being made of as they could be made legally. Other drug related crimes would also decline as being created in a controlled state would mean that money associated with it could also be controlled... similar to alcohol in that it is created in a controlled area and prices are controlled. However, would the legalisation of drugs not paint us the picture that taking drugs is an acceptable thing to do? Or would legalistaion make it easier for addicts to "get clean" because some of the moral issues associated with taking drugs would be made redundant making it less of a taboo in society thus making being an addict easier to admit to.
There are many moral issues linked with the legalisation of drugs, as there are with any law. I know its easy for me to say "even if they were legal I wouldn't take it" because I know about the moral issues and the negative aspects of drugs. However, if drugs were to be legal, our children would know nothing of the moral issues that they are linked with. Would drugs be to them how alcohol is to many of us now? Instead of binge drinking... Would there be binge drug abuse? The illegal stamp that drugs carry make these substances the ultimate taboo, there are arguments over what classes drugs should be let alone whether they should be legal or not. There is a reason drugs are illegal just as their are reasons for age restrictions on other substances like alcohol.
There are pro's and cons to both arguments, but as it stands it should be a long time before any decision is made. Both parties need to be considered, victims of the already out of control drugs trade and the potential victims that stand to suffer if drugs were to be legalised.