This week’s debate on the decimalization of drugs is a classic debate topic in that it makes the task of the Proposition crystal clear: why would any government do what no government – at least in the UK – would even think of doing? The Proposition has to make the case that the country as it is now – that status quo – is so bad, that only something radical, in fact, only decriminalizing drugs specifically, can possibly make things better, or stop them getting even worse. Unfortunately, the Proposition didn’t spend long enough characterizing the status quo, painting a grim enough picture of how things are now; so the Opposition had an easy task, asking: why take this risk? And then, arguing that the motion would lead to more drugs on our streets, the normalization of drugs, more children taking drugs, and all the obvious harms associated with all these probable outcomes. Therefore, the Opening Opposition team of Noah Roberts and James Kirkup of Year 12 won the debate.

 

Mr Ahern & Mr Murphy