Day23 As public concern over drug abuse has increased，authorities have become more vigilant

The following appeared in the editorial section of a newspaper：

“As public concern over drug abuse has increased，authorities have become more vigilant in their efforts to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country.Many drug traffickers have consequently switched from marijuana，which is bulky，or heroin，which has a market too small to justify the risk of severe punishment，to cocaine.Thus enforcement efforts have ironically resulted in an observed increase in the illegal use of cocaine.”

Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument.In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument.For example，you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion.You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument，what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound，and what，if anything，would help you better evaluate its conclusion.

文勇五问：

（1）本题中，事实是什么？结论是什么？“As public concern over drug abuse has increased，authorities have become more vigilant in their efforts to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country.”是事实，“Thus enforcement efforts have ironically resulted in an observed increase in the illegal use of cocaine.”是结论，值得反驳吗？

（2）运送毒品的人，从大麻与海洛因转向可卡碱一定是因为相关部门加大对贩毒的打击力度而造成的吗？是否有可能是由于其他原因而导致的？例如出了新型的可卡碱毒品，利润空间更高？

（3）“Many drug traf？ckers have consequently switched from marijuana，which is bulky，or heroin，which has a market too small to justify the risk of severe punishment，to cocaine.”中的many占总贩毒者的比重大吗？剩下的那些人呢？我们能否简单地用部分人代替所有人的做法或看法？

（4）许多毒贩改变了走私毒品的种类，就一定代表可卡碱的走私量因此增加了吗？

（5）原文结论中“an observed increase in the illegal use of cocaine”谈论的是非法使用可卡碱的增加，前面说的是可卡碱的走私，非法使用可卡碱与走私可卡碱之间是什么关系？走私量增加一定会带来非法使用量的增长吗？

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