Perhaps one of the most pressing concerns is health and the assumption that, to some extent, criminalization is justified by the preservation of health. Illicit drugs are actually not as dangerous to public health as is commonly believed, particularly in relation to some recreational activities that are legal. Of the 25,000 illicit drug-related deaths brought to light by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most are more likely due to drug prohibition than consumption. Additionally, approximately 14,300 fatalities are the result of diseases such as AIDS, transferred (typically) due to contaminated drug injection needles. Sterile needle exchange programs are encouraged by the World Health Organization, among many other international organizations, as they are considered perhaps the greatest innovation for improving the health of users. However, the federal government does not allow its funds to be allocated to these programs because the possession and sale of syringes still remains largely illegal. Furthermore, as I will explain later, there is no real trust between sellers and producers regarding the content and therefore the dangerousness of a specific street drug. Considering the already growing level of consumption, imagine the gains of, for example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which oversees illicit drugs, in parallel with its work on food and food products.