An adult conversation about drugs?!

[Gothenburg83]

I agree in the sense that they should stop penalising the users and get to the root of it, I think if they spent half as much time on tackling the underlying cause e.g. the suppliers/producers as they do on petty cases there would be a big effect. Like above said, what is it for someone to harm themselves if they wish, as long as others aren't disrupted and they don't cause too much of a problem there's hardly any point in chasing after them.

It's a loosing battle ultimately, as the population grows and drugs become easily available then it will always continue. The best thing the government can do is to make sure it's people are as safe as can be and to inform them as well as possible. Knowledge is the key I believe.

[kaosmark2]

and your point is what, exactly?

alcohol causes significantly more social harm than cannabis...all those fights on a Friday and Saturday night, are they caused by pissed people or stoned people? Alcohol kills thousands of people every year - ecstacy may kill a couple.

I'll ask you again...if your drugs are ok socially, why are others (which cause less personal or social harm) not acceptable? This has got nothing to do with whether you think they are different because a spliff wiped you out - what, objectively, makes your drug of choice ok and others not?

[kaosmark2]

I know it's a lot more complicated than that, but if you had an option of buying 5 £2 ecstasy from some geezer in the pub car park, or 1x £10 "purex" brand from the pharmacy that you know will do the trick, he is going out of business quick.

[kaosmark2]

If I had been caught I wouldn't of had much cause to complain....

[abdoujaparov]

In both cases largely because alcohol is legal and thus used more. Making a drug legal increases its frequency of use and its direct negative impact on society. (Although it reduces black market/criminality which will have a balancing effect).

[kaosmark2]

There isn't. Difference,,,, both are unacceptable....

[kaosmark2]

It's not just about frequency/extent of use though, is it? people get pissed and fight. People dont get stoned and fight. People dont do a couple of pills and pile out of a pub looking for a scrap.

And the general point is that if the state makes things illegal because they are harmful, then alcohol and lard would be as illegal as cannabis

[abdoujaparov]

Do you really think if the same amount of people took heroin as drank that would be the case? Silly man

[kaosmark2]

The drunk kicking off should be disliked as much as the druggy twat ruining life for everyone. If you that to be legalised then I haven got much to say other than I won't be backing your stance...

Edited January 24, 2012 by kaosmark2

[kaosmark2]

Are we talking "drugs" or just weed....

[abdoujaparov]

No, it's the precise effects of different drugs. But if as many people smoked weed as drink alcohol there would be different negative social effects. Ditto heroin. Ditto cocaine. I don't think you can definitely conclude that the social harm caused by other drugs - certainly if they were made legal - would be less than that caused by alcohol.

Yes, agreed.

[lifelessfool]

I think i'm more a fan of decriminalization, I was taught all my life drugs were really really bad but alcohol and smoking are sort of okay, but then smoking was not okay, The point that if you decriminalize everyone will suddenly take it up is ridiculous. Smoking is legal I know more non smokers than smokers.... its ridiculous that hypothetically I pick up for my friends and if i get caught I will possibly face prison for dealing! I think though not all drugs should be decriminalized as it seems obvious crystal meth is pretty bad( i have never tried it so I wouldnt know but it seems that way)

[Ed209]

The world should also be looking at how we protect the people of Central America and Southern America, or Afgahnistan, or wherever, from the horrific damage the illegal drugs trade is doing to people's communities there. Taking the business away from the drug cartels and having the Governments manufacture and supply the respective drug could save countless lives in these areas.

[kaosmark2]

Sure, drugs have different effects...some are socially harmful, others arent. But alcohol has a demonstrable tendency to cause violence (particularly amongst young males). If there's a case for using the criminal law to regulate the use of substnaces, it applies overwhelmingly to alcohol.

It's the hypocrisy that really grips me. You can drink yourself to death, but it's illegal to smoke a spliff in your own house. I can go out and get pissed with society's blessing - cheerfully wrecking my own liver and vomit in the neighbours garden. But if I want to do a pill and go out and hug some folk and smile a lot, I'm a dangerous criminal. It's insane

[kaosmark2]

I think i'm more a fan of decriminalization, I was taught all my life drugs were really really bad but alcohol and smoking are sort of okay, but then smoking was not okay, The point that if you decriminalize everyone will suddenly take it up is ridiculous. Smoking is legal I know more non smokers than smokers.... its ridiculous that hypothetically I pick up for my friends and if i get caught I will possibly face prison for dealing! I think though not all drugs should be decriminalized as it seems obvious crystal meth is pretty bad( i have never tried it so I wouldnt know but it seems that way)

[kaosmark2]

The world should also be looking at how we protect the people of Central America and Southern America, or Afgahnistan, or wherever, from the horrific damage the illegal drugs trade is doing to people's communities there. Taking the business away from the drug cartels and having the Governments manufacture and supply the respective drug could save countless lives in these areas.

[Shaun Child]

Like many have said it's a difficult balancing game. I very, very rarely seen anyone who is on the more popular drugs such as pills, mdma, weed etc kick off or cause any kind of trouble. Now say the same thing to alcohol.

And as one person said, if it was ever legalised, obviously use would increase as new people tried it but I honestly don't think as much damage would come from it being legalised as has come from smoking and alcohol. I have been known to use stuff every now and then and the people I associate myself with aren't the "crackheads" you always see on the news and in a negative light. My friends are all middle class and would never let the drug take over our lives. Being with the right people, in the right environment and with the right substances can be a much more satisfying night than going out and getting pissed.

I admit, people with a serious problem who are off their heads on the train maybe should look at getting help and be punished more severely, but there's massive world out there where people have normal lives, work full time, contribute everything a person should to the economy and every once in a while they like to have some fun and get off their head if you like at a party or festival. Why should they be penalised if they are doing absolutely nothing to hurt anybody? You probably walk past hundreds of people a week who use drugs, would you look down and judge them if you knew that they did?

[Rufus Gwertigan]

My friends are all middle class and would never let the drug take over our lives.

[lifelessfool]

I hate to piss on your bonfire but it does not work like that. Addiction is an equal opportunities fucker up of lives. Even with education and insight no one can ever say that will never be me.

[eFestivals]

Do you really think if the same amount of people took heroin as drank that would be the case? Silly man

Do you really think that the same amount of people want to take heroin as drink for that to be the case? Silly man

[Kyelo]

Everybody should forget about the Netherlands and look at Portugal. They have the most liberal drugs laws in the world...

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

[eFestivals]

I hate to piss on your bonfire but it does not work like that. Addiction is an equal opportunities fucker up of lives. Even with education and insight no one can ever say that will never be me.

Correct, but I believe there's also an opposite side to that.

During my life I've known a number of addicts of various drugs very well. And in every single case* I'm of the belief that if the drug they've become addicted to was not available then it's exceedingly likely that they'd instead be addicted to another drug in its place.

(* there's of course those people who become addicted by accident to prescription drugs, which doesn't fall within this. But it's also the case that such people would not be affected [nothing would be changed] by the legalisation of drugs if that were to happen)

Just as "Addiction is an equal opportunities fucker up of lives" (nice phrase btw ), there's an equal opportunity to become an addict for all the while that there are substances to which you can become addicted.

[MrZigster]

Can you ever see The Daily Fail having an adult conversation about drugs?

Tragic story I know, but this is classic from them.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2091183/David-Norkett-17-dies-falling-high-skunk-proves-Richard-Branson-wrong-drugs.html

Proves?

So it was the skunk, not the "fairly innocuous" alcohol, and not the deliberately making himself faint at the top of a stairwell, that did it then?

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Can you ever see The Daily Fail having an adult conversation about drugs?

Tragic story I know, but this is classic from them.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2091183/David-Norkett-17-dies-falling-high-skunk-proves-Richard-Branson-wrong-drugs.html

Proves?

So it was the skunk, not the "fairly innocuous" alcohol, and not the deliberately making himself faint at the top of a stairwell, that did it then?

[Rufus Gwertigan]

Correct, but I believe there's also an opposite side to that.

During my life I've known a number of addicts of various drugs very well. And in every single case* I'm of the belief that if the drug they've become addicted to was not available then it's exceedingly likely that they'd instead be addicted to another drug in its place.

(* there's of course those people who become addicted by accident to prescription drugs, which doesn't fall within this. But it's also the case that such people would not be affected [nothing would be changed] by the legalisation of drugs if that were to happen)

Just as "Addiction is an equal opportunities fucker up of lives" (nice phrase btw ), there's an equal opportunity to become an addict for all the while that there are substances to which you can become addicted.