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Then we need to determine do you mean legalization or decriminalization? Legalization would allow these drugs to be produced, purchased and sold freely In the same way as alcohol for example. It would allow companies to market them to attract users in the same way as alcohol. If it Is decriminalized then most likely the gangs will still produce it but users will not be prosecuted. Decriminalization does nothing to combat the gangs that produce these drugs however
Making something legal doesn't automatically mean it is freely available or able to be marketed. I can't walk in to a pharmacist today and buy a dozen fentanyl patches or Ritalin. I'm even limited to buying one pack a day of Sudafed and have to show ID. There are plenty of laws already around drug advertising.
Making something legal doesn't automatically mean it is freely available or able to be marketed. I can't walk in to a pharmacist today and buy a dozen fentanyl patches or Ritalin. I'm even limited to buying one pack a day of Sudafed and have to show ID. There are plenty of laws already around drug advertising.
Ok so legal but only if prescribed? So how do you think one should get a prescription for recreational use? I mean for one to be prescribed drugs there needs to be rules set in place to limit who gets it and for what purpose.
Second, prescribed drugs are given as a duty of care. What you are saying is that we should change this to allow us to use drugs for recreational use. The pharmaceutical companies would love that idea. Think how enslaved we would be, addicted to the next big substance giving them this sort of power.
It would make the cartels look like child's play because now it would effect every home and family in the country in the worst way possible and it would all be legal.
Lets not compare recreational drugs use to pharmaceutical drugs. They serve a completely different purpose
Second prescribed drugs are given as a duty of care. What you are saying is that we should change this to allow us to use drugs for recreational use.
If someone is going to partake in drug use then the duty of care should focus first and foremost on harm minimisation. That involves everything from counselling them on the dangers of drug use to ensuring that whatever they put in their body came out of a medical lab not someone's backyard.
The current situation is hopeless. It treats a medical health problem through the criminal justice system. The taxpayer is left to foot the bill for the tremendous social cost (an externality) while the drug dealers make off with tens of billions in tax free profits. I cannot think of any other economic externality in the developed world in the same league as the illicit drug trade. Decriminalisation is a nice transitory state on the way to legalisation and removing the profit incentive.
If someone is going to partake in drug use then the duty of care should focus first and foremost on harm minimisation. That involves everything from counselling them on the dangers of drug use to ensuring that whatever they put in their body came out of a medical lab not someone's backyard.
The current situation is hopeless. It treats a medical health problem through the criminal justice system. The taxpayer is left to foot the bill for the tremendous social cost (an externality) while the drug dealers make off with tens of billions in tax free profits. I cannot think of any other economic externality of the scale of drugs in the developed world.
Then how would decriminalization not help solve this? Your version of legalization would in some way hurt the criminal aspect but remember these criminals will merely use smuggle something else. They adapt. When one door closes another opens. It used to be majiruana, then cocaine, then meth, now fentanyl. They will always come out with cheaper and more potent alternatives and the destructive power that some of these drugs have is such that there is simply no safe way they can be consumed. Look at the physical harm that Fentanyl causes with the erosion of peoples flesh. Imagine someone quite literally looking like a Zombie going in to their local pharmacy to pick up their prescription of Fentanyl. In what world is that a duty of care? Drugs are in fact getting worse, their physical toll and yet people still take them. We need to get to the root of this.
Personally I feel this is a spiritual issue. We as a society are finding ways to fill the gap in an ever secular and consumerist culture. We allow our bodies to become nothing more than vehicles for pleasure and escape no matter the price as for some of us there is nothing else to live for. This is a psychological and spiritual issue. Treating it as a health issue is a grave mistake as the health aspect merely looks at the aftermath of abuse. It's doesn't answer the cause of why we do this to ourselves and of course while addiction is a health issue combating it needs to be backed up with psychological and spiritual treatment which can prevent addiction in the first place
It doesn't solve the drug crisis but neither will legalization. It will simply mean we don't waster resources on arresting and prosecuting users. Legalization however is merely pouring gasoline on the fire which is why you won't find many recovering addicts in support of it
How does my argument not stand up to scrutiny when you just proved the point I am making. Smoking is decreasing BECAUSE It is being banned in more and more areas making it more difficult to be accepted as normal behavior. It's that easy.
Alcohol hasn't dropped off at all. What has dropped off is binge drinking, again largely due to campaigns against it aswell as young people having other interests.
I think people who make the argument that class A drugs should be legal need to be a bit more honest. I've taken plenty of Class A drugs in my life regrettably aswell as abused alcohol. In NO way should this ever be legalized and promoted. Creating a legal economy in which companies can market dangerous and destructive substances to young people has got to be just about one of the worst ideas I've heard this century. Up there with Child sex changing procedures. At some stage we really have to grow up and be responsible adults and look at why this is happening. People are taking drugs to escape the boredom or hardships of life and to make it make pleasing or bearable. That's what needs to be addressed. Why people are taking it. Simply ignoring this and profiting from this behavior doesn't address something that is deeply wrong in our culture. Why we as a society are abusing our bodies with potentially lethal substances?
Listen drug use isn't going anywhere until people want to stop but let's not go down the road of allowing them to be promoted and make money out of other people's misery. That's not the answer nor will it ever be. It will only make things worse
Alcohol has declined in popularity over the decades. Australians consume far less than in the fifties . When alcohol has been banned in history it has led to a thriving black market.
Smoking has declined steadily across the western world. Pricing and inconvenience have been the cause of that. (government intervention)
Obviously to stop smoking completely will not come about. (a total ban may contribute, but black market forces would drive in underground)
As for drugs, Portugal has arrested their drug problem with some success through decriminalisation. As I continually attempt to point out. WE need to take drugs out of the hands of those corrupting our nation and society. International syndicates are clearly getting ever more a foothold. Already one ethnic group is increasing in influence and number in the inner city .
What would be responsible is to remove the incentive for corruption and the temptation of making ordinary people conduct criminal activity in the knowledge that little risk towards them.
Obviously drugs are not going anywhere. But neither will the rest of us, if the prevailing situation further expands. It may well arrive at the stage when more of us ask the question," Can be avoid not getting involved", out of economic necessity or indeed observing the ease others are making such 'easy money'?
It doesn't solve the drug crisis but neither will legalization. It will simply mean we don't waster resources on arresting and prosecuting users. Legalization however is merely pouring gasoline on the fire which is why you won't find many recovering addicts in support of it
It will contribute by removing it from the syndicates , whose interests are to make money (entice ever more into drugs) and the countless households of all descriptions making certain drugs.
Then how would decriminalization not help solve this? Your version of legalization would in some way hurt the criminal aspect but remember these criminals will merely use smuggle something else. They adapt. When one door closes another opens. It used to be majiruana, then cocaine, then meth, now fentanyl. They will always come out with cheaper and more potent alternatives and the destructive power that some of these drugs have is such that there is simply no safe way they can be consumed. Look at the physical harm that Fentanyl causes with the erosion of peoples flesh. Imagine someone quite literally looking like a Zombie going in to their local pharmacy to pick up their prescription of Fentanyl. In what world is that a duty of care? Drugs are in fact getting worse, their physical toll and yet people still take them. We need to get to the root of this.
Personally I feel this is a spiritual issue. We as a society are finding ways to fill the gap in an ever secular and consumerist culture. We allow our bodies to become nothing more than vehicles for pleasure and escape no matter the price as for some of us there is nothing else to live for. This is a psychological and spiritual issue. Treating it as a health issue is a grave mistake as the health aspect merely looks at the aftermath of abuse. It's doesn't answer the cause of why we do this to ourselves and of course while addiction is a health issue combating it needs to be backed up with psychological and spiritual treatment which can prevent addiction in the first place
Remove the criminalisation of the addict which is increasingly what is being done at the moment. Special drug courts attempt to 'guide' the users away from using.
But maintain the rule of law against those profiting from the selling and manufacture of drugs. Remove residency rights and citizenship from the many foreign born involved. Financial penalties for Australians.
Why bring in people to the country whose contribution is the manufacture of drugs?
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