Legaliizng Hard Drugs was a dumb move 1364 died last year (Portland: crime, dangerous)

[WestGuest]

Back in the 1980s I was an elected DA in Texas and publicly stopped prosecuting marijuana cases. I have no regrets and have over the years published editorials in favor of full legalization of pot.


Hard drugs are a totally different matter. My wife is a nurse and meth users are dangerous and obnoxious Heroin and Cocaine addicts are no bargain either. They have helped destroy Portland's reputation as one of the nation's nicest cities. Now its held up as an example of liberalism gone out of control.




Make no mistake, as an educated person, I am still a Democrat- I am thriving in this economy where there are 1.9 jobs for each applicant however. Dems and LIberals are not right about Everything. Addicts are still criminals and need to be off the street. Yes it takes money to incarcerate them, but at least they arent committing more crimes while in jail. The Oregon - Portland economy has suffered worse than the incarceration costs. -


These drugs are not marijuana. Marijuana can be beneficial and does not lead to other crimes. Someone sampling Meth or Smack - knows absolutely that these are dangerous drugs -- Lock em UP!

[Hemlock140]

I wonder if the current lack of drug abuse enforcement is intentional? It turns out to be an effective method of population control.

Fentanyl alone accounted for 67,325 preventable deaths of Americans in 2021. Here in Washington state there were 1,619 deaths from drug overdoses in 2021.

While our current government trend is to stop prosecuting crime because it has an "unfair" effect on minorities, the result is actually hurting them even more.

"During March to August 2021, overall drug overdose rates were highest among non-Hispanic Black or African American (hereafter Black) men (61.2; 95% CI, 59.4-62.9) and American Indian or Alaska Native men (60.0; 95% CI, 52.8-67.2), and fentanyl-involved death rates were highest among Black men (43.3; 95% CI, 41.8-44.8)."

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...041.8%2D44.8).

[Igor Blevin]

Very predictable.

[leastprime]

As a previous long resident of Oregon, the populace has got to pay for penal and rehabilitation facilities and personnel.
The problem with penal and rehabilitation is their recidivism.
Making hard drugs illegal won't stop drug use.

It is my current opinion, to make unrestricted access to street seized, hard drugs for a limited amount of time, and without intervention by medical/social services, except for cremation costs. There after, 3 one time stages of rehabilitation with the final, a single choice with a permanent choice between heaven or hell (drug sense).

[considerforamoment]

Jails and prisons need to be reformed to actually rehabilitate people - that would mean healthy food, at least a decent painted environment, classes, job training, placement after leaving.

People with substance use/abuse disorders should have mandatory in-house, long-term rehab assignments (six months to a year) - along with job training and placement.

Most addicts have c-PTSD - have generational trauma and will continue to act out until they are treated. Treatment would include actually feeling your feelings and releasing trauma - but that takes time and oversight, as well as awareness - we aren't there yet.

OP: I'm glad someone with your background is speaking out. I hope you continue to do so.

[hawk55732]

Personally, if someone is going to do something that they know has a very high chance of getting themselves addicted to, likely lead to crime and will likely kill them, then let them do it. The ones who are smart enough not to do such things wont have to worry about them once they are gone.

[leastprime]

Lots of nice places in Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon where even the antelope don't like.
If we taxpayers are already paying for cremation services, a least we could do is localize collection of bodies.

The cheapest and easily implemented solution is to isolate in place, and let the users have unlimited access to seized drugs.

[Silverfall]

The problem with decriminalizing it is that it was done without changes to laws for mandatory treatment and then of course, actually funding enough long-term treatment centers. At least with the criminal justice system, people could choose to go into treatment over jail so it helped some people. The death outcome is inevitable and will continue to be this way.

[Listener2307]

Legal? Illegal?
Makes no difference in my behavior. Using drugs is stupid and I don't do it.
Alcohol?..... That's a drug, too. It is just so commonly used people don't know its a toxin.


Legalizing drugs is tacit approval for those who do not use their head. They will believe drugs have been approved because they are harmless. So they will use them. And become a burden to the rest of us.
Legalizing drugs is a cowardly, irresponsible act.

[jcp123]

The problem with addiction is that legality doesn’t play much of a role. You’re gonna get your fix, or quite literally die trying in some cases. Dangerous substances and substance abuse are medical issues first and foremost.