Should drugs be legalised?

[Louise]

as dawn said there is help if you need it but sometimes thats just a way of getting your fix or selling it on to get what you really want

 

unfortunately some people out there are not as responcerble as the recreational user

Edited May 26, 2004 by Louise

[LiquidEyes]

QUOTE (Louise @ May 26 2004, 16:00)

95% of alcoholics have not sought help for there addiction and get through the day by turning to the next drink, until they realise there is a problem there can be no help [/quote] so all the statistics regarding alcoholics and rehab are only around 5%

Umm... I think your logic is a bit flawed. I know what you're trying to say but you're making some contrived / circular inferences there.

[Louise]

ok then scrub that

 

ammended accordingly

Edited May 26, 2004 by Louise

[Jessica Rabbit]

Russell - forget the issue of addiction - what about the other side effects, eg mental health problems as well as physical? Go to a psychiatric unit and you will find that many people there have had their problems sparked off by drug use. If you have an underlying psychiatric problem drugs can bring it out whereas otherwise it would have lain dormant.

 

Whilst I know many people who are 'sensible' with their drug use and don't over do it, I know plenty that do on a regular basis with no regard for the consequences. I'm sorry but I really don't think the general public are responsible enough to be given the benefit of drug legalisation.

 

As for alcohol - there are two types of addiction, physical and psychological. Here's a fun fact - many young people are actually psychologically adicted to alcohol without realising it. This does not mean that they get shakes and need a drink as soon as they wake up, but to an extent they cannot function without a drink - eg socially. The same can be said for all those people who cannot go clubbing without taking drugs. Many of them do not realise there is anything wrong with this, when there is.

 

Drugs are the most harmful when people use them as a coping strategy to escape from troubles in their life. I think all of us do this to an extent as drug use is about escapism.

 

I am not saying drugs are evil, just don't be so blase about the effects of them. Maybe you have not seen the burnouts or suffered the effects yourself, but in all probability you will one day.

Edited May 26, 2004 by Jessica Rabbit

[LiquidEyes]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:16)

Whilst I know many people who are 'sensible' with their drug use and don't over do it, I know plenty that do on a regular basis with no regard for the consequences. I'm sorry but I really don't think the general public are responsible enough to be given the benefit of drug legalisation.

Maybe we should make McDonalds illegal as well then ... after all, the public aren't sensible enough to manage their own obesity.

 

I should be banned from eating curries - I'm a heart-attack waiting to happen.

 

I should be forced to cut down on my PC-usage / piano-playing, as I'm an RSI-victim waiting to happen.

 

etc etc.

 

Why have special rules for "drugs" when there's no significant evidence they're more dangerous than anything else?

 

You gotta put some faith in the public!

[LiquidEyes]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:16)

Drugs are the most harmful when people use them as a coping strategy to escape from troubles in their life. I think all of us do this to an extent as drug use is about escapism.

The same could be said for chocolate / comfort-eating.

 

When I feel down, I drink milkshake or eat curry (fact). Yep, it's my short-term way of dealing with the way I feel.

[Jessica Rabbit]

QUOTE (LiquidEyes @ May 26 2004, 16:22)

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:16) Whilst I know many people who are 'sensible' with their drug use and don't over do it, I know plenty that do on a regular basis with no regard for the consequences. I'm sorry but I really don't think the general public are responsible enough to be given the benefit of drug legalisation. Maybe we should make McDonalds illegal as well then ... after all, the public aren't sensible enough to manage their own obesity.   I should be banned from eating curries - I'm a heart-attack waiting to happen.   I should be forced to cut down on my PC-usage / piano-playing, as I'm an RSI-victim waiting to happen.   etc etc.   Why have special rules for "drugs" when there's no significant evidence they're more dangerous than anything else?   You gotta put some faith in the public! Let's legalise guns as well then - hey. we can trust the general public to be sensible with them, it works in the states

[LiquidEyes]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:16)

I'm sorry but I really don't think the general public are responsible enough to be given the benefit of drug legalisation.

Personally I don't think the majority of the public are selfless / informed / intelligent enough to deserve the vote either, but that's another matter. I mean, look at how many racists there are out there, and tell me the public should have a say in immigration/asylum policy for example?

[LiquidEyes]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:27)

Let's legalise guns as well then - hey. we can trust the general public to be sensible with them, it works in the states

Guns are a poor example: they have virtually no benefit whatsoever, to balance out their negative uses.

[Jessica Rabbit]

QUOTE (LiquidEyes @ May 26 2004, 16:22)

Why have special rules for "drugs" when there's no significant evidence they're more dangerous than anything else?

Wrong.

 

Sometimes it amazes me how little people know about what they are putting in their bodies.

[Dawn]

Drugs can be evil, in the wrong hands, I know personally and through friends, addicts and it has ruined not only their lives but their families lives aswell.

 

Even seeing people close to them die didn't help with their addiction, (most around them thought they'd be shocked into stopping, this is the nieve attitude we have) and yes I know of one that abuses the help he gets with his addiction (although he doesn't know I know this, perhaps me turning a blind eye to the fact makes me as bad as him for doing it, but I only do this for the sake of his family)

 

I don't think one of them go clubbing as a rule ... so how it all started and in what enviroment they were in I don't know, maybe that was their downfall.

[Jessica Rabbit]

QUOTE (LiquidEyes @ May 26 2004, 16:28)

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:27) Let's legalise guns as well then - hey. we can trust the general public to be sensible with them, it works in the states  Guns are a poor example: they have virtually no benefit whatsoever, to balance out their negative uses. And fast food is such an accurate comparison?   You have to eat one hell of a lot of it to become clinically obese, whereas with drugs if you have any underlying mental problems they can be brought out by, for example, taking acid once or twice. Or doing a line of crystal meth. Or smoking a spliff. Or......

[LiquidEyes]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:29)

Wrong. Sometimes it amazes me how little people know about what they are putting in their bodies.

Okay, granted my comment is rather worthless without a specific example.

 

I suspect that for the average person who drinks a few beers, doesn't do enough exercise, eats a few curries, etc etc, taking the odd pill every few weekends is probably the least of their worries.

[LiquidEyes]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:33)

with drugs if you have any underlying mental problems they can be brought out by, for example, taking acid once or twice. Or doing a line of crystal meth. Or smoking a spliff. Or......

Okay okay ... LOL ... those weren't the particular examples I had in mind!

[Lisa]

QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:33)

QUOTE (LiquidEyes @ May 26 2004, 16:28) QUOTE (Jessica Rabbit @ May 26 2004, 16:27) Let's legalise guns as well then - hey. we can trust the general public to be sensible with them, it works in the states  Guns are a poor example: they have virtually no benefit whatsoever, to balance out their negative uses. And fast food is such an accurate comparison?   You have to eat one hell of a lot of it to become clinically obese, whereas with drugs if you have any underlying mental problems they can be brought out by, for example, taking acid once or twice. Or doing a line of crystal meth. Or smoking a spliff. Or...... you beat me to it It depends really on how controlled drugs are, if legalised, but as Dawn say, people find ways to obtain it through other means, as it would cheaper etc etc. It's a hard one.