01-09-2006, 07:45 AM
rob banzai Wrote:
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> I didn't mean that he was saying making it legal
> would make it more responsible.
>
> What I meant was he is emphasizing that legal drug
> use is fine as long as it is responsible, but he
> is ignoring the fact that drug use is generally
> irresponsible. The average drug user is frequently
> a drug abuser because that is the nature of the
> addictive and destructive properties of drugs.
Not true. The average drug user is like the average alcohol user. It might be that the majority of drug users you've come into contact with are drug abusers, which would skew your perception.
At least ninety percent of the population is able to handle responsibly the use of a highly addicting dangerous substance called alcohol.
>
> So my point is that when he says "as long as it is
> reponsible use" is ridiculous because the vast
> majority of druggies using meth, crack, etc are
> NOT using it responsibly. They are using it and
> then acting in socially unacceptable ways. This
> includes non-violent stuff like stealing to
> support the addiction as well as the awful violent
> side.
The stealing to support the addiction would drop to almost nothing if drugs were legalized. If a nights worth of crack cost no more than a pack of cigarettes or a box of cookies, why would anyone commit a crime to support their crack habit, when a few hours of pan-handling would get them their fix? More likely we'd have a short term epidemic of drug overdoses as God and Darwin sorted things out.
If a person becomes addicted to a substance, it's a medical problem and should be handled as such. If they engage in illegal behavior while under the influence, then they should be punished for the behavior and possibly receive treatment if they have a history of such behavior while under the influence.
>
> At the same time it is a fantasy to think that
> alcohol usage is not like drug usage. It might be
> less addictive but it is still teribly destructive
> on the whole. The legality of it gives it a veneer
> of acceptability but it costs society far more
> than it gives back.
No arguments here. I think it's as addictive, and possibly more seductive because of its "respectability".
>
> The biggest difference is in the addictiveness of
> drugs and the severity of the effects. I don't
> care how addictive nicotine is, people don't have
> a cigarette and then feel that the spider people
> are coming for them and they need to burn the
> house down.
>
> "Responsible use" of drugs like crack, meth, coke
> is a fantasy.
Not all users of these drugs suffer from spider people.
Let me be frank. (Don't say "hi frank!")
I was addicted to Crystal Meth. I knew people who were afraid of the "spider people". I knew people who were friends with the "spider people"! Not everyone in my crowd was like that, though. And quite a few did meth for a while, then grew out of it. It was too much for them, so, being responsible, they just stopped.
I was responsible, but I couldn't stop. So I got treatment, and with professional help and non-professional help, I was able to stop 12 and a half years ago and I haven't picked up a drug or drink since. I didn't want to meet the "spider people" I guess. =)
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> I didn't mean that he was saying making it legal
> would make it more responsible.
>
> What I meant was he is emphasizing that legal drug
> use is fine as long as it is responsible, but he
> is ignoring the fact that drug use is generally
> irresponsible. The average drug user is frequently
> a drug abuser because that is the nature of the
> addictive and destructive properties of drugs.
Not true. The average drug user is like the average alcohol user. It might be that the majority of drug users you've come into contact with are drug abusers, which would skew your perception.
At least ninety percent of the population is able to handle responsibly the use of a highly addicting dangerous substance called alcohol.
>
> So my point is that when he says "as long as it is
> reponsible use" is ridiculous because the vast
> majority of druggies using meth, crack, etc are
> NOT using it responsibly. They are using it and
> then acting in socially unacceptable ways. This
> includes non-violent stuff like stealing to
> support the addiction as well as the awful violent
> side.
The stealing to support the addiction would drop to almost nothing if drugs were legalized. If a nights worth of crack cost no more than a pack of cigarettes or a box of cookies, why would anyone commit a crime to support their crack habit, when a few hours of pan-handling would get them their fix? More likely we'd have a short term epidemic of drug overdoses as God and Darwin sorted things out.
If a person becomes addicted to a substance, it's a medical problem and should be handled as such. If they engage in illegal behavior while under the influence, then they should be punished for the behavior and possibly receive treatment if they have a history of such behavior while under the influence.
>
> At the same time it is a fantasy to think that
> alcohol usage is not like drug usage. It might be
> less addictive but it is still teribly destructive
> on the whole. The legality of it gives it a veneer
> of acceptability but it costs society far more
> than it gives back.
No arguments here. I think it's as addictive, and possibly more seductive because of its "respectability".
>
> The biggest difference is in the addictiveness of
> drugs and the severity of the effects. I don't
> care how addictive nicotine is, people don't have
> a cigarette and then feel that the spider people
> are coming for them and they need to burn the
> house down.
>
> "Responsible use" of drugs like crack, meth, coke
> is a fantasy.
Not all users of these drugs suffer from spider people.
Let me be frank. (Don't say "hi frank!")
I was addicted to Crystal Meth. I knew people who were afraid of the "spider people". I knew people who were friends with the "spider people"! Not everyone in my crowd was like that, though. And quite a few did meth for a while, then grew out of it. It was too much for them, so, being responsible, they just stopped.
I was responsible, but I couldn't stop. So I got treatment, and with professional help and non-professional help, I was able to stop 12 and a half years ago and I haven't picked up a drug or drink since. I didn't want to meet the "spider people" I guess. =)
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