People die every day under the “influence” of:
Xanax
Tobacco
Caffeine
Valium
Penicillin
Sugar
Ad infinitum
Are those things the proximate causes of their deaths or was plain old fashioned stupid?
“Are those things the proximate causes of their deaths or was plain old fashioned stupid?”
We can cite plenty of stupidity enhancers out there and there is no lack of stupid people who simply die stupid with no enhancements at all, right? Context matters. But, they should at least be part of the conversation, as should the stupidity of the person in play. We shouldn’t dismiss the contributing factors because you can’t overdose on the drug in question. That was my initial, primary point.
JustSayNoToNannies wisely points to real world facts. The Portugese experience with quasi-legalization changed my thinking on the question.