Look at substance of substance abuse

Guelph Mercury (Canada) ^ | December 16, 2002 | Bill Penner

[MrLeRoy]

Wod_list ping

[ppaul]

Half-hearted measures like safe injection sites and lightening up on marijuana won't do the trick.

Nor will feel-good pop psychology and self-esteem training.

"Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead...Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." -- St. Peter

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[eno_]

...a weakness in character... It's the same reason people get addicted to pornography, alcohol, gambling, or other anti-social activities.

This is where he nails it: It's the addict, not the drug. And some addictions are just part of life. (I can stop freeping any time I want. Really.) Making addiction the subject of laws has been ineffective and counterproductive. Unless there is a plan to "win" the Drug War, it should be shut down.

[Kerberos]

"Complete decriminalization, with government regulated free market supply of product, and a massive public health campaign, will choke off illegal profits and allow the abusers to be treated. "

[MrLeRoy]

"Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead...Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." -- St. Peter

In the end, that's the only solution to drug abuse. But unless you propose to mandate religious faith, I don't see how this is relevant to the question of what goivernmental policy should be.

[Migraine]

If there is a syllogism here, is it:

The problem is weakness of character;
The solution is to make drugs more readily available and legal;
Therefore, use of mind-altering drugs strengthens character?

Huh, what? Huh, what?

[MrLeRoy]

The problem is weakness of character;
The solution is to make drugs more readily available and legal;

Who says that?

[eno_]

Funny but true. It even bears out in studies: An Australian study found stoned people died at a lower rate than sober people, and, of course, at a much much lower rate than drunk people in car wrecks.

Marijuana may not be utterly harmless, but it sure is a lot less harmful than cheap beer is to a teenager.

[headsonpikes]

Having lost the argument, the WODdies are reduced to entering lame-*ss insults amongst the Keywords.

Pathetic...strike that...bathetic.

[vin-one]

will choke off illegal profits and allow the abusers to be treated. "

The biggest problem here is that when drugs are legalized what will happen to all those
drug runners? Will they go out and get real jobs, I think that upfront, they will be hurting.
Then probably crime rates may rise, they have to keep up the high life style
No profit no money,
so we are proposing putting drug dealers in the unemployment lines,

[Kerberos]

"so we are proposing putting drug dealers in the unemployment lines, "

No what we are proposing, or at least what I am proposing, is putting them out of business. What happens to them after that is their problem. As far as them committing violent crime, they are already committing violent crime. We’re just helping to keep them doing such with our illogical drug policies.

There is data somewhere, but I can't recall right now that shows after prohibition ended violent crime went down. The same thing would happen if we ended the war on drugs if for no other reason than that police officers could be using their time to apprehend violent offenders as opposed to chasing pot users.

[vin-one]

trying to light a fire under some of the WOD'ers out there.
Not necessarily pointed at you......

[Kerberos]

"trying to light a fire under some of the WOD'ers out there"

Not really, just trying to answer the question for what it is. This is a problem that I have studied for well over 20 years, and there is no other conclusion to come to. The WOD does not achieve the desired objective so therefore it is time for a new plan.

But I will confess that sometimes I do like lighting a fire under them as when you do, it really comes out as to just how illogical their positions are.

[PaxMacian]

GOD MADE HERB
GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD
GOD GAVE IT TO MAN

Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.

Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:29
And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

[jodorowsky]

Complete decriminalization, with government regulated supply of product, and a massive public health campaign, will choke off illegal profits and allow the abusers to be treated.

... thus perpetuating the injustice of this even being considered as a proper matter for legislation.

I don't want to pay for some drug addict's cure. That'll cut into my own dope money.

[jodorowsky]

No what we are proposing, or at least what I am proposing, is putting them out of business. What happens to them after that is their problem.

BUMP!

[robertpaulsen]

"There are lots of people out there willing to risk breaking the law to get rich from other people's weaknesses. Just take a look at the burgeoning Internet pornography businesses (legal) and the state sanctioned lottery (legal) and alcohol industries (legal).

What is his point? He wants to remove the "potential for profit" by legalization, yet illustrates (with three examples) how people are profitting and getting rich in legal activities that prey on people's weaknesses.

I think he's still doing drugs.