My idea to cut down drug problems

[fskimospy]

Scary how people think legalizing drugs would be a good idea. Can you imagine the chaos? People driving while on smack? Operating heavy machinery after snorting a line? Taking care of someones medical needs after shooting up? Yeah, thats' brilliant..... I'm almost tempted to say that they should try it in an american city so the rest of us can see how bad of an idea that would be.....

The problem with drugs (especially the harder ones) is we are not harsh ENOUGH on them. My idea (and I'm 90% serious) is to place undercover 50 cals around major cities or other places that have a bad drug problem. When a drug deal is going down and its confirmed - open up on all involved. Then leave the pile of goo there with a sign that reads "Drug dealer and buyer here. Get the point?" I guarantee the drug problem would disappear.

Automatic death penalty for drug dealing. Period.

Can you guys imagine the insanity of a world where people could shoot heroin legally?

Far better for us to live in a society where we fill our cities with heavy machine gun emplacements to blow apart citizens engaging in illegal behavior, leaving their bullet riddled corpses to rot in the street in order to terrify other citizens into obedience.

Clearly option two is a much better place to live.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Can you guys imagine the insanity of a world where people could shoot heroin legally?

Far better for us to live in a society where we fill our cities with heavy machine gun emplacements to blow apart citizens engaging in illegal behavior, leaving their bullet riddled corpses to rot in the street in order to terrify other citizens into obedience.

Clearly option two is a much better place to live.

+1

To suggest we would be better off murdering 10 people in exchange for 1 or 2 ruining their own lives by their own choice is absolutely absurd.

 

[rudder]

So on top of paying for someone else's drugs... the taxpayer will also have to buy this persons food, pay their rent, medical bills etc. People will use the shit out of something if it is free. Users will become addicted, prescriptions will have to continually get stronger, and costs will spiral.

Legalize pot, people pay for it and their food cravings, and be done with it. You can still employ prison guards by incarcerating meth heads.

 

[MovingTarget]

Can you guys imagine the insanity of a world where people could shoot heroin legally?

Far better for us to live in a society where we fill our cities with heavy machine gun emplacements to blow apart citizens engaging in illegal behavior, leaving their bullet riddled corpses to rot in the street in order to terrify other citizens into obedience.

Clearly option two is a much better place to live.

You don't have to imagine. Heroin used to be perfectly legal in the US. Addiction to heroin was at one point considered a "soldiers' disease" as it was used for surgery for war wounds (with the resulting addiction).

You could order it from the Bayer corporation delivered via US Mail straight to your doorstep. Sure, there were social ills resulting from that, but are we really better off today because of that prohibition? The crime, the cartels, the incarceration of citizens that could otherwise be productive, the resources used to incarcerate, etc are all things that should be looked at. Honestly, we should focus on education and treatment instead of criminalization.

 

[Carmen813]

Start treating chemical dependency for what it is: a medical/mental illness.

 

[xj0hnx]

So on top of paying for someone else's drugs... the taxpayer will also have to buy this persons food, pay their rent, medical bills etc. People will use the shit out of something if it is free. Users will become addicted, prescriptions will have to continually get stronger, and costs will spiral.

Would that be any different than the ones now that game the system? People act as if legalizing drugs will create a drug problem, and the social ill's that come with it, reality is that as a nation we already have a drug problem, and the social ill's that come with it. Even if we wound up paying for some of the junkies living, how is that going to be different than paying for them to be locked up for years and perpetuate the lifestyle and cycle they are in? Not only paying for lock ups for non-violent drug offenders, but the billions spent in the War on Drugs™ is a ridiculous amount of money to not fix the problems.

 

[MovingTarget]

Start treating chemical dependency for what it is: a medical/mental illness.

In many cases, it is just that. The state of mental health care in this country is abysmal. Unless you have insurance that covers it (a vast majority don't), then the only way you can get the care you need is to do something so heinous as to be sent by the court to an institution. Or, you know, self-medicate. Hence the problem.

 

[Ns1]

Start treating chemical dependency for what it is: a medical/mental illness.

yeah my addiction to caffeine is definitely a mental illness.

 

[Carmen813]

yeah my addiction to caffeine is definitely a mental illness.

Addiction is rooted the biological functioning of the brain.

 

[HAL9000]

Addiction is rooted the biological functioning of the brain.

While it may be a medical illness, it's self inflicted, like getting fat (for most people)

 

[Carmen813]

In many cases, it is just that. The state of mental health care in this country is abysmal. Unless you have insurance that covers it (a vast majority don't), then the only way you can get the care you need is to do something so heinous as to be sent by the court to an institution. Or, you know, self-medicate. Hence the problem.

I'll be doing some work helping individuals chemical dependency next semester. From what I know so far, it seems like you are spot on. Most people are court ordered.

Addressing chemical dependency is a fairly complex problem. There is no "magic" solution, it needs to be addressed on many different levels.

 

[Carmen813]

While it may be a medical illness, it's self inflicted, like getting fat (for most people)

Obesity is also linked to biological aspects of brain functioning. It's been a while since I've looked into this, but from what I recall it has something to do with the dopamine system.

The problem with chemical dependency is that individuals are always trying to get back to that same "high" they got the first time. The feeling they get is similar to what a gambler gets when he wins, or what a WoW player gets when he gets that phat piece of loot. Sometimes a big aspect of treatment is just figuring out what reward the person gets from that feeling. It's usually a way of dealing with something psychological.

Of course people are going to "blame" individuals with chemical dependence because they see addiction as a lack of willpower. That's part of the problem that needs to be addressed.

 

[HAL9000]

Obesity is also linked to biological aspects of brain functioning.

The problem with chemical dependency is that individuals are always trying to get back to that same "high" they got the first time. The feeling they get is similar to what a gambler gets when he wins, or what a WoW player gets when he gets that phat piece of loot. It's been a while since I've looked into this, but from what I recall it has something to do with the dopamine system.

That's true, but so is psychopathy, that doesn't mean they need treatment more than locking up.

 

[Patranus]

What makes you think the drug dealers would give up their billions in profits?

 

[Carmen813]

That's true, but so is psychopathy, that doesn't mean they need treatment more than locking up.

Psychopathy (anti-social personality disorder, ect) are much more difficult to treat than chemical dependency, which is not a personality disorder. Personality disorders are pervasive and often begin developing extremely early in childhood, yet can only be formally diagnosed once a person is an adult. Mind you chemical dependency isn't easy, but there are a lot more successful outcomes than there are when working with personality disorders.

"Locking people up" really just makes "normal" people feel better by hiding these problems from their view. It won't make the problem really go away, and it's a huge drain on resources. Not just in terms of the cost of keeping them "locked up" but also the resulting loss in production/ect. The vast majority of individuals with chemical dependency can be treated successfully.

If you start thinking of it as a physical illness to be managed, rather than as a lack of willpower or some indicator about the individual, then becomes easier to understand how they can be treated.

 

[alkemyst]

wow P&N, good job mate.

 

[IGBT]

the desire to intoxicate is the first indicator of a problem. From there the doper/druggie/drunk behavior begins.

 

[Darwin333]

Scary how people think legalizing drugs would be a good idea. Can you imagine the chaos? People driving while on smack? Operating heavy machinery after snorting a line?

Whats the difference if they do those activities while taking a shot of Jack?

 

[Carmen813]

the desire to intoxicate is the first indicator of a problem. From there the doper/druggie/drunk behavior begins.

Pretty much. Drug use is often just a coping mechanism.

 

[Darwin333]

What makes you think the drug dealers would give up their billions in profits?

Same reason you buy your booze from a store and not an illegal booze runner?

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

I'm not paying for it but the money saved by not having to deal with drug dealers etc would cover it.

Uh, what? You think the government is going to stop fighting drug crimes because of this idea, and then they will use the money saved to give free drugs to people? Fuck no! They'll spend it on new "green initiatives" to make all of the DEA's desks 100% recycled people.

Scary how people think legalizing drugs would be a good idea. Can you imagine the chaos? People driving while on smack? Operating heavy machinery after snorting a line? Taking care of someones medical needs after shooting up? Yeah, thats' brilliant..... I'm almost tempted to say that they should try it in an american city so the rest of us can see how bad of an idea that would be.....

The problem with drugs (especially the harder ones) is we are not harsh ENOUGH on them. My idea (and I'm 90% serious) is to place undercover 50 cals around major cities or other places that have a bad drug problem. When a drug deal is going down and its confirmed - open up on all involved. Then leave the pile of goo there with a sign that reads "Drug dealer and buyer here. Get the point?" I guarantee the drug problem would disappear.

Automatic death penalty for drug dealing. Period

You seem to think that there wouldn't be any penalties or laws to deter people from taking drugs at work, while driving, etc. The same people who do heroin now would do it if it were legal, and if they were caught driving under the influence they would get a DUI. It's not like legal drugs wouldn't have legal limits on their usage.

And placing machine guns around cities to discourage citizens from buying drugs is treating a symptom, not the problem. People might be discouraged from buying coke if they thought they would get cut in half by bullets, yes. But doing that creates a few more problems than it causes; the military is supposed to protect the public from armed threats, not kill them for doing something illegal. You're really suggesting initiating 1984-style policies, and you're serious!

 

[MovingTarget]

Uh, what? You think the government is going to stop fighting drug crimes because of this idea, and then they will use the money saved to give free drugs to people? Fuck no! They'll spend it on new "green initiatives" to make all of the DEA's desks 100% recycled people.

I hope that is not what he was saying, either.

Most people that support drug law reform do not agree with providing free drugs or drug supplies to users. Mostly, they want to remove the prohibitions and tax/regulate the distribution similar to the way we do alcohol. Drug "crimes" such as theft, violence, etc. can and would still be prosecuted like they are now. The DEA can be transitioned into an oversight role of said production/distribution.

 

[Ns1]

I hope that is not what he was saying, either.

Most people that support drug law reform do not agree with providing free drugs or drug supplies to users. Mostly, they want to remove the prohibitions and tax/regulate the distribution similar to the way we do alcohol. Drug "crimes" such as theft, violence, etc. can and would still be prosecuted like they are now. The DEA can be transitioned into an oversight role of said production/distribution.

bolded :thumbsup:

 

[alkemyst]

the desire to intoxicate is the first indicator of a problem. From there the doper/druggie/drunk behavior begins.

damn dude, can i see your papers?

 

[Attic]

Interesting proposition. You should interview the families of those who have had loved ones with drug addiction issues.