h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Blues Shark, your argument cuts both ways: if the reason alcohol and tobacco can't be made illegal is because their widespread usage renders a ban unfeasable then the status quo with regard to cannabis most also be unfeasable as it's a widely used product.

True.
As I said earlier, I don't greatly care what the authorities do with cannabis.
People rarely kill/assault/burgle/steal to feed a cannabis habit.

....in fact the worse they do is spend a lot of money keeping the snack food industry going.....

So there you have it, cannabis IS bad for you - it causes your teeth to rot from too much chocolate!

http://bnf.vhn.net/bnf/documents/bnf.938.html#BNFID_3521

Just the price for legal prescription diamorphine, I would quite happily pay for addicts to get this through the NHS, rather than pay for the police, the social workers, the CPS, the A&E, not to mention the victims of addict fuelled crime. Not to mention removing a huge portion of the black market and organised crime income. Seems to work in Switzerland. Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

It's a personal thing.
I personally would be in favour of legalizing everything if those who used agreed to carry a card at all times that said;
'I am a registered drug user. In the event of medical treatment being needed, you should be aware that I have chosen to give myself this illness. I therefore do not think it right that valuable medical resources should be wasted on my treatment. I'll take my chances on the streets with my wondeful drug-addicted mates, who will be sure to help me out in my hour of need.
Thank you.'

so if they were in an accident that was in no way related to their drug use you are suggesting that they be denied medical treatment?

surely not - or do you wish to extend this to include legally available recreational/social drugs (alcohol & tobacco)?

Not actually that bothered. People who take substances that are proven to be detrimental to health are risking themselves and others safety. And I speak here as someone who nearly (did?) have an alcohol problem and watched a close friend go though alcoholism as well.

I'll amend the wording to say 'Please ignore in the event of accident' if you like. Or even add 'In the event of a drug related incident...' at the front.

no thanks - as a recovered alcoholic I have been there(ish), etc etc etc.

I was really more curious as to the reasoning behind your suggestion than the suggestion itself.

Whilst I was an alcoholic other than completely ruining my relationship at the time, I never caused anyone any physical harm, got into accidents as a result of my drinking etc. Unlike those that go on Friday or Saturday night sessions with their mates who more times than not end up having some form of physical with the doorman, their mates, total strangers, the old bill - in fact anyone who gets in the way.

what about people who get addicted when using it legally from a prescription for pain relief? Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

Stepping blythely over the backlog - there are a variety of reasons why I rarely smoke cannabis, and the infuriating tendency to put on weight is one of the most compelling!

What about diabetics who don't restrict their diet, BS? Or chain saw operators who cut their hands?

I understand where you are coming from on this, particularly given the parlous state of the NHS. But I don't think it is workable.

For the record (and this is where it is obvious I have stepped over the backlog) my view is legalise, educate and tax.

The only drugs which are reducing in popularity are alcohol and tobacco; both of which are legal, highly controlled, highly taxed and subject to *realistic* education campaigns. There is so much less bulls**t written and spoken about these two drugs than about the others.

Control recreational drugs in exactly the same way as tobacco and alcohol. People don't go blind from wood alcohol any more, because it is harder to get potcheen than whiskey. And the whiskey you do buy is in a standard size bottle, made to a standard recipe, with a standard percentage of alcohol in it. And about 70% of what you pay goes to the governement, and thereby indirectly to the NHS...

The key part of this is educate, of course. And it falls apart if the government comes to depend on the tax revenues.

But that is my 8th.

B

PS - apparently there has recently been a reduction in smoking among school children, which correlates exactly with the uptake of mobile phones. The reason? Phones are cool....

Sorry, I'm intolerant of drug addicts.
In my erxperience they are self absorbed, uninteresting people who have no life beyond their next fix.
They commit crimes of huge magnitude just to feed their misearble habits.
I don't know you'd find more than 10% of those in the CPS willing to push a different viwewpoint very hard, because when it comes down to it, nearly all the crime we see is drug related. Battering old ladies for ten pounds. Burgling houses of childrens christmas presents. That sort of thing. The things that *really* make life worth living.

That is trouble with prohibition, keeping the prices artificially high, not with drugs per se. If an addict could get diamorphine prescribed easily and cheaply they would need £1000 pounds a week to feed a habit, but £20 a week. Both Switzerland and Australia seem to agree, and some GP's here are returning to such a policy.

Aha, but according to an earlier poster, they *don't like* diamorphine. Indeed, the Big Issue just last week reported the death of an addict that was so disappointed at not being able to get heroin from his local dr that he went out and got a fix and od'd.
Sympathy from me: Nil. Sorry, there it is.

It really is the one area (well, this and child molesters) where I tend to have a black and white view. You can dislike me for it, call me narrow minded and any number of other things, but I'd like to think my record elsewhere on this site says other than that a fascist who believes we should all conform to a norm.

They do not like methadone as much, but diamorphine IS heroine....
BCNU - Crescent

Hey - BS - you have seen much more of the sharp end of it than I have. And you should know that I beleive in everyone's right to base their opinion on their own lives and experience.

B

Ignore me. I'm off home after a day preparing the paperwork on an undercover drugs op. Another day of it tomorrow.
I guess I'm getting a little cranky these days.

Hell, you've pobviously got a different perspective on to to the rest of us Blues, cause of your job.
I like the idea of the drug user's card, but I don't think I can stick with it. Doctors are supposed to help people whatever, and I beleive in that. Maybe someone can Genetically engineer a heroin/canabis/crack eating bacteria. But then it'd probably only go and eat the medical morphine stocks. Someone, please come up with a good (if longterm) solution to all the world's problems please, as long as it doesn't involve wiping out humanity.

Unfortunately humanity IS the problem....

B

Leave it all to the mountain goats in Turkey. A solution that has not been bettered since first suggested by Molesworth major.