Legalising drugs could save the U.K £14 Billion a year

MyLastFiver

Plus, is the legalization debate not a class issue? Young Jeremy and Jemima might want to be able to smoke a spliff or snort a line at university without fear of arrest, but I can't see people living in the !!!! end of Glasgow, Liverpool or Leeds, people who have to live with the effects of drugs on their kids and their communities, thinking that removing all controls on these drugs, and legitimizing their use, is somehow a good idea.

lostinrates

MyLastFiver wrote: »

What no-one seems to be discussing is that many drugs are controlled because they are very dangerous, either in the short or long term, both to the individual and to society. Tens of thousands of heroin and crack addicts already commit vast amounts of crime in order to feed their habits. And these drugs are already very cheap. £5 a bag round here, or £5 a rock. Legal or illegal, addicts will still need to pay for it. And legalization would surely create huge numbers of new addicts.

I know the argument is different for less addictive drugs like cannabis, but we've already had that argument on another thread

Very true. And very sad, and something that hits not far from home, and IMO relevant to less addictive drugs too, not just because of the drug, but because of the nature of anyone who is addicted to anything...drink, drugs...chocolate...or shopping.

The sad thing is the number amoung our personal social circle who profess it hasn't done them any harm. Pointing it out of course, woul be cruel and IMO useless.

stephen163

mambury wrote: »

okay so alcohol and tobacco are completely safe, with no side affects or any link to crime at all????

All the more reason not to legalise the other drugs!

MyLastFiver

mambury wrote: »

okay so alcohol and tobacco are completely safe, with no side affects or any link to crime at all????

No. Our drugs laws are inconsistent and imperfect. But that doesn't mean we should remove them altogether.

Wookster

MyLastFiver wrote: »

What no-one seems to be discussing is that many drugs are controlled because they are very dangerous, either in the short or long term, both to the individual and to society.

They are, but so are alcohol and tobacco - infact those two drugs do more damage than all the other drugs combined.

MyLastFiver wrote: »

Tens of thousands of heroin and crack addicts already commit vast amounts of crime in order to feed their habits. And these drugs are already very cheap. £5 a bag round here, or £5 a rock. Legal or illegal, addicts will still need to pay for it. And legalization would surely create huge numbers of new addicts.

That argument is the same argument used about condoms, sex education etc etc. It simply doesn't work. Marijuana use has decreased since it was legalised in the Netherlands. Most people use drugs for a period in their lives then stop and go on to other things.

What we need now are pragmatic solutions, sadly it seems as though no party is willing to take bold steps.

Really2

To me it is either illegal or legal.

If it is illegal, it should be zero tollerence.

The problem now is we scale everything thus saying it is ok to do a bit.

I think the law is now far to confusing and tollerent.

It is fighting the casue while leaving the fire to run without control IE targeting importers but making virtualy OK to take it.

MyLastFiver

Wookster wrote: »

They are, but so are alcohol and tobacco

See above

That argument is the same argument used about condoms, sex education etc etc.

What argument? That if you give people condoms then it encourages them to have sex? I can't see any connection here with the drugs debate - can you explain?

Most people use drugs for a period in their lives then stop and go on to other things.

Some do, but others have their lives wrecked by them. I think you're talking about cannabis, coke etc (the mild end!) and forgetting about the hard stuff.

stephen163

I think we should move slowly toward the ideal and the ideal is that no human consumes anything that causes them harm or drastically shortens teir life. Tobacco use shortens your life, but fingers crossed will be banned within a generation. Alcohol use is ok in moderation.

Cannabis is a really nasty thing to use over a prolonged period of time. If used as a teenager, it can trigger schizophrenia.

Really2

stephen163 wrote: »

Cannabis is a really nasty thing to use over a prolonged period of time. If used as a teenager, it can trigger schizophrenia.

In some peopleit can that is the fact, but true. But it is also great for MS sufferers.

So can many other things though, drinking or precscription drugs.

We will be on the is addiction phyical or mental soon.;)

Sir_Humphrey

Regulations need to be rational and proportionate to the risk. This is not the case with drugs where the agenda is decided by the "experts" at the Daily Mail.

This is not to say that all drugs should be legalised. Even the legal drugs such as alcohol or tobacco have restrictions. IMHO, this is an area that has to be looked at as there are glaring anomalies (such as Ecstacy being classed higher than Speed, which seems ludicrous to me). Whatever the risks of those drugs, it is obvious that Ecstacy is not as dangerous as Crack, yet both are class A.

Sadly, I doubt reason will rule here for quite some time at least, so more will either die as a result of their drug use and others be unnecessarily criminalised.