(Just a note that I have noticed this forum getting more and more political, and less and less conspiracy based. That said some of the discussions have been, mostly, reasonably well behaved and thoughtful, although I don't think anyone has convinced anyone else to switch sides either politically or environmentally, or even sexually. If this topic is a little too controversial for seabreeze so be it; lock this thread)
Richard Branson on the war on drugs and Portugal's decriminalisation approach:http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/time-to-end-the-war-on-drugs
Personally I'm for decriminalisation, but with the caveat that not all cultures are the same and Australia might fare better or worse than Portugal.
Why I'm for it:
- The laws are there to protect the community, and they're arguably not working.
- The money would be better spent on drug prevention and education.
- Some of the allure is itself that drugs are illegal.
- Statistically alcohol is far worse than a lot of drugs.
and finally:
- The more effective the war on drugs is the greater the incentive for criminals, because the price and their profit goes up the more it succeeds (if they don't get caught). Any syndicate that is shut down is soon replaced with a more profitable one. The demand is always there. Drug cartels make serious money because it is illegal. All of this promotes corruption across the board.
I can, of course and from a lot of personal experience, understand why anyone is against lives being wrecked by drugs. I think we all agree on that. The question is what is the best way to achieve that, actually, in practice not theory. It's pretty hard to argue that criminalisation has worked.
just ask all the old grannies getting around stoned out of their brains getting their purple rinses done,they love legal drugs.i somewhat must agree with the old bags after the doses i have been given lately
. now for for another oxy
What gives anybody the right to tell an adult what he or she can/can't do with their own body?
I agree... there should be extremely strict patrols checking that nobody drives while high, but unless you are actively putting others in danger (like driving or you know..performing open heart surgery..) you should be able to smoke, eat on inject everything you want in your body (if you pay for your medical insurance)
Go away flysurfer. I'm supposed to be working and you're not making it easy for me.
( signing out now so I'm not listening 
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Alcohol and tobacco have been with us for a very long time and are embedded in our culture They are harmful as I well know having lost close family members to both
Using alcohol and tobacco as a reason to legalise other drugs seems to me to be stupid The right to do what we want to our bodies doesnt wash because others are affected whether we like it or not Noone is an island to one self If we are part of society our actions have impact on others and if those actions are affected by substances that renders a person out of control then they are a danger to all
It is not only the losers that can get caught up in addictive drugs
Licenses to use drugs ? Get real would everyone obey a law like that? Does everyone on the road have a drivers license ?
I'm personally for complete legalisation of drugs prohibition clearly doesn't work.
I do not believe there would be a huge increase in drug addicted people and i believe that drug related crime would reduce especially in places like South America and Asia.
Legalisation then means that health services can actually make a clear assessment of the problems and provide community services as necessary.
....but the reality is that drugs are bad and no sane vote winning government is going to get a bill like that through.
well, nobody here (including me) has pointed out the main reason I would like to see drugs legalized:
->to be able to do them without fear of being arrested.
WTF?!??!???
I think I have to agree with FS! What's that... twice in one year? I must be getting old or stupid or something...
I think we should decriminalize drugs. I've always seen the drug issue more as a medical problem than a legal problem.
It should be up to individuals to decide what they put in their body, not politicians. If heroin was legalised would there be s sharp increase in heroin addiction? It's not that hard to get the stuff now if you want it.
Personally I don't think the law enforcement relating to drugs is too serious about eliminating illegal drug use. Law enforcement concentrates on stamping out supply. Meanwhile demand is treated quite leniently. As long as demand is there suppliers will try to satisfy no matter what the risk. If demand was killed off one way or another then supply wouldnt be an issue. No one would want the stuff. However the political implications and economic costs of locking up or executing everyone caught using illegal drugs would be too high.
So we continue down this charade of chasing suppliers while middle class kids gets high on some illegal chemical on a Saturday night.
I dont profess to know too much about drugs but why anyone would use some unknown dodgy substance with unknown effects that quite possibly got brought into the country in someones butt is completely outside my comprehension
These people need protection from themselves
It's quite clear from the comments that like most other societal issues, education or lack thereof is the root cause.
I think we should ban (cos their bad) screw drivers, knifes, going out, baths, Drs, pretty women, pretty much everything.... Oh wait the big "bad" surfing, windsurfing and the mother of all bad's paragliding!
See how stupid that read? Well it's on the same line as "Drugs are bad"...
@saltiest1: do you really want to join the ranks of loggy and soggy with that comment? Are you on drugs? If your not you may need some... something like 300mg of caffeine to wake you up!
Your tax money has gone on patching me up after coming unstuck doing wind sports ... Oh and on Oxycontin for the pain!
What's the "boogy" drug gona do to me that needs patching? Where is this bad drug, does he carry around a knife/screw driver or a GUN!?
If we could leave that drug use to natural evolution process I would put a stack of all available drugs on every street corner and everybody could use it at will ( exempt 18yo and younger maybe).
Since there are so cheap to manufacture cost is not problem at all.
After a year or so whole problem will disappear hopefully and clean new genetic line with no obsession with drugs remains alive.
Decriminalise it now....Pot and mushrooms and a few other things are semi-legal in the Netherlands and they have one of the lowest rates of use in the western world. It should be :
1.For over 21's only
2.You need a licence to get your chosen poison
3.As soon as you get the licence all medical is payed for by you or your insurance company
4.Include Tabacco and alcohol as well
There are a lot of people saying that if drugs were decriminalised then users should pay their medical bills.
What about the 1000's% tax that you know the govt. would charge on any drug sales and all the money that would be saved on enforcement?
I'd rather see that money going towards helping people who do end up with health problems than going towards mp salary increases or dissappearing into the bottomless hole of government spending. At least the money would be doing something usefull for a change.
iCrack...
Just in case drugs are decriminalised I thought I should get in early and register the name.
Guy tries ecstasy for a TV show.
