Drugs have a bad public image
You mention the subject and people don't think about recreational users, they think about pasty skag-heads, hookers with their faces scarred by meth, dope-fiends who've had all their motivation sapped out of them by too much skunk and gurning, sweating clubbers taking E and dying in alleys.

That's the problem you see, people are scared of all these things becoming the norm. They don't see crime decreasing, they see hordes of people robbing stuff to ay for their addiction.

The public is stupid. Fact.
( Kroney, Tue 17 Aug 2010, 11:14, 2 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Misinformed maybe.
Nothing like a good drug scare to get people angry or scared. Not only is there the fear that your kids could be taking meow meow or whatever the fuck they decided it was called, but also some junkie might come along and nick all your stuff or punch a granny for her pension. Media representation always seems to focus on the end result - junkies. And of course we can all feel superior to them because they're basicaly scum aren't they? Aren't we successfull?

The media as a whole doesn't realy like to challenge peoples preconceptions much, or try to make people think, or present different or new ideas about how to tackle the entire problem. Its there to entertain first, inform second.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Tue 17 Aug 2010, 11:20, Reply)

Take booze as an example, because that's the closest mind-altering thing that's out there in the high-street.
It's not often you hear of someone robbing a stranger for booze money, but you do get them robbing their family. Addicts are addicts, and will lie and cheat for their drug, weather it's booze, gambling or sushi.

Ok, let's say we are going to put these drugs onto the streets, how do we go about doing it?
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Tue 17 Aug 2010, 11:22, Reply)

Controlled cheap and clean.
Drive the fuckers that profit from getting people hooked on illegal substances out of the market. Concentrate on the pushers, the big players.... Oh, and couple that with some decent social reforms of some nature that aim to close the massive poverty gap in this country, work towards social justice and getting people out of a situation where addiction to a drug seems like a viable alternative to daily life.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Tue 17 Aug 2010, 11:25, Reply)

Ok
Let's say we prohibit alcohol, as it's a bad drug. Do you think it'll help anyone? Again, as I said before, it didn't help in the States. It increased crime around it, people drunk it as always and a lot of deaths were counted for people drinking what they bought as alcohol but wasn't.

It didn't help anyone, that's why they took it back. I think with drugs it'd be the same.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Tue 17 Aug 2010, 11:25, Reply)

I'll do it, no problem.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 17 Aug 2010, 11:26, Reply)

Specialised clinics
for the class A addicts, with the intention of weaning people off them. Or if there's a way of removing the chemicals that create the physical dependancy, then that should be investigated. Really, nothing that's as easy as nicotine or heroin to get addicted to should be legal, as far as I'm concerned.

For things like cocaine, of which I'm personally not a massive fan, that don't appear to be addictive, there's no reason why people shouldn't be able to buy them in specialist shops.

I don't see any particular reason why things like weed can't be bought and smoked in Dutch style cafes.
( Kroney, Tue 17 Aug 2010, 11:27, Reply)

The problem with the cafes is that the trade in the substance is still illegal.
It's kind of the worst of both worlds.
( WormuIus, Tue 17 Aug 2010, 11:30, Reply)