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  • I think there should be continued efforts to get drugs off the streets. I have been a fan of the idea of criminalising possession of even small amounts. I would also like to see a drug offenders register rather like the sex offenders register. I think that shattered reputations that cannot be restored and the life long struggle against the social stigma of being on the register is a great deterrent. I have always been a fan of harsh punishment as others will be deterred by the examples set.

    I understand this view very well, but I am forced to confront the simple truth that banning drugs simply does not work. We can threaten those who want to take them all we like - even capital punishment would not cure the problem.

    We will eventually have to come to terms with the fact that prohibition does not, and never will work.

    Legalising drugs, provision of good medical advice, supporting those who try to get off the addiction and taking the drug pushers off the streets will all help to manage the problem in a way that the present arrangement cannot.

    By continuing with the existing arrangements, we will continue to see drug pushers trying to get people hooked and then raising prices sky high, which then leads to thieving on quite a large scale. And of course, by requiring drug takers to sign a register as you suggest will simply make it more difficult for them to ultimately reintegrate into society.

  • I understand this view very well, but I am forced to confront the simple truth that banning drugs simply does not work. We can threaten those who want to take them all we like - even capital punishment would not cure the problem.


    We will eventually have to come to terms with the fact that prohibition does not, and never will work.

    The simple answer is that the only person who can stop drug takers are them selves

  • The simple answer is that the only person who can stop drug takers are them selves

    That is true, but by decriminalising, we can at least stop the criminals from encouraging and intimidating vulnerable people from taking them and also reduce crime.

    The only people to benefit from the current system are the drug lords.

    If you haven't watched 'Boardwalk Empire', I would recommend that you do. It just shows you how criminals respond when governments ban something that is in demand.

    Prohibition of alcohol failed in America, just as prohibition of drugs is failing here.

  • That is true, but by decriminalising, we can at least stop the criminals from encouraging and intimidating vulnerable people from taking them and also reduce crime.

    The only people to benefit from the current system are the drug lords.

    If you haven't watched 'Boardwalk Empire', I would recommend that you do. It just shows you how criminals respond when governments ban something that is in demand.

    Prohibition of alcohol failed in America, just as prohibition of drugs is failing here.

    Right, so the pushers encourage them to take drugs, but you don't think the manufacturers and retailers won't. Question, if we banned cigarettes, would less people smoke. You know as well as I do, although some people would obtain cigarettes and smoke them illegally, less people would smoke. Logic therefore tells us that if we legalise drugs, more people will take them. Legalising them will just be telling people it's OK to take drugs, and if anything does go wrong, we are here to help you at the tax payers expense. Again, it's no good comparing drugs with smoking and alcohol, because we are where we are with both, and it's to late to do anything about it. However, if alcohol had just been invented, I would oppose it the same way as I do drugs at the moment.

    Your right, what we have at the moment doesn't work, and that's why I believe we need to clamp down the takers, the same way we do on the pushers.

    The intelligent are being oppressed so the stupid don't get offended

  • Right, so the pushers encourage them to take drugs, but you don't think the manufacturers and retailers won't. Question, if we banned cigarettes, would less people smoke. You know as well as I do, although some people would obtain cigarettes and smoke them illegally, less people would smoke. Logic therefore tells us that if we legalise drugs, more people will take them. Legalising them will just be telling people it's OK to take drugs, and if anything does go wrong, we are here to help you at the tax payers expense. Again, it's no good comparing drugs with smoking and alcohol, because we are where we are with both, and it's to late to do anything about it. However, if alcohol had just been invented, I would oppose it the same way as I do drugs at the moment.

    Your right, what we have at the moment doesn't work, and that's why I believe we need to clamp down the takers, the same way we do on the pushers.

    But clamping down like this really is pointless. It does not achieve the objective.

    With smoking, there has been a big information campaign, there are government health warnings on every packet and advertising is banned. As a result, there has been a major reduction in smoking, and the figures are still coming down.

    It is not beyond the wit of mankind to take such an approach to drugs as well, minimising the harmful effects from unregulated drugs, guaranteeing levels of purity and ensuring that people understand the risks.

    The taxation raised would easily pay for the support services that would be needed.

    In some countries, they chop your hand off for stealing, but it doesn't stop theft. Punishment is not the whole answer to this problem. Human nature is as it is.

  • With smoking, there has been a big information campaign, there are government health warnings on every packet and advertising is banned. As a result, there has been a major reduction in smoking, and the figures are still coming down.

    I think that the reduction in tobacco smoking is more to do with the sky high price increases

    They should do the same with alcohol

  • I think that the reduction in tobacco smoking is more to do with the sky high price increases

    They should do the same with alcohol

    Again, there is a limit. If you make alcohol too expensive, you will encourage those who can't afford it to drink smuggled alcohol from the continent, illicit stuff or meths. I think the price of alcohol is about where it should be - it is already taxed far more than in EU countries. And if you price alcohol beyond the reach of those on lower incomes, you will encourage criminality. They will simply steal to pay for it or seek out criminal suppliers. .

    You will not stop alcohol consumption this way, any more than you can stop drug consumption simply by banning it.

  • I think that the reduction in tobacco smoking is more to do with the sky high price increases

    They should do the same with alcohol

    Nothing to do with sky high prices. Many of my friends smoke, none of them pay shop prices. Even my local pub have a supply of fags sold at duty free prices. Alcohol is a difficult subject. Pubs are havens for many people. They are meeting places, and pretty unique around the world. They are places men can get away from women, and these days places where families can eat and drink. Alcohol for most people is treated with respect and relatively harmless.

    The intelligent are being oppressed so the stupid don't get offended

  • Alcohol for most people is treated with respect and relatively harmless.

    Try any city or town centre any weekend, A&E and police cells

    You will see the "respect" and how "relatively harmless" "most people are

  • So you think drugs don't fuel crime, Well, that's an opinion, but one that many would share

    No that's not what I said. I said the exact opposite and this is another reason why it need to be taken out of the hands of criminality.

    Quote


    The fact of the matter is that crime and illegal drugs in particular which feeds many other crimes

    I think that the reduction in tobacco smoking is more to do with the sky high price increases

    Some of it is but most folk have now moved over to vaping. It's been cleaned up as should all the over drugs on the market.

    All those that are buying what they think are duty free are putting themselves in even more danger unless they have been abroad themselves to buy them. Many are fake cigarettes which (seems silly saying this) are bad for your health or should I say worse than genuine cigarettes. Hard to believe that something can be worse than a genuine cigarette but it's true. Many Eastern European gangs pushing this market as with any other drug. A black market the same as a fake Rolex watch or latest fashion item or indeed what we call illegal drugs. The people that buy these are feeding big crime in the exact same way. And you can guarantee the guy selling them to folk down the local pub will also be claiming benefits. Even the local corner shop that has them under the counter can't guarantee the source of where they came from. As with cannabis it's easier to make/grow on home turf than risk passing customs.

    Alcohol for most people is treated with respect and relatively harmless.

    You really are in cloud cuckoo land. You must be a drinker. You should stop taking that drug. Here lays the problem because alcohol has been an accepted drug for such a long time and many are addicted they can't see the similarities with alcohol and other drugs. Drug addicts are selfish and can never see the light through the trees and are stuck in their own ways. The bottom line is that alcoholics and junkies are one of the same except they choose different drugs.

    People need to accept that alcohol is one of the most addictive drugs on the planet but many can't do that because it then puts them in the same boat as what is labelled as a junkie so just stick to calling it alcohol as it sounds not as bad and makes it socially accepted. Not many want to admit they have an addiction and will use manipulative tactics to continue with their habits while having a go at those that take other drugs so can continue with their own. It's like a political diversion tactic. Take the pressure off one by making another look bad.

    I've worked in pubs before and have seen the same old regular customers in daily with their blotchy red face and shaky hands and desperate to get their daily fix. It wont be long before youngsters that are out on the piss most nights end up like that. Give them a few years and then eventually their will be taking up NHS resources with Liver problems or maybe they just fall over and bang their head or get into a fight. Drunk = high, changing you brainwaves and altering your perception along with a buzz. There's even a term for it; 'there's a buzzing atmosphere in this pub tonight'. Now that could be because people are on a natural high or they have had the helping hand of a drug. Pubs are drug dens, from opium bar to alcohol bar.

  • I understand this view very well, but I am forced to confront the simple truth that banning drugs simply does not work. We can threaten those who want to take them all we like - even capital punishment would not cure the problem.

    We will eventually have to come to terms with the fact that prohibition does not, and never will work.

    Legalising drugs, provision of good medical advice, supporting those who try to get off the addiction and taking the drug pushers off the streets will all help to manage the problem in a way that the present arrangement cannot.

    By continuing with the existing arrangements, we will continue to see drug pushers trying to get people hooked and then raising prices sky high, which then leads to thieving on quite a large scale. And of course, by requiring drug takers to sign a register as you suggest will simply make it more difficult for them to ultimately reintegrate into society.

    We must never go soft on drugs. The very idea of making it easier will be the end of civilised society. Drugs are evil and we should double our efforts to rid them from this country and in fact everywhere but let’s starts with the UK. If there are drugs havens in other parts of the world maybe the druggy scum can go there and finish themselves off away from our view.

    Celebrate it, Anticipate it, Yesterday's faded, Nothing can change it, Life's what you make it

  • We must never go soft on drugs. The very idea of making it easier will be the end of civilised society. Drugs are evil and we should double our efforts to rid them from this country and in fact everywhere but let’s starts with the UK. If there are drugs havens in other parts of the world maybe the druggy scum can go there and finish themselves off away from our view.

    Absolutely, and well said.

    The intelligent are being oppressed so the stupid don't get offended

  • Of course I drink alcohol,and most people do. To be honest, all the people I have ever met that refuse to drink any alcohol are generally very boring people. That said, I am not defending the harm it can do to people. Fortunately the tax income from alcohol far outweighs the money society has to spend on the problems it causes, and that's a fact. Legalise hard drugs, and I think you will find that won't be the case at all. Believing that taking the drugs out of the hands of the pushers will sort the problem is naive to say the least. Regardless of where they are purchased from the addiction requires funding, and whilst you can buy a can of beer from Tesco for 40p, I can't see that being the case with heroin. Like have I said 3 or 4 times already, it's not worth comparing alcohol or tobacco with hard drugs, because the former is legal, and we are where we are with it. Hard drugs are a problem, and legalising them will make the problem worse. I find it hard to understand how anyone can't see that.

    The intelligent are being oppressed so the stupid don't get offended

  • Someone will be along shortly to tell us that the duty on alcohol more than covers the NHS costs of treating abusers

    Yeah, right !

  • We must never go soft on drugs. The very idea of making it easier will be the end of civilised society. Drugs are evil and we should double our efforts to rid them from this country and in fact everywhere but let’s starts with the UK. If there are drugs havens in other parts of the world maybe the druggy scum can go there and finish themselves off away from our view.

    So we just let the problem continue. I'm sorry, but this is not the way forward. I don't know how long it will take before this issue is confronted head on.

    People can be persuaded not to take drugs, or to come off them before the habit takes hold. But that's only if you control the supply. Under the present environment, there is no control, and pushers actually encourage the addiction because that's how they make their money.

    I did not say we should make it easier to obtain drugs. You may not realise this, but drugs are extremely easy to obtain now, and so making them available under controlled conditions will not make it easier.

    You can come down hard on people as an alternative, but you need to accept that it will make no difference. It is futile to just increase the punishments, as experience has shown. We need a better way.

  • Drug taking and abuse increases by the day

    Imprison offenders and they will think they are kiddies in a sweety shop

    Either we legalise them and let addicts buy them from their local pharmacy or just make them free

  • So we just let the problem continue. I'm sorry, but this is not the way forward. I don't know how long it will take before this issue is confronted head on.

    People can be persuaded not to take drugs, or to come off them before the habit takes hold. But that's only if you control the supply. Under the present environment, there is no control, and pushers actually encourage the addiction because that's how they make their money.

    I did not say we should make it easier to obtain drugs. You may not realise this, but drugs are extremely easy to obtain now, and so making them available under controlled conditions will not make it easier.

    You can come down hard on people as an alternative, but you need to accept that it will make no difference. It is futile to just increase the punishments, as experience has shown. We need a better way.

    We must never ever open the door even slightly to legalised drugs.

    Celebrate it, Anticipate it, Yesterday's faded, Nothing can change it, Life's what you make it

  • Drug taking and abuse increases by the day

    Imprison offenders and they will think they are kiddies in a sweety shop

    Either we legalise them and let addicts buy them from their local pharmacy or just make them free

    Or just execute them

    The intelligent are being oppressed so the stupid don't get offended

  • We must never ever open the door even slightly to legalised drugs.

    Given that the present arrangements don't work, I think we should.

    1. It would immediately reduce crime because drug lords would no longer be able to operate profitably as they do now. The risks simply would not be worth it any more. Just as was seen at the end of prohibition in America, the alcohol barons scrambled to legitimise their activities once alcohol was legalised again.

    2. It would ensure that anyone purchasing drugs would have to go to designated outlets to ensure that they received appropriate advice on the risks of taking the drugs that were being requested. Those taking drugs could be monitored and counselling given as required. Regular GP appointments would be mandatory and an appropriate price would be charged for drugs.

    3. Tax would be imposed on these drugs, ensuring that the Exchequer was able to fund these services.

    4. Petty crime rates would be much reduced, because drugs would be less expensive and a higher success rate in prevention and weaning people off drugs would be achieved.

    5. Fatalities due to impure drugs or variable purity factors would be eliminated. People dying at pop festivals for this reason would be eliminated.

    Whereas, simply increasing penalties achieves what, exactly? Same old, same old...

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