What causes more problems? Illegal drug use or the drug gangs fighting each other?
What costs more in lives and money? Illegal drug use, or the law enforcement’s war on illegal drugs, all of the waring drug gangs and keeping people in prison who were convicted of drug crimes?
If the government controlled and taxed drugs like they do with alcohol would it cut down on all of the drug violence?
For the record, I don’t use illegal drugs.
(PART ONE) First off – I’ve broken the question down, hope you don’t mind, but its just so I can answer in a better way (imo), secondly I have been a drug user in my life, so you could argue that some of the things I say are biased.
Drug Use Vs The War on Drugs Vs The Legalisation of Drugs (in money and humanity)
This is a very open subject, so I’ll try to keep this in short forms and basic, it will never cover enough.
Drug Use – Humanity
Farmers, either growing for cash crops for the extra money, or growing under fear and intimidation
Trafficers, Often using people in desperate situations to move the product to the countries for sale, paying small amounts and using violence to make sure known goes missing, sometimes in the use of ‘drug mules’ (people who swallow condom filled drugs is one way, these can burst inside and kill) also if they come out during the trip will need to be reswallowed. Theres a great film called Maria Full Of Grace, which shows the trip of a mule.
Dealers, Working down from the higher levels to the lower levels, they are dealing for the sole reason of making money, most dealers are never users, they don’t really have an interest in the safety of the users. The higher up you move in the chain the nastier the people can get. Certainly not the people you want to mess about with. The odd friendly dealers out there, are people that buy bulk and sell some to pay for their own use. Those are rare though. In larger areas (cities) the market is greater, so as such is competition and then violence for the market share. Its all about the money.
Users, Depends on the drug and the rate they use. Most people that smoke pot, are generally just people who smoke to get high, most lead normal lifes that are within the law, and from all walks of life. Drugs like Speed and Cocaine can cause mood swings and aggressive behaviour, if the person is quick to anger normally they can be a real pain on cocaine. Again, like pot, most will use these drugs socially rather than habitually, most will work and will still live normal lifes. However some will not, but that can be said for anything, there are always exceptions. Increased use in both these to more habitual level and the ability to function in life becomes harder, as the use will mess up the lives and the need for money becomes more important, thus causing levels of petty crime. The highly addictive drugs like heroin and crack are a drain on society, functioning normally becomes very hard, and the need for cash and a fix becomes much greater, unemployment will be very high and crimes to fund the habit. Familys can be torn apart, and obviously deaths happen. Though part of this is also due to dodgy drugs, strong drugs on the market.
Overall the cost is on health care and police, which is funded by us. The only winners are the dealers, not the growers, users, society.
War On Drugs.
Prisons are full of both users and dealers. The question is should users (mainly pot) be prisoned for smoking. In the US 1 in 8 prisoners are cannabis related costing approx $1 billion a year, now the argument should a pot smoker be in jail (ignoring drug driving etc) when most people who smoke arent committing other crimes, are they really in need of imprisonment. Obviously dealers shouldnt be considered as pot poscession. It is a huge drain of resources.
The education of drug use is often confusing and misleading, America has a history problem with some early ‘shock’ films to scare people off (a lot of these have been loved by users for the comical value) and probably encouraged just as many to try drugs as to scare them off. However the truth is some people will try drugs, some people won’t, whilst Im not saying drug awareness shouldnt be taught, its still going to change peoples choices.
Police, both global and domestic spends a lot of money on the war on drugs. The dealers make so much money from them and because they don’t want to lose this income they will often be violent, the idea of killing someone to get away is not beyond them, as we have seen all too often on the news.
Drugs though will always come through and demand will remain. Drug use wont decline, the popularity of drugs may drop off, but another will rise.
The cost, is obviously on the police, and border control. Prisons add a large drain on society. However, drugs are kept illegal and the police are acting on it, thus attempting to keep it under control, but they wont succeed, prohibition created crime lords in the states during the 1930′s and could be looked at as an example of what happens when you do have alcohol as illegal and the crimes that stemmed from it. Whereas now we have alcohol related crimes, but which is worse – the amount of damage alcohol causes in society (addiction, drunk driving etc) or the amount of crime related from the illegal distribution of alcohol?
Make it legal, tax it, end of problem.
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Neither!…..Money to buy them causes more harm.
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If you legalized drugs, it would only make it easier for more people to gain access to the drugs. So, instead of the current 15% to 20% of the population in hospitals and institutions with long term drug related health and psychiatric problems, you will eventually have 50% to 65% of the population being treated. In countries with universal health care, like mine, that would become a huge drain on government revenues forcing them to increase taxes to the taxpayers.
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There is only one solution to drugs and the gangs who sell this virus and that is death with no appeal,the final solution and no moaning from anyone,the truth is zero tolerance and an early grave.
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i agree with some of you,
for mary j legalize it , tax it , so many problems solved, win win
for harder drugs , dr prescription. there you go.
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(PART ONE) First off – I’ve broken the question down, hope you don’t mind, but its just so I can answer in a better way (imo), secondly I have been a drug user in my life, so you could argue that some of the things I say are biased.
Drug Use Vs The War on Drugs Vs The Legalisation of Drugs (in money and humanity)
This is a very open subject, so I’ll try to keep this in short forms and basic, it will never cover enough.
Drug Use – Humanity
Farmers, either growing for cash crops for the extra money, or growing under fear and intimidation
Trafficers, Often using people in desperate situations to move the product to the countries for sale, paying small amounts and using violence to make sure known goes missing, sometimes in the use of ‘drug mules’ (people who swallow condom filled drugs is one way, these can burst inside and kill) also if they come out during the trip will need to be reswallowed. Theres a great film called Maria Full Of Grace, which shows the trip of a mule.
Dealers, Working down from the higher levels to the lower levels, they are dealing for the sole reason of making money, most dealers are never users, they don’t really have an interest in the safety of the users. The higher up you move in the chain the nastier the people can get. Certainly not the people you want to mess about with. The odd friendly dealers out there, are people that buy bulk and sell some to pay for their own use. Those are rare though. In larger areas (cities) the market is greater, so as such is competition and then violence for the market share. Its all about the money.
Users, Depends on the drug and the rate they use. Most people that smoke pot, are generally just people who smoke to get high, most lead normal lifes that are within the law, and from all walks of life. Drugs like Speed and Cocaine can cause mood swings and aggressive behaviour, if the person is quick to anger normally they can be a real pain on cocaine. Again, like pot, most will use these drugs socially rather than habitually, most will work and will still live normal lifes. However some will not, but that can be said for anything, there are always exceptions. Increased use in both these to more habitual level and the ability to function in life becomes harder, as the use will mess up the lives and the need for money becomes more important, thus causing levels of petty crime. The highly addictive drugs like heroin and crack are a drain on society, functioning normally becomes very hard, and the need for cash and a fix becomes much greater, unemployment will be very high and crimes to fund the habit. Familys can be torn apart, and obviously deaths happen. Though part of this is also due to dodgy drugs, strong drugs on the market.
Overall the cost is on health care and police, which is funded by us. The only winners are the dealers, not the growers, users, society.
War On Drugs.
Prisons are full of both users and dealers. The question is should users (mainly pot) be prisoned for smoking. In the US 1 in 8 prisoners are cannabis related costing approx $1 billion a year, now the argument should a pot smoker be in jail (ignoring drug driving etc) when most people who smoke arent committing other crimes, are they really in need of imprisonment. Obviously dealers shouldnt be considered as pot poscession. It is a huge drain of resources.
The education of drug use is often confusing and misleading, America has a history problem with some early ‘shock’ films to scare people off (a lot of these have been loved by users for the comical value) and probably encouraged just as many to try drugs as to scare them off. However the truth is some people will try drugs, some people won’t, whilst Im not saying drug awareness shouldnt be taught, its still going to change peoples choices.
Police, both global and domestic spends a lot of money on the war on drugs. The dealers make so much money from them and because they don’t want to lose this income they will often be violent, the idea of killing someone to get away is not beyond them, as we have seen all too often on the news.
Drugs though will always come through and demand will remain. Drug use wont decline, the popularity of drugs may drop off, but another will rise.
The cost, is obviously on the police, and border control. Prisons add a large drain on society. However, drugs are kept illegal and the police are acting on it, thus attempting to keep it under control, but they wont succeed, prohibition created crime lords in the states during the 1930′s and could be looked at as an example of what happens when you do have alcohol as illegal and the crimes that stemmed from it. Whereas now we have alcohol related crimes, but which is worse – the amount of damage alcohol causes in society (addiction, drunk driving etc) or the amount of crime related from the illegal distribution of alcohol?
References :
(PART TWO)Legalisation of Drugs (including taxation)
The legalisation (to me is the way forward – though I understand the costs it could have).
If governments were in control, or at least closely overseeing drugs, which would almost be a must for it to work. This could cut out the drug lords control over the farmers, and we could have FAIRTRADE drug growers, importing legally, so no mules or drug boats, and distribute legally, no more dealers (no more car chases with people doing anything in an attempt to avoid arrest. It could be taxed and monitored (though strictly through shops acting like bars with licenses) needing something like a medical marijuana card. Reduced costs to the user (especially for the really addictive drugs) as the dealers arent taking their own cuts at each level, and the addicted users could then afford the drugs so the crimes would reduce (in theory of course). Cleaner drugs which do less harm to the body with the additonal substances the drugs may have been cut with.
The social argument is that people would then take drugs like crazy and cause social problems. Obviously a user will still destroy life and family if they are a heavy/frequent user, but thats the same with drinking now, Less people in prison/court for simple possecession, though you could say more will be in hospital if more are using, but in turn their would be less due to cleanliness and ease of drug aquirement.
Money, less on war on crime, less on crime, tax revenue could help fund the health system. Drug related crimes are high, if you remove some of these crimes then the police would be freed up for other crimes.
Sorry I couldnt provide any real facts. Though I suggest looking at the website http://www.erowid.org which is a great site with drug information. Getting figures for something like this would be hard, as a lot of it is theory and just plain unknown.
Should drugs be legal – my answer is yes, its better the money is not going to dealers but rather the government, and society would be better off. However, do I drugs should be legal now? – I’d say no, the vast majority of people wouldnt be able to handle drugs without it ruining lifes and abusing them. I feel we’d abuse them more than use them.
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