In the 70s, a scientist did an experiment to test whether drug addiction was caused by a lack of connections or by chemicals in the drugs themselves. His experiment suggested that it was the latter instead of the former; this can also be seen in normal life with humans who get percribed strong painkillers in hospitals and don’t get addicted when discharged.Do you have evidence on these programs reducing crime and drug usage?
BTW, I’m all for access to rec centers etc.
Thats why the CDC needs to take over from law enforcement, until we stop trying to treat it criminally and recognize it is a disease, the cycle will continue.Why not do both, especially when we are mostly powerless to stop addiction to drugs.
I don’t think the CDC should take over, but I do think there needs to be rehab instead of prison. 180 days of rehab is far cheaper than years of jail and prison in terms of cost per day and length in addition to it being quantifiably better for people and reducing crime.Thats why the CDC needs to take over from law enforcement, until we stop trying to treat it criminally and recognize it is a disease, the cycle will continue.
I do not believe law enforcement should have any part in fighting the drug problem, they are just not equipped or trained to deal with this effectively, and from now on, if someone sees what they think is drug activity, they should be calling the CDC, not police.
They really should learned this lesson when they saw the response to the new prescription drug laws in 2012, all they accomplished was to push 100s of 1000s of people to heroin because it now was tougher to get the pain pills, but there were ALOT of people/ groups complicit in those new laws. The only ones benefiting was the drug cartels and law enforcement.
People are getting years of prison because of serious crimes, not because they just use drugs. Also your alternative of rehab has very low success in breaking the addiction.I don’t think the CDC should take over, but I do think there needs to be rehab instead of prison. 180 days of rehab is far cheaper than years of jail and prison in terms of cost per day and length in addition to it being quantifiably better for people and reducing crime.
In Georgia for example a joint can get you three years.People are getting years of prison because of serious crimes, not because they just use drugs. Also your alternative of rehab has very low success in breaking the addiction.
Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost?
Substance abuse costs our Nation over $600 billion annually and treatment can help reduce these costs. Drug addiction treatment has been shown to reduce associated health and social costs by far more than the cost of the treatment itself. Treatment is also much less expensive than its alternatives, such as incarcerating addicted persons. For example, the average cost for 1 full year of methadone maintenance treatment is approximately $4,700 per patient, whereas 1 full year of imprisonment costs approximately $24,000 per person.
drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/drug-addiction-treatment-worth-its-costAccording to several conservative estimates, every dollar invested in addiction treatment programs yields a return of between $4 and $7 in reduced drug-related crime, criminal justice costs, and theft. When savings related to healthcare are included, total savings can exceed costs by a ratio of 12 to 1. Major savings to the individual and to society also stem from fewer interpersonal conflicts; greater workplace productivity; and fewer drug-related accidents, including overdoses and deaths.
but when they are committing the crimes in order to buy more drugs, that is a big factor. If the drug had not been illegal in the first place and was regulated, and available on the open market, (naturally prices would be cheaper due to competition, like any other legal product), they would not need to commit crimes in order to get the money.People are getting years of prison because of serious crimes, not because they just use drugs. Also your alternative of rehab has very low success in breaking the addiction.
Our experience with prescription drug abuse shows your logic false. Pot use had doubled in past three years, I expect from it’s normalization. Making H legal and available would dramatically increase usage I expect.but when they are committing the crimes in order to buy more drugs, that is a big factor. If the drug had not been illegal in the first place and was regulated, and available on the open market, (naturally prices would be cheaper due to competition, like any other legal product), they would not need to commit crimes in order to get the money.
Looking at heroin from a product view, it actually should be very cheap, its not hard or expensive to make, it comes from a plant that is easy to maintain and grow, the only reason why it is more expensive than gold is due to its illegal status (risk).
So if they did away with all drug laws and anyone over 21 could go in and buy it cheaply, there would not be near as many ‘drug related’ crimes, of course, this would also mean, there is suddenly not as big a need for cops or drug agents anymore, severe drug laws ensure job security for MANY people today.
Places like Portugal, where it is not a crime to use H, they have seen use go down though. Same thing happened in I believe Switzerland, where they have clinics and give pharmaceutical grade heroin to addicts, they have also found use and crime goes down.Our experience with prescription drug abuse shows your logic false. Pot use had doubled in past three years, I expect from it’s normalization. Making H legal and available would dramatically increase usage I expect.
The number of people reporting using pot doubled, that is quite different. When something is illegal people are more likely to say they aren’t doing it even if they are. In Colorado for example residents doesn’t half to hide they enjoy the occasional joint. Nor do people did marijuana in a state where it is legal.Our experience with prescription drug abuse shows your logic false. Pot use had doubled in past three years, I expect from it’s normalization. Making H legal and available would dramatically increase usage I expect.
Are you suggesting that usage hasn’t gone up? Since this type of survey is anonymous, I doubt previous lying drove the change in survey numbers.The number of people reporting using pot doubled, that is quite different. When something is illegal people are more likely to say they aren’t doing it even if they are. In Colorado for example residents doesn’t half to hide they enjoy the occasional joint. Nor do people did marijuana in a state where it is legal.
I think the reason why usage may have tripled is mainly due to it really only being legal now in some states, if it were suddenly legal nationwide, I tend to think usage would go way down. Thats been the outcome everywhere else that has legalized a street drug anyways, no reason to believe the US would be any different.Are you suggesting that usage hasn’t gone up? Since this type of survey is anonymous, I doubt previous lying drove the change in survey numbers.
I don’t think it’d go down, but I think harm would go downI think the reason why usage may have tripled is mainly due to it really only being legal now in some states, if it were suddenly legal nationwide, I tend to think usage would go way down. Thats been the outcome everywhere else that has legalized a street drug anyways, no reason to believe the US would be any different.
That research from 70/s is seriously interesting. I would expect it to be replicated and expanded upon.In the 70s, a scientist did an experiment to test whether drug addiction was caused by a lack of connections or by chemicals in the drugs themselves. His experiment suggested that it was the latter instead of the former; this can also be seen in normal life with humans who get percribed strong painkillers in hospitals and don’t get addicted when discharged.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Park
If they felt like their life sucked and when they started taking pain killers they felt better it is natural they would want that high even if they had to switch to street drugs even without a physical addiction.That research from 70/s is seriously interesting. I would expect it to be replicated and expanded upon.
You are wrong about a painkiller prescriptions not leading to addiction and use of illegal drugs. I know two felons who used illegal drugs when they stopped using prescription medication.
Wouldnt you agree then, it would be better to have these addicts abusing prescription pain pills versus street heroin or other street drugs?That research from 70/s is seriously interesting. I would expect it to be replicated and expanded upon.
You are wrong about a painkiller prescriptions not leading to addiction and use of illegal drugs. I know two felons who used illegal drugs when they stopped using prescription medication.
So your answer is to give prescription pills to anyone who asks? Kinda defeats the who concept of prescriptions. The doctors cut them off because it was no longer medically necessary.Wouldnt you agree then, it would be better to have these addicts abusing prescription pain pills versus street heroin or other street drugs?
At least prescription pills are made in controlled, sterile labs, so one can be pretty sure what they are using, when you take that option away with heavy restrictions on doctors prescribing them…of course the addicts are going to use whatever is readily available, and with heroin, who knows where its made, you cannot be sure what is actually in the stuff you are using, the latest I heard they are now using elephant tranquilizer to add weight to heroin!!
How do you like the proposed edited version?So your answer is to give prescription pills to anyone who asks? (Such a policy) kind of defeats the whole concept of prescriptions. The doctors refrained from allowing renewal of the prescriptions because renewal was not deemed to be in the best interests of the patient as understood in communities and/or self-governing unions of professional abortionists and/or psychiatrists who evaluated physicist Richard Feynman as unfit for military service on the grounds of insanity and/or paramedics who are obligated to keep alive a President who is suffering from an anxiety attack that might be temporarily interfering with the launch of a first-strike nuclear attack against Switzerland and/or other medical practitioners.
No, I don’t agree.Wouldnt you agree then, it would be better to have these addicts abusing prescription pain pills versus street heroin or other street drugs?
At least prescription pills are made in controlled, sterile labs, so one can be pretty sure what they are using, when you take that option away with heavy restrictions on doctors prescribing them…of course the addicts are going to use whatever is readily available, and with heroin, who knows where its made, you cannot be sure what is actually in the stuff you are using, the latest I heard they are now using elephant tranquilizer to add weight to heroin!!