The drugs problem

[Signalcalc]

They are saying that traffic pollution is the health crisis of our generation ( not sure which generation they are referring to). I don't think so - sitting at a desk hour after hour, for days, weeks, months and years will prove to be far more damaging to public health as so many people are forced to work this way.

Steps are being taken ( no pun intended [emoji3]) to introduce standing desks, some with treadmills to try to improve the situation. But you can imagine in 20-30 years lots of unhealthy people bringing class action lawsuits against corporations for not providing the right conditions in the workplace that are conducive to human health.

 

[Pat494]

More aquariums full of sharks might be an answer ?

 

[counter_violent]

They are saying that traffic pollution is the health crisis of our generation ( not sure which generation they are referring to). I don't think so - sitting at a desk hour after hour, for days, weeks, months and years will prove to be far more damaging to public health as so many people are forced to work this way.

Steps are being taken ( no pun intended [emoji3]) to introduce standing desks, some with treadmills to try to improve the situation. But you can imagine in 20-30 years lots of unhealthy people bringing class action lawsuits against corporations for not providing the right conditions in the workplace that are conducive to human health.

Pollution is already upon us. Putting toxins into the environment is already having devastating effects. Some we know about and a lot that governments are hiding, like the Alzheimers epidemic.

 

[Splitlink]

I see that the last posts have persuaded me to go off topic completely. Sorry about that. I wasn't paying enough attention to the thread that I was on.

 

[forker]

I see that the last posts have persuaded me to go off topic completely. Sorry about that. I wasn't paying enough attention to the thread that I was on.

Entry fee is a spliff and a gram mate

 

[Signalcalc]

Here's your real drugs problem

Parkinson's disease 'may start in gut'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38173287

What a crock, peddling by the drugs industry to sell us more drugs to fix a problem that is manmade.

Change diet, lower risk.

 

[forker]

Got my Xmas tree up

 

[Signalcalc]

Got my Xmas tree up

Looks like she won't be ready in time for xmas!

 

[cantagril]

The drug problem is really giant nowadays. It needs to be solved as soon as possible. The strategies that are being used now are definitely NOT effective

Perhaps there's a lesson to be learned from the current situation:

Sinaloa Cartel Drug Traffickers Explain Why Coronavirus Is Very Bad for Their Business

The chemicals used for manufacturing meth and fentanyl are mainly sourced in China, and cartels in Mexico are running low.

www.vice.com

As Coronavirus Shuts Down New York City, ‘Business Is Booming’ for Drug Dealers Who Deliver

“When you have people at home all day, what else are they going to do?”

www.thedailybeast.com

If the users are self-eliminating then so might the problem be...

 

[Pat494]

The Philipines may have found a solution to the drug problem....................
SHOOT THE DEALERS
A bit callous you may be thinking ?
But when you consider how many of their customers they will be killing with their vile drugs as they relax on their luxury estates, you may change your mind.

 

[Pat494]

The UK politicians are too soppy to grasp various " nettles ".
One is the illegal drug problem which should have been addressed decades ago, before it became widespread.
Millions of people's lives have been lost or ruined as the politicians duck the issue.

 

[J Livermore]

The UK politicians are too soppy to grasp various " nettles ".
One is the illegal drug problem which should have been addressed decades ago, before it became widespread.
Millions of people's lives have been lost or ruined as the politicians duck the issue.

Pat,

Here are some of my random thoughts on drugs (in no particular order):

First off, I believe that drugs should be legal because black markets can not be stopped. In the days of the Soviet Union (a nation with very tight borders), rogue KGB agents were the biggest smugglers of western goods (including books and music). The profits were so lucrative because a lot of Russian people wanted to learn about the outside world.

That being said, for those who want to keep drugs illegal, the way to do it is to punish the users themselves. Jail is out of the question not only because of the expense but it ruins peoples’ lives. What would reduce the rate of drug use is community service. Lots of community service. If politicians wanted to crack down, six months of community service, six days a week, for a first offense would send a message. The amount of work that local governments could hand out would go a long way to keeping neighborhoods clean and livable. Some examples include power washing graffiti off of walls, power washing sidewalks, picking up litter all over the community, helping the poor and indigents. Whatever work needs to be done. The list could be endless.

Also you can offer rehab to those who are addicted for those who don’t want to get caught a 2nd or 3rd time where community service sentences would be much longer.

On a personal level, I only fear one thing about legalized drugs. That is, with drugs being cheap and ubiquitous, someone might be tempted to drop something in your drink if you are at a bar or party. Other than that, I think the biggest regulator of addiction will be the drug itself. Particularly with the potentially lethal ones like heroin. You either control your habits or the drug will kill you by way of overdose. Cruel, yes, but effective.

Finally, I have heard that there are studies which show addiction rates are lower in nations where drugs are legal than where they are outlawed. With no one to babysit your drug habits (ie: government) you will learn to control them or risk losing your life.

 

[Signalcalc]

Pat,

Here are some of my random thoughts on drugs (in no particular order):

First off, I believe that drugs should be legal because black markets can not be stopped. In the days of the Soviet Union (a nation with very tight borders), rogue KGB agents were the biggest smugglers of western goods (including books and music). The profits were so lucrative because a lot of Russian people wanted to learn about the outside world.

That being said, for those who want to keep drugs illegal, the way to do it is to punish the users themselves. Jail is out of the question not only because of the expense but it ruins peoples’ lives. What would reduce the rate of drug use is community service. Lots of community service. If politicians wanted to crack down, six months of community service, six days a week, for a first offense would send a message. The amount of work that local governments could hand out would go a long way to keeping neighborhoods clean and livable. Some examples include power washing graffiti off of walls, power washing sidewalks, picking up litter all over the community, helping the poor and indigents. Whatever work needs to be done. The list could be endless.

Also you can offer rehab to those who are addicted for those who don’t want to get caught a 2nd or 3rd time where community service sentences would be much longer.

On a personal level, I only fear one thing about legalized drugs. That is, with drugs being cheap and ubiquitous, someone might be tempted to drop something in your drink if you are at a bar or party. Other than that, I think the biggest regulator of addiction will be the drug itself. Particularly with the potentially lethal ones like heroin. You either control your habits or the drug will kill you by way of overdose. Cruel, yes, but effective.

Finally, I have heard that there are studies which show addiction rates are lower in nations where drugs are legal than where they are outlawed. With no one to babysit your drug habits (ie: government) you will learn to control them or risk losing your life.

How is the legalisation of Cannabis working out in the context of crime reduction in those countries where legalisation has been introduced?

Surely there must be enough independently verified statistics available to start drawing some conclusions ?

If good, then it could provide the basis of a model to be used where legalisation has not yet been introduced?

If not so good, then what are the reasons why?

 

[Pat494]

Legalising the illegal drugs trade just encourages criminals who use the huge amounts made to extend their empires into prostitution etc. The whole system would collapse into a Wild West/Waterworld/Mad Max situation. Much better to have the grit to tackle the crime and other problems at their grass roots.
In my opinion politicians are well paid and have a duty to the people they rule to provide a secure environment from external and internal threats. Putting a few in prison is not working at all well. Some countries do not really have secure prisons.
It took many lives to defeat Isis etc. but not much good if they are not held securely. The cost of maintaining law and order for honest citizens to enjoy their lives peacefully is huge. Many extreme terrorists and criminals will never be reformed by the well intentioned do-gooders and are a cancer in the population.

 

[korbenmat]

It is believed that the use of tablets that contain the ingredient cannabis causes pulmonary pathology. And according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the TNS substance exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in the treatment of asthmatics. For people who have asthma - this is a good drug to avoid critical situations. Read more on the website cbdoiler.net

 

[tomorton]

How is the legalisation of Cannabis working out in the context of crime reduction in those countries where legalisation has been introduced?

Surely there must be enough independently verified statistics available to start drawing some conclusions ?

If good, then it could provide the basis of a model to be used where legalisation has not yet been introduced?

If not so good, then what are the reasons why?

I'm pretty sure its been many years since anyone in the UK was imprisoned for possession of personal quantities of cannabis. I'd go further, their habit should be treated as a public health issue, not a criminal matter.

As for the suppliers, the supply chain is dominated by some very serious organised criminal gangs. It is naive to think that if cannabis was legalised, that these gangs would break up and the members would turn to honest employment. Far more likely they would find another criminal avenue. High on the list must be the supply of "duty-free" cannabis - assuming that legalisation of cannabis went hand in hand with a duty payable, as is the case with tobacco and alcohol.

Legalisation of use of cannabis therefore seems unnecessary, and unlikely to help society.

 

[J Livermore]

How is the legalisation of Cannabis working out in the context of crime reduction in those countries where legalisation has been introduced?

Surely there must be enough independently verified statistics available to start drawing some conclusions ?

If good, then it could provide the basis of a model to be used where legalisation has not yet been introduced?

If not so good, then what are the reasons why?

I would be very interested in reading some studies that compare governments that ban drugs vs. those that don’t.

The state of Alaska has gone back and forth on the issue over the years. Depending on which politicians were in power, as far back as the 1980’s it was legal to grow marijuana plants (with limitations on ounces) for your personal use only. If it was a menace to society the media would have had a field day and would have plastered the story all over the nation. So far I have never heard of any horror stories coming from that state.

Almost any person you talk to in the western world will tell you that they love freedom. Their freedom. When it comes to protecting the freedoms of their fellow citizens to choose their own lifestyle, they just don’t care if governments ban other peoples' peaceful activities.

There are many risky activities in life that could be banned. Bungee jumping, skydiving. And one in particular (in my opinion) is being a stuntman for movie producers. If motion pictures were a new phenomenon there could be scores of governments that ban the use of stuntmen in today’s hyper protective world. They have to jump from building to building, dodge explosions that bad guys try to blow them up with, engage in high speed chases as they crawl from vehicle to vehicle. You name it.

 

[J Livermore]

Legalising the illegal drugs trade just encourages criminals who use the huge amounts made to extend their empires into prostitution etc. The whole system would collapse into a Wild West/Waterworld/Mad Max situation. Much better to have the grit to tackle the crime and other problems at their grass roots.
In my opinion politicians are well paid and have a duty to the people they rule to provide a secure environment from external and internal threats. Putting a few in prison is not working at all well. Some countries do not really have secure prisons.
It took many lives to defeat Isis etc. but not much good if they are not held securely. The cost of maintaining law and order for honest citizens to enjoy their lives peacefully is huge. Many extreme terrorists and criminals will never be reformed by the well intentioned do-gooders and are a cancer in the population.

You don’t ban an activity just because of organized crime. Otherwise you would have to ban labor unions, casinos, or even horse racing. If you think about it there are a limitless number of human endeavours that criminals can try to get their paws into.

Use the investigative powers of law enforcement (both local and federal) to charge these syndicates with racketeering but don’t take away citizens’ freedoms because of them.

Banning people’s vices is what gave organized crime (of all types) their rise to power in the first place. It’s as if the world learned nothing from America’s prohibition on alcohol back in the 1920’s.

 

[Signalcalc]

I'm pretty sure its been many years since anyone in the UK was imprisoned for possession of personal quantities of cannabis. I'd go further, their habit should be treated as a public health issue, not a criminal matter.

As for the suppliers, the supply chain is dominated by some very serious organised criminal gangs. It is naive to think that if cannabis was legalised, that these gangs would break up and the members would turn to honest employment. Far more likely they would find another criminal avenue. High on the list must be the supply of "duty-free" cannabis - assuming that legalisation of cannabis went hand in hand with a duty payable, as is the case with tobacco and alcohol.

Legalisation of use of cannabis therefore seems unnecessary, and unlikely to help society.

Hmmm, even if the crims moved over to tax free bagweed, at least there would be a choice for people to buy legitimate but taxed, quality assured non-bagweed. Millions don't have that choice now and run the the risk of meeting the crims to buy it or the risk of DIY.

 

[Pat494]

I still think the politicians should show some courage and get the drug dealers off the streets permanently.
Give them fair warning first and then whammo...............
Doing a bit of porridge is no deterrent.
What right have they to live in luxury while ruining many young lives.