Why are drugs illegal?

[Kwacky]

Binge drinking is a big thing now in North Italy

[Rossgo]

The sad thing is a guy (28) at work, younger bother (22 or 23) has totally fecked his liver up due to drinking too much. For drink to be able to do this at such a young age is upsetting. However it still doesn't stop booze companies from advertising their amazing products legally on telly and showing how much fun and how everyone must drink at a social event. I absolutely hate it. I used to get pissed and last year in Dec, 1 night in oz with a group of friends I did, but I can't remember the last time I drunk. So cannabis causes mental problems but drink causes a lot of problems too.

Does my nut in because the NHS has a hard enough time with real emergencies and that's not including the guys who have self harmed themselves through drink abuse or getting into fights because they were possed.

Used to go out every Friday and Sat night and pretty much every night I'd either see the after effects of a fight or I would try to stop one.

New year's God knows how many years ago I tried to have a drink but something told me not to drink heavily so I didn't. As I was eating a burger a couple of lads walked up to a guy next to me and started a fight. No reason just posses and wanted trouble. I leap up and got the gits away from the lad sitting next to me on the wall. Didn't have a clue who he was but I just knew he would of been battered there and then if I didn't stop it. Luckily my mates saw this as they were walking from.the kebab van and the couple of lads thought better of knocking then living shit out of me.

This was a weekly event I now don't ever go out anymore, anyone who's on my Facebook knows I spend my money on travelling or days out as I hate night life. With a passion all it ever means is trouble in my head.

A load of piss heads in a bar/ club vicinity someone will get hurt.hate it, it's actually frightening really in my older years!

[kiwikrasher]

My dad was a huge pot head and grower up until recently, he still has the occasional but now well into his 60's he's finally slowed down.

I've smoked very occasionally and lightly for the last 24 years. As Monty mentioned a large % of users are respectable well adjusted people. I've shared joints with engineers, lawyers, police, a future MP and even a serving Airforce jet pilot.

If used in moderation and the same way as responsible drinking I see absolutely no problem with it.

I get tested regularly with my job so I very rarely have any these days.

[Monty]

My dad was a huge pot head and grower up until recently, he still has the occasional but now well into his 60's he's finally slowed down.

I've smoked very occasionally and lightly for the last 24 years. As Monty mentioned a large % of users are respectable well adjusted people. I've shared joints with engineers, lawyers, police, a future MP and even a serving Airforce jet pilot.

If used in moderation and the same way as responsible drinking I see absolutely no problem with it.

I get tested regularly with my job so I very rarely have any these days.

I like your Dad.

The only thing stopping me from growing it is Sarah, well that and the fact that I don't need that much.

[Kwacky]

I've grown it at home but that was before the kids.

[Perkles]

I've grown it at home but that was before the kids.

lol you had two plants 7 foot high and above above our hedge you nutter

[Kwacky]

Err yeah, I did

[Rossgo]

Your all criminals and the heavy hand of the law should slap you all around the faces haha [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH AND TIGHTLY-CLOSED EYES]

[Kwacky]

[bb41]

De criminalise Cannabis and control it, the rest well it's up to the individual. If they want to kill themselves with heroin or any other such substance then it's entirely up to them.

The drug users usually become pushers so all as bad as each other. Punishment should be forced cold turkey for 3 months

[duke63]

I forget the actual figures but if i remember correctly something like 70-80% of all crime is drugs related, either selling or stealing to feed a habit being the biggest one.

[Kwacky]

Drug related crime is like speed related accidents, you can tie it in to manipulate the figures. People rarely get hurt if both vehicles aren't moving!

But there is an issue. People will commit petty crimes to gain money and it's those people who are more likely to use drugs, so it's easy to say drugs cause the crime.

What is clear is that there is a criminal network for the importation and disposal of drugs. That's where the money is. Legalisation will hit those more

Ben Elton's book on the subject is probably the best I've read in explaining it.

[D6]

Ban cigarettes and alcohol and legalise cocaine and marijuana.

Just as an experiment.

[Kwacky]

Ireland is having a go at decriminalising certain drugs

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 19136.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The minister said attitudes to drugs needed to move away from shaming addicts to helping them and emphasised there was a difference between legalisation and decriminalisation.

It would remain a crime to profit – from either the sale or distribution of illegal drugs – but drug takers would no longer be criminalised for their
addictions.

[bb41]

The saddest thing is when some people, myself included think that as they can afford it then the drug addict tag doesn't apply.....it does.
We all have a choice 25 years ago I took that choice to be able to work 24/.7 look after 2 young children and maintain a career which was far too much for any one person to handle. Solution? well I'm sure you can guess.

Now the things that were important then were sadly irrelevant. The hardest thing was telling my Mum .

All in the past and a different perspective on life now.....do I want sympathy ? no...I should have been kicked up the butt and maybe wouldn't have wasted life on thinking material things and working 7 days a week was what my children wanted.

The drug addiction perception is not always a life in a crack den or some such low life existance.

We all have a choice and mine was the worst choice of all, thankfully I came through it with minimal damage but some are not so lucky.

[Cav]

What a lot of people fail to grasp. in my opinion, is that these people who commit crimes or prostitution to feed a habit are doing so because they 'need' the drugs. What that means is they are willing to do just about anything to get them so making it harder for them is only going to make crime go up.

Making it legal and easier for people to get it should make crime go down. That said, no one knows what will happen as none of these will be legalised

[Kwacky]

A very good friend of mine almost ruined his life because of coke abuse. He was very well paid so thought nothing of spending a few hundred quid a weekend on the stuff. Then taking some Monday morning to cure his hangover, then before meetings to give him an edge, then every morning to get him started.........

Brass Eye did an excellent episode on drug use.

Chris Morris's quote pretty much sums up the medias' and the publics approach to drug use and drug users:-

Chris Morris: Luckily, the amount of heroin I use is harmless. I inject about once a month on a purely recreational basis. Fine. But what about other people less stable, less educated, less middle-class than me? Builders or blacks for example. If you're one of those, my advice to you is leave well alone. Good luck.

That caused outrage, but he was spot on as people who were doing drugs on a regular basis thought drug addicts jacked up in squat.

[Blade]

I think a big reason why drugs won't be legalised in this country is a large proportion of the political voters are miss informed about drugs and drug use and don't really understand there are different types of drugs and drug users.

I know my parents think smoking a joint is like being a crack addict or injecting heroin they just don't and don't want to get drugs. To them drugs are just socially unacceptable evil things that should be banned end of story.

If people were better educated and the government took a sensible approach, then personally I see no reason why in a well controlled and legislated environment the lower class drugs could not be allowed for social use.

[Blade]

Let's be honest it's happening anyway. Would it not better to legalise pot and gain some tax revenue and an element of control in its use.

[bb41]

I told my Mum last, I'd already confessed to my children. My Mum was total denial which was expected and she refused to understand, which I think is the heart of the problem of a certain generation.
Maybe in 20 years time then the different types of addict will not be those who are from a deprived background.

But again I still had a choice..I chose wrong and paid the price. Drug users are liars and a waste of space who make excuses..no matter what social climate they belong to.

They blame everyone bar themselves. there is a choice and it's up to the individual to decide what is more important in their life..if they still decide the drugs are then they deserve everything they get , which means they are left with nothing.

Namby pamby solutions are useless