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Drug policy not working..
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Says the UK Drug Policy Commission.
Apart from stating the bleeding obvious, what can be done to reduce drug usage in the UK ?
Would be interesting to know peoples views on why UK rates of drug addiction and more than double those of Germany, France, Sweden and The Netherlands. What makes the UK so unique?
My initial thoughts are the previous high unemployment in the UK, and more people living below the poverty line, but surely France, Germany etc must have had similar problems with unemployment and poverty
Personally I would like to see a complete shift in the way we deal with drugs in this country. I think more needs to be spent on educating people in the first place about drugs, and accept no matter how hard we try and how much we spend on enforcement, drugs will continue to come into the country.
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Apart from stating the bleeding obvious, what can be done to reduce drug usage in the UK ?
Would be interesting to know peoples views on why UK rates of drug addiction and more than double those of Germany, France, Sweden and The Netherlands. What makes the UK so unique?
My initial thoughts are the previous high unemployment in the UK, and more people living below the poverty line, but surely France, Germany etc must have had similar problems with unemployment and poverty
Personally I would like to see a complete shift in the way we deal with drugs in this country. I think more needs to be spent on educating people in the first place about drugs, and accept no matter how hard we try and how much we spend on enforcement, drugs will continue to come into the country.
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Comments
The law is no deterant what so ever, it only increases the harms.
I agree with the law being no deterant. I think half the time the fact that a certain drug is illegal only serves to increase its appeal.
No real suggestions from me, but it would be nice if they included alcohol in that. If I'm walking down a street, I'd much rather be surrounded by people on pills than people who have spilled out of pubs on booze.
:yes:
Well actually the UK doesn't have particularly high unemployment. In fact it's one of the lowest rates in Europe. France has much bigger problems in this regard.
Anyway, this story is a bit of a bears shit in woods moment really. I know that Holland in particular has a much better treatment and rehabilitation scheme for addicts, and has worked hard to seperate the less harmful drugs from the more dangerous and addictive things like heroin. Like Budda says basically, drugs need to be controlled/distributed by the state. This will result in all the bullshit that comes with the illegal drugs trade disappearing or at least being reduced hugely.
Agreed, but can't ever see that happening.
Just out of interest, if legalisation did happen, how do you think it would affect the people who grow and produce the substances? Just finished a book on cocaine production in Peru, the comment regarding the US war on drugs was interesting
Probably wouldn't make much difference. They'd just get exploited legally rather than illegally. Most of the opium farmers in Afghanistan are being forced to grow crops to pay off "loans" so it might be beneficial to some. Obviously the value of their crops would be far less however.
My point is, anyway, that these two might be the same one issue, but I still don't have an answer for why it happens.
i think too much of a mess has been created already for any kind of decent solution to appear
The actual value to the farmer of coca or opium is incredibly low anyway, its unlikely even in a legal market that that could go any lower. It is the wholesalers who make the profit margin, not the farmer.
I'd agree with that.
Trying to persecute people drives it furthur underground, exactally what you DON'T want to do.
Even if the Police and customs were more effective it is likely that overall harms would go up, rather than down. Prices would go up and those dependant would have to steal even more to fund their habits.
:yes:
might as well because nothing else seems to work and the more they harp on about it the more desirable it probably seems to some people.
i was against drugs stongly for the first sixteen years of my life and i was well informed about them. didn't stop me though. you can't beat the buzz i think.
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