Drugs
Bryan
Listening to a radio programme this morning, I was struck by the amount of time spent on drugs. It’s to be expected considering the fact that we are waiting on sentencing in the Cork cocaine smuggling case. There is also the fact that Gardaí just made the biggest crystal meth seizure in Ireland’s history. To cap it all, there was also a guest on the programme lamenting the fact that heroin remains the drug of choice here and that there aren’t enough methadone programs in place.
I’m surprised by the official response to the drug problem. It seems primarily directed at catching the suppliers and dealing with the legal side of things. There does not seem to be as much invested in prevention and education. Am I just out of touch when it comes to this issue? Are heroin and cocaine related crimes just very loudly discussed but not that prevalent?
If there wasn’t a market for cocaine, heroine, crystal meth, or whatever else some people like to smoke, snort, inject or pop, the drug trade would die off. There have been some provocative advertising campaigns on drink-driving. I wonder why there hasn’t been a Nancy Reagan type ‘Just Say No’ drugs campaign.
I presume that school-goers here get some education about drugs and their ill effects. The web page below is out of date but shows that there have been efforts:
http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&con=489
I hope that this type of education, and other initiatives, targets the problem of crystal meth soon. It would be terrible if it took off in Ireland the way it has in the US.
I hope so to. And I’m sure school pupils get some education on drugs, but is that enough? Shouldn’t there be more?
‘Just Say No’
‘Why..?’
‘Just’.
Great argument that.
Colly, ‘Just Say No’ is just the catch phrase. It was the beginning of a very good campaign. So the conversation went something like:
‘Just Say NO’
‘Why…?’
‘Because drugs have serious health consequences,
Because every time you buy them you fund dangerous criminals,
Because some people who use them never recover and wreck their lives,
Because…
Because…
Because…’
Because… some people have some of the best experiences of their lives on drugs. That’s why there will always be a market for them, that’s why those campaigns are so ridiculously short-sighted and that’s why it would be a waste of taxpayers money to have one.
Are you out of touch on this subject?
I dont know. But even Gay Byrne thinks all drugs should be legalised. He’s 73.
Colly, I don’t buy the legalise drugs argument. Ask anyone who works on a medical ward, addiction is only one of the many problems associated with drugs. There are aldo heart problems, unhealthy new borns, and a myriad of mental conditions.
And then there are the social effects. Alcohol reduces social inhibition to a certain degree which can be harmful. The disinhibiting effect of some drugs is much more pronounced.
And then there are societal effects. How many people on heroin are reliable and do consistent, solid, work? How would you feel about having a pilot or surgeon on heroin. Or a banker, accountant, Gard?
Prohibition doesn’t stop any of the things you’ve outlined from happening. Yet it sustains the black market and all the nasty side-effects associated with that.
I hear you Colly. How do you suggest we deal with the negative effects of drug use?
I’m reminded of Martin Luther King’s response to the suggestion that morality cannot be legislated. He said that, “The law cannot force my neighbor to love me. But it can restrain him from lynching me.”
I think the same can be said of the effects of drugs. The law and the government can lead the way in solving the issue.
The negative effects? God knows… but if you fancy it, how about we meet up at Electric Picnic and at least have a a go at tackling the positive ones…
I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it. If I can get there, you’re on. If not, maybe coffee in Dublin? Are you doing the book club? If not this book, I might try and organise an in person group meeting for the next one.
“How many people on heroin are reliable and do consistent, solid, work? How would you feel about having a pilot or surgeon on heroin. Or a banker, accountant, Gard?”
Interesting take on that point here:
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2291046,00.html
if a little sad – both in how the people involved dont see an issue even though its clear they’re so addicted. In one instance the mention of the word heroin permeats a girls conversation so much so i imagine she had to shoot up after the interview in the same fashion some smokers feel the need to light up at the mention of cigarettes.
Because every time you buy them you fund dangerous criminals,
Isn’t that the point about legalising drugs? People want drugs, will always want drugs, and if the state makes them illegal then dangerous criminals will get funded. They are only so dangerous because there is so much money to be made from drugs – hence high competition. This cannot be used as a downside on the argument about legalisation of drugs because it is an effect only of illegalisation.
You think education is going to somehow quell drugs use? I think that you are imposing your own view of drugs on others, assuming that once kids have all the facts (i.e. the dangers versus the benefits) that they will stay away.
Agree with colly that some of the best times of your life are on drugs. Wouldn’t like it as a lifestyle choice but definitely think there is a time in your life for them… especially some of the awesome illegal ones.
As one Onion headline had it: “Scientists discover that Class A drugs make people feel good”.
Paul – thanks for that link. It’s scary, and really sad.
Steve – there are people who will always want to rape people and others who will want to kill somebody. Legalising rape and murder is not a solution.
I’m happy with people doing whatever they like so long as it does not encroach on others’ freedoms. People on drugs are prone to behave in a way that encroahes on others’ freedoms.
I think legalisation would not solve anything, particularly in a country like Ireland where most don’t know the meaning of the word moderation when it comes to drink and drugs. How long would it be before someone acquired some legally bought coke or heroin, got a bit overindulgent and died? End of legalisation I would think. At the very best in a nanny state like Ireland the powers that be might re-classify cannabis like in the UK so your not treated like a dealer for getting caught at a music festival with the makings of a few spliffs. But having said that I doubt this will be happening soon seeing that under the new Intoxicating Liquor Bill they want to shorten our weekend, 1.30am on a Sunday,what a joke!
@ Bryan- wrt “people on drugs encroaching on other peoples freedoms”. I presume your including alcohol here?
The cash involved in the illegal drugs trade is absolutely staggering and would not be believed were it to be reported hypothetically. But what are the factors that impact the price levels ?
Seems to me that drug seizures make the biggest impact on the cost of all the illicit drugs in the marketplace. Each seizure co-relates to a cost increase induced by the scarcity factor.
People also should realise that all talk of having ‘broken up drug supply routes’ and ‘disrupted supply networks’ are just utter rubbish. Go back thro’ the years of drug crime reporting in this fair land of ours and those same things have been said again and again only to be followed by even bigger seizures within a short period. The seizures are without exception very creditworthy but we should be spared the useless hackneyed mantras trotted out unfailingly by the reporters. Drug law enforcement is and has been very strong here but has had little discernible impact.
It seems that we cannot destroy the drug product or devise a foolproof method of preventing the market supply reaching our young people. That being so, it’s the market that must be destroyed. The introduction of a comprehensive well funded rigorous anti-drug educational programme in our schools across the board would be a very significant step in that direction. Law enforcement per se will not defeat the scourge of drug abuse and it is delusional to think otherwise.
“there are people who will always want to rape people and others who will want to kill somebody. Legalising rape and murder is not a solution”
oh god, it’s posturing like this that makes this argument so difficult to have – people refuse to seee the wood for the trees.. rape and murder are not public health issues – drugs and their legalisation is..
Right, here’s the deal. Most drug-induced illnesses are caused by impurities in the illegal drugs that are used by people at present – as there is no regulation there is no quality control, so god knows what you’re getting.
we alread have a plethora of legal, regulated drugs – the ones we have banned at the minute are banned because of early 20th century lawmakers – do we want the people who allowed 2 freakin world wars to happen to govern us still??
Of those legal drugs, such nictoine, alcohol, valium, xanex… the list goes on.. many are highly addictive, and even more of them are really quite bad for you if used IN EXCESS!!!
The argument here is not whether illegal drugs are worse for you than legal drugs, it is that no matter what controls you put in place, if someone wants to take lots and lots of something (see cake/chocolate/cocaine whatever) they’re going to go do it no matter what you, me, the government or their dog says…
To conclude: legalising drugs would not be without its complications, but it would eliminate the black market and allow some kind of government control – unlike the militant chaos we have at present..
Peace.
Steve – there are people who will always want to rape people and others who will want to kill somebody. Legalising rape and murder is not a solution.
I’m happy with people doing whatever they like so long as it does not encroach on others’ freedoms. People on drugs are prone to behave in a way that encroahes on others’ freedoms.
I’m sorry Bryan but your comment has no bearing to my post, and is inappropriate.
If you are going to open a discussion about drugs on your blog try not to have your mind completely closed before you start.
there are lots of money on drugs thats why until now drugs are still anywhere. It will not easily die down. Even if you educate the people around about drugs if it still available then people will continue to buy them.
Everyone, I concede that I have made certain assumptions which may be totally off the mark. So before we can really get into the meat of this argument, we need to first deal with some foundational stuff. Please check out http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/outsidein/2008/07/24/drugs-part-ii/
Gotta agree with Liam @16 – great post. Wish I could order my thoughts like that. Should probably lay off the drugs…
Liam said:
“Most drug-induced illnesses are caused by impurities in the illegal drugs that are used by people at present”
That’s a fairly weak point. Lets see drug induced illnessess…paranoia, schizophrenia, depression…somehow I think these’s are more the result of the active ingredients on the relative chemical pathways in the brain than what was used to bind a pill together or cut some coke. Apart from a few tragic cases some years ago, the vast majority of illness by heroin addiction is to do with sharing of needles and the spread of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis etc. and overall poor personal hygeine, diet etc.