Comments on: Rio’s cloud has a silver lining

By: jossy

jossy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:23:53 +0000

“but no cities have been turned into free-fire zones by competing tobacco and alcohol companies”

But of course cities such as Chicago were during the alcohol prohibition years in the US. Al Capone anyone.

By: Victoria Collins

Victoria Collins — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:20:40 +0000

The world is also being presented with another golden opportunity at this point in time, that being Western occupation of Afghanistan, source of the majority of heroin that is consumed by the other half of the illegal drug-using population.
As we have been made aware, with the Karzai government being seen to be compromised and corrupt due to drug money, and local warlords having an undue amount of influence in the corridors of power, shouldn’t we, as a sensible group of adults, grab the opportunity to put an end to the farce ?
The only way we can do it is to admit that drug dependance is a medical issue, and not a criminal one. It seems such a simple solution to what seems an intractable problem. However, no politician in a position of power appears to have the backbone to stand up to the industry that has grown up around drug interdiction and law enforcement, plus the drug prohibition industry, centred, as was alcohol prohibition, around the major religious organisations.

By: MichaelT

MichaelT — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:06:01 +0000

We need to establish a level playing field. Both legal and illegal drugs have anti-social consequences, so it is indefensible that some are freely available and using others is a criminal offence. We need to follow a common line in relation to all these drugs. We need to discourage the abuse of all harmful drugs, and help people who are dependant on them to get over it.

By: NickCook

NickCook — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:51:46 +0000

The fact that alcohol and drinking are as dangerous to public health as most drug use, not to mention the turmoil our drug policy is causing in many distant countries, is only the beginning of the reasons we should legalise drug use.

It comes down to a simple question: is there anybody who is inclined to use drugs but doesn’t because they’re illegal? The answer is clearly no, which means that prohibition is an immediate failure.

Prohibition turns otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals and stigmatises addicts who deserve our support more than our condemnation.

On the other hand, if drugs were legal the Government could regulate their manufacture to make sure they’re as safe as possible, put warnings on the label similar to those on cigarettes and drive the criminal element out of the business altogether.

Best of all, they could tax this new billion-dollar industry, raising more than enough money to treat those suffering from drug problems - who will continue to exist whether drugs are legalised or not - in a humane and caring way that stops them from turning to crime to support their habit.

The only losers will be the drug dealers and smugglers, a fact that should bother nobody.