[InTheFade]

I don't want to sound like I'm promoting drugs at all but am I the only one who finds it irritating when people bang on about how bad they are and make judgements against people who use them? I don't mean people who have had experience of drugs, I mean people who are scared of them. To what extent can you take advice from someone about something that they're ignorant about? Particularly if they go by the word of the government, for example. There are a lot of adverts that strongly discourage drug use and I'm not saying for one minute that drugs should be endorsed in any way but the fact is, many people do drugs and don't ruin their lives. Just like many people drink alcohol and smoke tobacco. Essentially, what I'm saying is, should people be more open-minded about drugs and should people have the right to do what they want to their bodies? I probably haven't put this argument across very well but hopefully, some people will understand what I mean.

[Scarlett.]

Well, drugs killed someone in my year at school, the government are right to discourage them

[Billy]

I understand what your saying but I think drgus should be discouraged

[InTheFade]

Originally posted by Chewy
Well, drugs killed someone in my year at school, the government are right to discourage them

Fair enough but why doesn't the government go out of it's way to discourage alcohol which kills far more people?

[Scarlett.]

because people are less likely to get addicted to alcohol

[InTheFade]

Originally posted by Chewy
because people are less likely to get addicted to alcohol

Yet, look how big a problem alcoholism is and how easy it is to get hold of...

[Scarlett.]

but the government crackdown on drink driving, and binge drinking

[Tom4784]

Drugs is a sensitive issue for me. My uncle died a few months ago due to an overdose, sounds mean and horrible but I wasn't that bothered. Drugs turned him into something horrible and he wouldn't give them up, he resorted to crime and even resorted to attacking my cousin (10 at the time) and stealing his birthday money.

To put it simply, drugs change people, they make them desperate and dangerous. It's horrible of me but i have zero sympathy for people on drugs, unless they are actively trying to give them up that is.

I think people are right in fearing drugs, look what it does to people.

[InTheFade]

Known drug-related deaths in the UK, 1990

Tobacco: .................110,000
Alcohol: ..................30,000
Volatile Substances: 112
Morphine: ................91
Methadone: ..............84
Heroin: ....................62
Barbiturate Type: ....7
Anti-depressants: ....4
Cocaine: .................4
Pethidine: ...............3
MDMA (ecstasy): ...3
Amphetamine Type: .2
Hallucinogens:........ 0
LS....................... 0
Psylocibin:............. 0
Cannabis: ...............0

Some interesting statistics there.

"The study looked at 191 fatalities among people receiving drug treatment in the north west of England between 2003 and 2005. Of that number, only 59 deaths were officially classified as a ‘drug-related death’."

Researched by DrugScope’s Druglink magazine.

[InTheFade]

I'm not trying to condone drug use but I don't believe anyone should be condemned for not being dead against them. The fact is, the consequences of drug use aren't always terrible.

[Ruth]

Originally posted by Chewy
because people are less likely to get addicted to alcohol

Alcohol is just as addictive as most other drugs and in my experience seems to have a worse effect on people than cannabis for example. Education is the key - if people want to screw themselves up with drugs, fair enough, as long as they realise what they are doing to themselves. With proper education, most people would not want to take hard drugs, because they would realise the effect it would have on them.

A heck of a lot of people I know smoke cannabis on a 'social' basis. They also hold down responsible jobs and apart from having a joint, are law abiding citizens in every way. I'm not encouraging cannabis use, but I'm just saying that people should understand it, rather than assuming that anyone who takes any illegal drug is the typical stereotype of 'junkie'.

[InTheFade]

Originally posted by Ruth

Alcohol is just as addictive as most other drugs and in my experience seems to have a worse effect on people than cannabis for example. Education is the key - if people want to screw themselves up with drugs, fair enough, as long as they realise what they are doing to themselves. With proper education, most people would not want to take hard drugs, because they would realise the effect it would have on them.

A heck of a lot of people I know smoke cannabis on a 'social' basis. They also hold down responsible jobs and apart from having a joint, are law abiding citizens in every way. I'm not encouraging cannabis use, but I'm just saying that people should understand it, rather than assuming that anyone who takes any illegal drug is the typical stereotype of 'junkie'.

Yeah. I agree that it's a person's choice to use drugs. Instead of punishing them for wanting to alter their state of mind by taking away their right to treat their body how they like, the authorities ought to make sure that people are very much aware of the potential consequences, not just that 'drugs are bad'.

[Ruth]

How many people here think Oscar Wilde was talented? Incidentally, I do.

[Ruth]

InTheFade - fantastic choice of thread by the way!

[InTheFade]

Originally posted by Ruth
How many people here think Oscar Wilde was talented? Incidentally, I do.

I've never really read any of his poems (he was a poet?). I don't know much about him except that he got jailed for being gay.

[InTheFade]

Originally posted by Ruth
InTheFade - fantastic choice of thread by the way!

Thanks!

[spitfire]

In the fade,i am very anti smoking,so much so that i once said to a mate of mine that,out of the two evils and if i had to choose, i would rather my children took 1 pill(e) a week than smoke 10 fags a day.She was absolutley horrified!I then asked her how many people she knew who had died from taking an e and how many people she knew who had died of cancer.I know two wrongs dont make a right but that really would be my choice.

[the_stillness]

Originally posted by InTheFade
Known drug-related deaths in the UK, 1990

Tobacco: .................110,000
Alcohol: ..................30,000
Volatile Substances: 112
Morphine: ................91
Methadone: ..............84
Heroin: ....................62
Barbiturate Type: ....7
Anti-depressants: ....4
Cocaine: .................4
Pethidine: ...............3
MDMA (ecstasy): ...3
Amphetamine Type: .2
Hallucinogens:........ 0
LS....................... 0
Psylocibin:............. 0
Cannabis: ...............0

Some interesting statistics there.

"The study looked at 191 fatalities among people receiving drug treatment in the north west of England between 2003 and 2005. Of that number, only 59 deaths were officially classified as a ‘drug-related death’."

Researched by DrugScope’s Druglink magazine.

Those are great statistics InTheFade, I must also point out that Tobacco & Alcohol are perfectly legal and it is those two drugs which are the biggest killers. But, what would happen if all drugs were legalised? I would say that the statistics would change some-what. The worse thing about purchasing drugs off a drug dealer is that there are no guarantees that what you are buying is safe. You just buy the drugs and either smoke it, swallow it or inject it and trust to luck, that what you have is safe. You are not sure about how strong it is or how weak it is. Has it been cut down or is it the real mccoy? If you feel very low and depressed and suddenly feel the need to take a double amount, that could be your last mistake? I believe that all drugs should be legalised, then there can be some sort of quality control

[Sunny_01]

Also if those are accurate statistics do they consider the people that smoke tobacco as a way of taking in cannabis?

I do have to agree to a certain extent that people should be more open about drugs. Alcohol is perfectly legal BUT where you can just stop taking heroin and go cold turkey and come out of it fine, if an alcoholic tried to do that they could be seriously ill or die!

Methodone has a higher death rate than heroin, yet noone has yet mentioned that this is a more addictive substance than heroin, this is a way for the government to make money from addicts!!

[InTheFade]

Originally posted by the_stillness

Those are great statistics InTheFade, I must also point out that Tobacco & Alcohol are perfectly legal and it is those two drugs which are the biggest killers. But, what would happen if all drugs were legalised? I would say that the statistics would change some-what. The worse thing about purchasing drugs off a drug dealer is that there are no guarantees that what you are buying is safe. You just buy the drugs and either smoke it, swallow it or inject it and trust to luck, that what you have is safe. You are not sure about how strong it is or how weak it is. Has it been cut down or is it the real mccoy? If you feel very low and depressed and suddenly feel the need to take a double amount, that could be your last mistake? I believe that all drugs should be legalised, then there can be some sort of quality control

I agree completely, I obviously don't think they ought to be legalised to the extent of being sold over the counter, like tobacco but I don't think people should be locked away for doing them, it's not gonna help in the long run.

[~Kizwiz~]

I dont condone drugs, hell I have taken enough in my lifetime and I am not ashamed to say it.

I would rather meet a stoned person in a dark ally than a drunk person....hang on a min.... you wouldnt meet a stoned person in a dark ally

[InTheFade]

Originally posted by kizwiz
I dont condone drugs, hell I have taken enough in my lifetime and I am not ashamed to say it.

I would rather meet a stoned person in a dark ally than a drunk person....hang on a min.... you wouldnt meet a stoned person in a dark ally

Lol I most definitely would rather meet a stoned person in a dark alley. The thing is, if you get too drunk, you end up paraletic, violent or at the very least, extremely hungover. There's actually no such thing as getting too stoned and if you're in the right state of mind, it feels great to be so relaxed. The only reason it's not legal is cos the government wouldn't make much money from it.

[Stu]

Lets not bang on about the word 'drugs'. Methamphetamine and Caffine are both equally drugs. Its far too wide a term to describe perfectly safe things like Cannabis .

If the government legalised some of the safer drugs , we would be taking them out of the hands of criminals and in to the hands of the government , taxing them and using that tax to provide drugs for the elderly and build rehab centres. Lets not forget illegal drug impurities.

John Stuart Mill urged that the state had no right to intervene to prevent individuals from doing something that harmed them, if no harm was thereby done to the rest of society.

I think he has the right idea.

[bananarama]

Originally posted by Stu
Lets not bang on about the word 'drugs'. Methamphetamine and Caffine are both equally drugs. Its far too wide a term to describe perfectly safe things like Cannabis .

If the government legalised some of the safer drugs , we would be taking them out of the hands of criminals and in to the hands of the government , taxing them and using that tax to provide drugs for the elderly and build rehab centres. Lets not forget illegal drug impurities.

John Stuart Mill urged that the state had no right to intervene to prevent individuals from doing something that harmed them, if no harm was thereby done to the rest of society.

I think he has the right idea.

Cannabis perfectly safe. really!!!! Link to a scientific evaluation that confirms that please........

No harm done to the rest of society. Ok to drive under the influence of drugs then. Ok to watch a drug sodden child of about 12 having to be pulled away from attacking a 72 year old woman. That's what happened just a few yards from where I live.........

Drugs including alcohol turns people into idiots that play havoc with society.

[Jackie]

Drugs are bad end of.My children know what drugs to and also smoking neither of them would never ever ever ever deal in them.Parents need to tell them the facts and how both can kill you.