60 replies to this topic

[Titus]

how so?

Perhaps he's referring to the licencing laws we have in the UK.

[MikeW]

You are wrong at every level.

I have direct personal experience of how the use of illegal drugs ruins many lives beyond repair and results in the murder of innocent people.

The use of alcohol contributes in the deaths of many, many innocent people. It is also contributes to a large proportion of domestic violence.

[l'angelo mysterioso]

how so?

alcohol can only be purchased legally if a person is over a certain age, not already intoxicated, and not intending to putchase it for someone under age and from premises that are licensed.

premises are set aside for the consumption of alcohol in public. There aree strict laws relating to this

consumption of alcohol in the street, or other public places is illegal under the by laws of many towns and cities.

behavior and conduct influenced by the abuse of alcohol is illegal: drunk and disorderly, drunk and incapable for instance

the driving of vehicles, trains, aircraft, vessels, being in charge of a child, operating machinery has strict laws associated with it.
Aside from legal issues of course alcohol abuse is seen as a major health and social problem.

Most drugs are 'legal'

cocaine and its derivatives(novocaine for instance) are legally prescribed and administered as an anaesthetic. Herion and its derivatives(morphine and diamorphine for instance) are prescribed an anesthetic or a palliative and so on.

Cannabis is ilegal under any circumstances as is MDMA and its derivatives.

My point is that it's nonsensical to talk about 'legal' and 'illegal' substances, since most are illegal or legal depending upon circumstances.

The issue revolves around substance abuse and what it does to people-the abusers and those around them-which was John M's point

[Johnoco]

The use of alcohol contributes in the deaths of many, many innocent people. It is also contributes to a large proportion of domestic violence.

That's undeniable. But why throw petrol on the fire by saying drugs are ok as well.

[MikeW]

That's undeniable. But why throw petrol on the fire by saying drugs are ok as well.

Who did that? John is IMO incorrect to say that it is wrong on every level to say illegal drugs are worse than Alcohol. Personally I think the effect of alcohol use on the body is something most people can live with without it affecting them, but the effects of people's actions when drunk can be much worse on ale than on other illegal drugs. I don't want alcohol made illegal and likewise other drugs which have less of an impact on society should also be looked at for legalisation.

Edited by MikeW, 21 September 2012 - 04:35 PM.

[steef]

http://blogs.telegra...re-a-good-idea/

When considering this report its worth remembering that a vast amount of social problems connected with drug use/abuse are a direct result of their illegality. If heroin or cocaine were to be properly regulated then many deaths would be prevented simply because criminal dealers wouldn't cut the drug with poisonous substances, for example. In previous posts I wasn't advocating banning alcohol, prohibition doesn't work, or trying to gloss over the social issues drug misuse can have I just think that the current laws do the situation no good whatsoever.

On a side note, governments could earn billions from a regulated drugs industry yet seem content to let criminal gangs and terrorists take it all instead, never mind the money spent trying to do the impossible and somehow win the war on drugs. The drugs industry is worth so much due to a huge demand for them that has existed ever since humans have walked the earth - the human brain likes to have a buzz from a coffee in the morning to a glass of rioja before bed,

and finally a question. How many people would you imagine try drugs for the first time while under the influence of alcohol and therefore feeling a little bolder and with a few less inhibitions? I've no idea but would imagine the % to be quite significant.

[Marauder]

do you mean drunken violence in UK garrison towns?

I'M SURE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT i MEAN, Personally I've never taken illegal drugs and drunken violence in a garrison town is no worse than any other town in the country.

Edited by Marauder, 21 September 2012 - 10:31 PM.

[l'angelo mysterioso]

I'M SURE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT i MEAN, Personally I've never taken illegal drugs and drunken violence in a garrison town is no worse than any other town in the country.

I didn't know what you meant hence the question. I still don't

[Johnoco]

steef, all perfectly reasonable and sounds like sense but I'm not convinced by the legalize it argument.
Look at methodone, a legal way to wean heroin addicts off it. All that tends to happen in most cases is that the users become addicted to that instead. Insert every conceivable drug into this scenario and the result wouldn't be pretty, despite the theory.
I know one or two people who are on sickness benefit because they are alcoholics. They get around £140 per week *on top of anything else* so they can buy drink. IMO this is not going to discourage anyone from being an alkie, just the opposite.

I firmly believe a similar scenario would emerge with legal drugs.

[Johnoco]

Bit misleading this, I thought they were going to actually take the drug live on air and sit back. This is just discussing the results of a trial.

[chuffer]

surely they ought to play some loud repetative tribal rhythms to the test subjects to really gauge the effects??

[chuffer]

"if that had have happened to me in a nightclub, I'd have started fisting people"............ahahahaha

[Johnoco]

Some very funny tweets about this.

[chuffer]

They need to ask the test subjects to describe faces that they see 6hrs after taking pills.........."they all look like gargoyles.....aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"

[West Country Eagle]

They need to ask the test subjects to describe faces that they see 6hrs after taking pills.........."they all look like gargoyles.....aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"

I assume nobody said "I'm on one, matey"?

Nobody says that anymore. *sigh*

Didn't watch, but someone who did told me that at one point they were talking about the efects - e.g loosening of the jaw - and John Snow apparently said "clubbers call this gurning". If he really said that it's priceless. It's a bit like that "Scrutineer" sketch on The Day Today, or those brilliant 1960s films with intellectuals trying acid.

[chuffer]

I assume nobody said "I'm on one, matey"?

Nobody says that anymore. *sigh*

"What's yer name, what've you had?"

[West Country Eagle]

"What's yer name, what've you had?"

When I turned up to DJ at club the other night, stone cold sober, the party was already in full swing. Some sweaty 20-something came up to me, hugged me and said "Dad! You're my dad! I'm your son!"

That is genuinely a new one - never had that before!

[chuffer]

When I turned up to DJ at club the other night, stone cold sober, the party was already in full swing. Some sweaty 20-something came up to me, hugged me and said "Dad! You're my dad! I'm your son!"

That is genuinely a new one - never had that before!

Lol....I'm not sure that was a compliment!!

[West Country Eagle]

Lol....I'm not sure that was a compliment!!

I didn't know what to say. He was in his mid 20s (at a guess) and I'm only 34!

He did leave me alone, though. I wish I'd been quick-witted enough to say something funny back to him, but I was so stunned I felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights

Edited by West Country Eagle, 28 September 2012 - 05:22 PM.

[longboard]

I didn't know what to say. He was in his mid 20s (at a guess) and I'm only 34!

He did leave me alone, though. I wish I'd been quick-witted enough to say something funny back to him, but I was so stunned I felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights

Well, at least he didn't say you were his grandad.