Former World Leaders: War on Drugs has failed

[stormwarden]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13624303

In a nutshell, a number of former world leaders have come forward, calling the war on drugs a complete failure, after increased use rates in double-digits were found, and that attempts to enforce the laws have only succeeded in fueling drug cartels, amongst other things.

Ladies and gents, our tax dollars at work.

[HarleyThomas1002]

Here Kitty, Kitty...

[dasfuchs]

Jun 3, 2011 0:25:19 GMT -5 HarleyThomas1002 said:

Here Kitty, Kitty...

i c wut u did ther

[lighthorseman]

In other news, water is wet.

But nice to see the people who have spent the past 60 years demanding the tide turn back acknowledge that maybe they were wasting their time.

[Whore of Spamylon]

If only they could have been in a position to do something about it.

[Shane for Wax]

What about the Portugal 'study' where drug use increased AFTER it was decriminalized and drug-related homicides also went up at the same time?

I don't think there's a clear answer or a clear middle ground on keeping both drug users and non-drug users safe and that's what sucks. People are going to do drugs no matter WHAT you do. people are going to do drugs in a non-safe manner. People are going to do stupid shit while high on drugs and they're going to hurt other people while on drugs.

I wish there was a clear answer.

Poire is right as well, gang-related activity won't suddenly stop if you legalize drugs. There's more to gangs than drug peddling.

[Dragon Zachski]

Legalizing/decriminalizing drugs is just one step that needs to be taken, true.

[dakotabob]

I just think we all need to come together over a bowl of weed and work this out together.

[scienceisgreen]

The tax revenue for some California towns has gone up pretty well since decriminalization.

[chad sexington]

Jun 3, 2011 2:10:00 GMT -5 Shane for Wax said:

What about the Portugal 'study' where drug use increased AFTER it was decriminalized and drug-related homicides also went up at the same time?

As I understand it, drug use spiked immediately after decriminalisation, but it decreased afterward and continued to do so until they had the lowest rate of drug use in Western Europe.
(Although I could well be recalling a flawed study of course)

[Old Viking]

If, after 60 years, a policy has utterly failed by any criteria, and has, in fact, had an effect that is precisely the opposite of the one intended, intelligent people discontinue the policy.

[alexiel]

Jun 3, 2011 9:13:41 GMT -5 chad sexington said:

Jun 3, 2011 2:10:00 GMT -5 Shane for Wax said:

What about the Portugal 'study' where drug use increased AFTER it was decriminalized and drug-related homicides also went up at the same time?

As I understand it, drug use spiked immediately after decriminalisation, but it decreased afterward and continued to do so until they had the lowest rate of drug use in Western Europe.
(Although I could well be recalling a flawed study of course)

You're not.

www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=portugal-drug-decriminalization

Bottom line: Death from drug overdoses dropped over 25%. HIV infection rates caused by dirty needles and things like that dropped 71% Overall the wider public health consequences of drug use became more manageable. Furthermore, it did NOT result in Portugal becoming a land with roads completely paved with cocaine and heroin.

[Whore of Spamylon]

Jun 3, 2011 6:48:15 GMT -5 dakotabob said:

I just think we all need to come together over a bowl of weed and work this out together.

[wmdkitty]

It's about damn time. Now the question is, is the US government intelligent enough to discontinue counterproductive policies, or are we going to keep funding the massive prison-industrial complex?


Yes, folks, that's really all I have to say on the topic.

[tolpuddlemartyr]

Guess who rejected the report?

The office of White House drug tsar Gil Kerlikowske rejected the panel's recommendations.
"Drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated," said a spokesman for the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
"Making drugs more available - as this report suggests - will make it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe.

Of course the war on drugs isn't working, but that doesn't mean it's going to stop anytime soon.