stahrgazer wrote:PLAYER57832 wrote:This is precisely why many drugs are illegal.. because they cause people to become extreme detriments to society.
Cars can make some people extreme detriments to society, but cars aren't illegal.
They are strictly controlled, which is what controlled substances are.
stahrgazer wrote: It shouldn't be up to the government to dictate what someone can and cannot put into their own bodies.
Except hwen what they put into their bodies impacts other people very seriously. This is why there are limits to alchohol use, and to many drugs. (note, I am NOT arguing that all the limits imposed are correct or sensible.. I am saying that limits are needed).
There is such a thing as "an ounce of prevention". When a particular substance is heavily tied to crime, then cutting the issue at the source can be more effective than waiting until there is a victim. I absolutely agree it is a touchy issue, that in many cases this argument has been falsely used.. (marihuana, for example), but the argument is valid in some cases (heroine, perhaps).stahrgazer wrote:[
The government can analyze, and warn, sure. But leave the, "this is illegal" out of it.
Then, if someone DOES choose to do crime for whatever reason, punish the crime.
Also, in many cases we are talking about kids using drugs. I don't think we can leave these choices up to the kdis.. or even, in most cases up to the parents. It is a soceital issue.
stahrgazer wrote:I'd bet prisons would be alot less crowded if the only "criminals" were those who committed real crimes, rather than those who were in possession of a substance the government has arbitrarily decided is illegal.
Depends on the drug in question. I am absolutely in favor of legalizing marihuana. Some other drugs might be worth legalizing.
On the other hand, several kids have recently died "near" here from the marihuana "alternative" K something or other.
stahrgazer wrote:(Cost Effectiveness of Prison) "Substance-involved people have come to compose a large portion of the prison population. Substance use may play a role in the commission of certain crimes: approximately 16 percent of people in state prison and 18 percent of people in federal prison reported committing their crimes to obtain money for drugs.21 Treatment delivered in the community is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent such crimes and costs approximately $20,000 less than incarceration per person per year.22 A study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that every dollar spent on drug treatment in the community yields over $18 in cost savings related to crime.23 In comparison, prisons only yield $.37 in public safety benefit per dollar spent. Releasing people to supervision and making treatment accessible is an effective way of reducing problematic drug use, reducing crime associated with drug use and reducing the number of people in prison." Source:
Justice Policy Institute, "How to safely reduce prison populations and support people returning to their communities," (Washington, DC: June 2010), p. 8.
http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upl ... eRelease...
Treatment does not mean legalization. I am absolutely in favor of better treatment and education options. I just think that for some drugs the penalty bit has to be included.
[/quote]stahrgazer wrote:[(US Drug Prisoners) "The United States leads the world in the number of people incarcerated in federal and state correctional facilities. There are currently more than 2 million people in American prisons or jails. Approximately one-quarter of those people held in U.S. prisons or jails have been convicted of a drug offense. The United States incarcerates more people for drug offenses than any other country. With an estimated 6.8 million Americans struggling with drug abuse or dependence, the growth of the prison population continues to be driven largely by incarceration for drug offenses."
Source:
Justice Policy Institute, "Substance Abuse Treatment and Public Safety," (Washington, DC: January 2008), p. 1.
http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upl ... _AC-PS.pdf
The problem with this is that everything is included.. marihuana is calculated right along side meth and heroine. In some cases, alchohol related offenses are included as well. (note sure if it is in this case or not). When you parse the data out, you get a different picture.
The "one-size fits all" approach we have to all crime is a problem in and of itself, but again.. I am not saying our current system is great, I am saying that legalizing everything is not the answer.