"Second, addiction is a public health issue, not a law and order issue. Do you know how expensive it is to imprison someone vs sending them to a rehab program? Take a look at Portugal - treating addiction like the health issue it is works and it's cheaper"
"Today, more users are in rehab, but drug use is on the rise, and reporter Keith O'Brien says the policy has made the problem worse."
"personal drug use over the course of their lifetime has gone up about 40 to 50 percent in the last decade."
Drug use is actually up...because there is no legal risk.
More from the article:
"They would meet with the person who had been picked up in possession of whatever drug it was and discuss the issue. These CDTs would then hand down various, sort of, not punishments, but treatments. Some people would, you know, be asked to enter counseling. Some people would be banned from, say, going to raves, if that's where they were doing their drugs; or banned from attending certain concerts or bars, if that's where they were doing drugs. And, you know, this is very controversial, even in Portugal, as you can imagine."
Do you really want the government telling you you can't go to a concert or rave?
I would really like to see the long-term numbers for Portugal. I predict they will be bankrupt within 15 years.
"I won't argue the premise but surely you would agree that a backed up court system beats DEA agents getting their heads blown off on a regular basis"
They still get their heads blown off for things like Vicodin (a legal form of heroin), so how will legalizing all drugs be any different?
"Take a look at Portugal - treating addiction like the health issue it is works and it's cheaper."
I looked, and I'm not surprised by the results:
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/20/133086356/Mixed-Results-For-Po...
"Today, more users are in rehab, but drug use is on the rise, and reporter Keith O'Brien says the policy has made the problem worse."
"personal drug use over the course of their lifetime has gone up about 40 to 50 percent in the last decade."
Drug use is actually up...because there is no legal risk.
More from the article:
"They would meet with the person who had been picked up in possession of whatever drug it was and discuss the issue. These CDTs would then hand down various, sort of, not punishments, but treatments. Some people would, you know, be asked to enter counseling. Some people would be banned from, say, going to raves, if that's where they were doing their drugs; or banned from attending certain concerts or bars, if that's where they were doing drugs. And, you know, this is very controversial, even in Portugal, as you can imagine."
Do you really want the government telling you you can't go to a concert or rave?
I would really like to see the long-term numbers for Portugal. I predict they will be bankrupt within 15 years.
"I won't argue the premise but surely you would agree that a backed up court system beats DEA agents getting their heads blown off on a regular basis"
They still get their heads blown off for things like Vicodin (a legal form of heroin), so how will legalizing all drugs be any different?
"Take a look at Portugal - treating addiction like the health issue it is works and it's cheaper."