> I really don't think you have any conception of how destructive opiate addictions are over the medium to long term. The destruction is a direct result of pro

> I really don't think you have any conception of how destructive opiate addictions are over the medium to long term. The destruction is a direct result of prohibition, it is not inherent in the drug. People can and do take opiates long-term with little harm. > But in Australia we have jacked up the price of cigarettes to act as a disincentive as well. Yes, but not to the level that people have to prostitute themselves or rob others to get their fix. I didn't say it had to be dirt cheap, just cheap enough to sustain an addiction without turning to crime or selling one's house. > An opiate is a drug of abuse and a restricted drug for a reason, and that reason should never be the recreational consumption. I also didn't say it should be sold like candy to anybody at the corner store. But cutting somebody off who is already addicted like they do in the US is what ruins lives, not the pills.