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> Are you claiming that choosing to indulge in drugs that you know are addictive and potentially lethal is without a moral dimension? There is usually very lit

by tcj_phx 10y ago

> Are you claiming that choosing to indulge in drugs that you know are addictive and potentially lethal is without a moral dimension? There is usually very little to the "choice" that addicts once made. My girlfriend was injected with meth amphetamine when she was 11 (by an "angry" 14 year old). That experience solidly messed up her brain chemistry, and no one knew how to help her. Her doctor used Depot Provera to chemically castrate her at around age 19-20. This likely made her suicidal, as is frequently the case [1]. Should my girlfriend be punished for her doctors inability to help her? [1] http://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/looking-beyond-condoms-for-male-contraception/ http://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/looking-beyond-condoms... - caller at 8min30sec was similarly made "manic and suicidal" with Depot Provera. She overdosed on me a year ago, likely because of the benzodiazepines that the mental hospital got her hooked on (she thought heroin would get her through benzo withdrawal, but really each amplifies the other's effect). I called 911, they did their job, and the police decided they didn't need to make the situation worse. Here's the link to my comment from 13 days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13846763 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13846763

duncan_bayne 10y ago
That's a tragic story - and no, your girlfriend doesn't deserve to be punished. In case I wasn't clear about it, I think that the production, distribution and consumption of drugs should be legal. Not only is it none of anyone else's business, there's solid evidence that legalisation helps efforts to minimise harm. But in the case of people who make an informed, consensual decision to take drugs (and again, to be clear, it sounds like neither was the case for your girlfriend) there is clearly a moral dimension to the decision.
- mercer 10y ago
  The problem is that 'informed' and 'consensual' are not as clear as they might seem to be. How does one judged whether another person was properly informed and whether the act was sufficiently consensual?
  - duncan_bayne 10y ago
    Often, that's very hard. But it doesn't matter for the most part. Perhaps you're confusing with my claim that choosing to use drugs has a moral element, with some sort of moral censure on my part? I'm with Scott Adams on this: you should be free to kill yourself at any rate of your own choosing, provided your cold dead body isn't blocking my driveway in the morning. People should be perfectly free to act immorally, provided they're not violating the rights of others.

by tcj_phx 10y ago

duncan_bayne 10y ago

That's a tragic story - and no, your girlfriend doesn't deserve to be punished. In case I wasn't clear about it, I think that the production, distribution and consumption of drugs should be legal. Not only is it none of anyone else's business, there's solid evidence that legalisation helps efforts to minimise harm. But in the case of people who make an informed, consensual decision to take drugs (and again, to be clear, it sounds like neither was the case for your girlfriend) there is clearly a moral dimension to the decision.

mercer 10y ago
The problem is that 'informed' and 'consensual' are not as clear as they might seem to be. How does one judged whether another person was properly informed and whether the act was sufficiently consensual?
- duncan_bayne 10y ago
  Often, that's very hard. But it doesn't matter for the most part. Perhaps you're confusing with my claim that choosing to use drugs has a moral element, with some sort of moral censure on my part? I'm with Scott Adams on this: you should be free to kill yourself at any rate of your own choosing, provided your cold dead body isn't blocking my driveway in the morning. People should be perfectly free to act immorally, provided they're not violating the rights of others.