3 ms·

I'm in the PDX area and am well aware of the problem. I agree on the involuntary institutionalization (both on the need and the fact that current treatment pla

I'm in the PDX area and am well aware of the problem. I agree on the involuntary institutionalization (both on the need and the fact that current treatment plans aren't working). When we talk about addicts in the area, we're pretty much talking about the homeless population. I've yet to see any census of sorts, but I'd wager that a significant portion of the homeless population is mentally ill. That also need to be revisited in the context of involuntary institutionalization. As far as opioids and meth go, making them illegal has been an abject failure. Let the addicts have their drugs (a la methadone clinics) but minimize the the dangers as well as the organized crime that thrives on their criminality.

UncleOxidant 3y ago
> As far as opioids and meth go, making them illegal has been an abject failure Because the emphasis has been on punishment not on treatment as a health problem. They have to be illegal if you want to be able to involuntarily hospitalize the users. Dealers of the addictive drugs should be punished (if they're not users and thus not addicted - if they're dealer/users they need to go through treatment first, punishment later if they continue to deal). If you live in the PDX area I don't need to tell you that our current system which relies on voluntarily submitting to treatment isn't working. Yes, mental illness plays a part, but in many cases it's tough to tell which came first: the mental illness or the drug use - the drug use makes the mental illness worse and the mental illness often leads to more drug use.
- naasking 3y ago
  > They have to be illegal if you want to be able to involuntarily hospitalize the users. That's not true. People are confined all the time for being a danger to themselves or others, even if they're not using drugs.
  - UncleOxidant 3y ago
    Sure, but that's a lot harder to do. Making it illegal and making the penalty treatment would probably be a lot easier.
    - naasking 3y ago
      What's right and what's convenient don't always align.

UncleOxidant 3y ago

> As far as opioids and meth go, making them illegal has been an abject failure Because the emphasis has been on punishment not on treatment as a health problem. They have to be illegal if you want to be able to involuntarily hospitalize the users. Dealers of the addictive drugs should be punished (if they're not users and thus not addicted - if they're dealer/users they need to go through treatment first, punishment later if they continue to deal). If you live in the PDX area I don't need to tell you that our current system which relies on voluntarily submitting to treatment isn't working. Yes, mental illness plays a part, but in many cases it's tough to tell which came first: the mental illness or the drug use - the drug use makes the mental illness worse and the mental illness often leads to more drug use.

naasking 3y ago
> They have to be illegal if you want to be able to involuntarily hospitalize the users. That's not true. People are confined all the time for being a danger to themselves or others, even if they're not using drugs.
- UncleOxidant 3y ago
  Sure, but that's a lot harder to do. Making it illegal and making the penalty treatment would probably be a lot easier.
  - naasking 3y ago
    What's right and what's convenient don't always align.