8 ms·
Driving drunk is illegal because you're likely to kill someone, and then it'll be too late to say "let's just prosecute the crime of manslaughter, and not preve
by toomim 3y ago
Driving drunk is illegal because you're likely to kill someone, and then it'll be too late to say "let's just prosecute the crime of manslaughter, and not prevent future manslaughters by prosecuting drunkenness in the car."
In the same way, we should make it illegal to do drugs in situations where you are likely to cause irreparable harm.
If we legalize drugs, let's create safe situations to do so. Many drugs are being legalized under the supervision of a doctor. We could also allow drug use within a safe space where you can't OD, and where you won't leave needles on the ground for kids to step on.
- darth_avocado 3y agoLegalization and decriminalization are two different things. I am all for decriminalizing. From a personal viewpoint, I don’t think drugs should be legalized. And as far as the legal administration etc., that already exists in SF and it has had a poor track record of helping people.
- JoeJonathan 3y agoDecriminalizing drugs doesn’t fix the supply problem, which makes drug use such a budensome expense that there are all kinds of knock on effects (theft, poverty, etc). Someone commented on how rich people don’t see drug use, but sure they do. Aside from the fact that most everyone here is pretty rich and complaining about addicts, I come from an upper middle class suburb with a ton of addicts. Lots of people I went to school with died of overdosed. But it’s not immediately visible because people’s families reluctantly take them in, they generally have enough money for drugs, etc. Not arguing for outright legalization—while I once did, I now think it’s naive. And I’m not sure we could pull off a Portugal style system in the US. But descriminalizariam doesn’t seem to be working that well.
- darth_avocado 3y agoWhich is why I argue: > Therefore, treatment should be much more easily be available and it should be much easier to have an intervention. If drugs become burdensome enough that you have to commit crimes to feed your habit, then maybe the society should be able to intervene and help? If I have a drinking problem that I need to steal money for, the solution shouldn’t be cheaper alcohol, but a way for me to stop drinking. Same applies for drugs. Part of the reason why families support (reluctantly) drug habits is because getting help is often not easy or cheap.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- whiddershins 3y agoLegalization addresses the 100,000 overdose deaths a year. Legalization bankrupts criminal organizations. Legalization creates tax revenue. Refusing to prosecute antisocial behavior is the problem.
- FormerBandmate 3y agoFor PCP that’s basically everything. For weed that’s basically nothing (although you shouldn’t drive high)
- samketchup 3y agoMore people are killed on the road in accidents caused by elderly folks than drunk drivers. I know this sounds insane, but drunk driving should be no harm no foul.
- jakear 3y agoIn some sense, it is. Barring random sobriety checkpoints (which are generally avoidable).
- pests 3y agoWe don't have checkpoints where I live near Detroit. Are these really a thing? I've seen them in movies and TV but never experienced it.
- jakear 3y agoI've seen a handful in CA. Usually they're visible from a large distance, given the flashing lights and traffic backup. Sometimes they'll even have signs up a few blocks in advance warning about the upcoming stop.
- cardiffspaceman 3y agoI used to commute in a red sports car at midnight, and my direct path to the freeway and home was regularly blocked by a checkpoint. The officer started to instruct me on being checked, and I whined that I was tired, and he waved me by. Town was notorious for interfering with traffic with their checkpoints and speed enforcement. Sometimes checkpoints were disclosed on radio. Looking back it’s amazing they didn’t cite me for my confessed exhaustion. Also this was a long time ago so YMMV.
- samketchup 3y agoArizona has very aggressive checkpoints by the lakes and rivers during the holiday's
- FredPret 3y agoThere’s no safe way to consume a substance that rewires your lizard brain to seek more of it
- amanaplanacanal 3y agoYet somehow most people are not alcoholics. So evidently it can be done.
- fooker 3y agoAs long as your current economic/geopolitical situation is favorable, sure. Up to a third of the population of some of the east European countries are alcoholics. I'm not saying bans are the solution, but ignoring problems just because you aren't affected isn't a great idea either.
- cpursley 3y agoAny sources for the 1/3rd claim?
- chpatrick 3y agoNot 1/3 but 1/5 of Hungarians have a drinking problem: https://dailynewshungary.com/hungary-has-the-highest-rates-of-alcoholism-in-europe/ https://dailynewshungary.com/hungary-has-the-highest-rates-o...
- fooker 3y agoBelarus - male population. I expect it's worse in Russia, but there's not much in reliable stats. https://www.statista.com/statistics/972561/belarus-alcoholism-prevalence-by-gender-and-type/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/972561/belarus-alcoholis...
- cpursley 3y agoYou suspect that only because of the heavy anti-Russian sentiment going around right now (leading to a negative bias without fact checking). Alcohol consumption is down significantly there and has been on the decline. They’re not even in the top 15 countries who consume the most: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/01/russian-alcohol-consumption-down-40-since-2003-who https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/01/russian-alcoho... https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/alcohol-consumption-by-country https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/alcohol-c...