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Come on, its not like I rob my mother to have another IPA. But the crack cocaine problem in Brazil on the other hand... the drug does seem to make people "crazy
by swah 13y ago
Come on, its not like I rob my mother to have another IPA. But the crack cocaine problem in Brazil on the other hand... the drug does seem to make people "crazy" quickly (or its all a media play).
- Nursie 13y agoSome people do though, alcohol addiction is a real problem for some people, and booze kills quite a lot of folks. You're right, though, crack and some others seem to have horrific addiction profiles and I've even heard of Brazilian drug-lords forbidding its sale in their territory because it destroys any sort of community stability and kills the market. I do wonder if many people would bother getting started with crack if other drugs were open to them. I also think that if there wasn't the criminal stigma we could help more of them, sooner. There's no perfect solution, but what we have isn't working.
- lewaldman 13y agoI really believe that the solution to the crack problem would be to provide, for free, crack to crack addicts on controled environment, with controled doses, with a medical staff ready to act in case an emergency, and with the added option to get treatment. I know it will sound a little bit... hmmm... not-what-a-good-guy-would-say but, with this kind of policy in 10 years most of addicts would be dead, dying or getting treatment. It's a darwin-aware policy that would remove the main problems with crack: Drug traffic and crazy killer zombies on the streets.
- Nursie 13y ago>> I know it will sound a little bit... hmmm... not-what-a-good-guy-would-say but, with this kind of policy in 10 years most of addicts would be dead, dying or getting treatment. Unsure. People say this stuff about heroin addicts too, but the truth with them is that, when provided with the sort of service you're talking about, they tend to be able to live normal-ish lives and a reasonable proportion eventually kick the habit. I get the impression that crack (even medically pure) is way more damaging to the body though, so you might (sadly) be right. At least there would be less crime to fund the habit, and we could get help to more of them.
- gnaritas 13y agoAnd it's still be cheaper and less harmful than the current prison industrial complex/police state.
- diydsp 13y agoI believe the real answer to all drug problems is to run the world in a way that is bearable and interesting without the effects of drugs being necessary. If crack addicts had water slides and massages, would crack still be interesting? Mainly crack seems to be an escape hatch from the brutal realities of incomplete urban life. Putting a water slide on every block and other nice things is easier said than done, I know. But we can start making the world into the kind of place where crack isn't attractive and we can do it cheaply with inexpensive and free activities like singing, dancing, story-telling, campfires, etc. I know, I sound like a fucking boy scout troop leader, but this kind of wholesome stuff can be good for us, doesn't depend on corporate culture and is likely what out bodies and minds evolved to perform well. We don't have to criminalize drugs, just make better things for people to do.
- Karunamon 13y agoAltering your consciousness on such a macro level is fun. Thing is, you can't for certain say why someone is using some substance (excepting addiction, naturally). Some people as an escape from a less-than-great life, some people for fun, others for spiritual/religious reasons, some for just straight up curiosity. Almost the same profile as any other enjoyable activity. I don't think it's a matter of making better things for people to do.. partly because in some cases no such thing exists. For instance, I challenge you to find any "non-altered" experience that can measure up to the reality-bending, introspective powers of chemicals like LSD or psilocybin, the compounds in peyote, and so on.
- AndrewDucker 13y agoCocaine, if provided at pharmacies, at near-production cost, would be so cheap that you wouldn't need to rob anyone to pay for it.
- GFischer 13y agoA lot of people steal to pay for their alcohol and tobacco addictions. My girlfriend works at the state youth detention program (INAU) and she sees a lot of those. But yes, crack cocaine and "pasta base" here ( cocaine paste - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_paste http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_paste ) does generate severe mental problems really quickly (she sees those everyday).
- sanoli 13y agoWell, the biggest problem for me, as a brazilian, is that the illegal drugs trade here allows the drug lords to have so much wealth to be able to corrupt so many people (police, judges, politicians) and afford so many weapons (military assault weapons, grenades, RPGs -- yes, they have been known to down a police helicopter or two). This far outweighs the problem of having a minority of people getting addicted to crack. Let's use this money to treat them.
- wldlyinaccurate 13y agoWhy are you comparing crack cocaine to cannabis?
- phaer 13y agoMaybe because both are currently illegal in most (cocaine in all?) countries on this planet? And cannabis legalization can and should be a first step towards a legalization of all drugs, because prohibition creates more problems than it solves.
- jonknee 13y agoQuite a number of people steal either alcohol directly or something to trade for alcohol. It's just a lot cheaper than street drugs so you don't have to steal as much.
- DanBC 13y agoYou treat cocaine addiction as the health problem it is, not as a crime problem. This means spending money where it does more good.
- WettowelReactor 13y agoNo dispute about the harmful effects of hard drugs. The question is whether the current model of criminalization is effective at handling those issues.