Drugs

[Illyricum]

Is it alright to take illegal drugs? Should all drugs be made legal?

[fried beef sandwich]

Uh.... that's pretty broad. Do you have a specific drug in mind, like Marijuana?

[Corvus]

Is it alright to take illegal drugs?

Certainly, if it does no harm to you or causes no harm to others, for this is the reason they were made illegal in the first place. But there are few drugs that quite meet this standard.

Should all drugs be made legal?

No. But most tests on marijuana show it causes no long term damage and is far, far less dangerous than alcohol. In all honesty and fairness, alcohol should be made illegal and marijuana legalised, but that won't happen. It would take a massive change in culture before that ever happened. Besides, I like alcohol and can drink it responsibly.

[mrmufin]

Is it alright to take illegal drugs?

That depends on the circumstances. I certainly don't want someone driving the school bus, working in air traffic control, performing surgery, or participating in some other mission-critical task while they're intoxicated. Some folks are already dangerously dumb when they're sober...

On the other hand, if you're sitting safely at home on the sofa, I really couldn't give a rat's wrinkled rectum if you had a handful of 'ludes and a coupla belts of scotch for dinner. It's your body and your life; screw it up all you want.

Should all drugs be made legal?

Yes.

The fundamental reasoning behind my affirmative answer is that I am entitled to and responsible for my own body. That entitlement, I fully believe, includes the right to indulge in high risk activities such as bungee jumping, walking barefoot across cut glass, having heroin for breakfast, etc. In short, my right to my own body includes the right to do stupid things.

As Corvus points out, and I wholeheartedly concur, some of the drugs that are currently illegal (at least here in the US) are not nearly as dangerous as other legal substances, such as alcohol and tobacco. Unlike Corvus, however, I don't think that alcohol (or tobacco) should be made illegal. Nobody has been able to convince me that the few hits of illegal marijuana that I occassionally enjoy after work is anywhere near as dangerous to my long-term well being as the pack or so of legal cigarettes that I smoke each day.

I also think that employers should maintain pre-employment drug screenings --as well as random screenings-- for persons who work in any type of mission critical position, regardless of the legal status of certain substances. Consumers have a rightful expectation to be transported, treated, etc. by individuals whose perceptions and response times are not impacted by mind altering substances.

Further, criminalization of some drugs has a wealth of negative consequences such as dramatically increased prison populations, a huge underground economy, and the undermining of fundamental civil rights such as unwarranted search and siezure and pretrial property confiscation. Keeping certain drugs illegal appears to do little which actually prevents people from using drugs while making the black market an ugly --and often violent-- place to do business (kinda like the alcohol trade during prohibition). Additionally, those with severe addictions may be reluctant to seek valuable treatment for fear of arrest.

Regards,
mrmufin

[Native American]

I dont thinks drugs are bad, or "wrong". Some people release themselves in different ways, and if thats the way they choose to do so, then so be it. I fail to see how you should be punished (or awarded for that manner) for doing drugs and miscellaneous, unless you do drugs, and like run off and kill/ rape someone...thats kind of messed up, but a different subject none the less.

[BeHereNow]

We need to outlaw running! Those endomorphine drug addicts wouldn't be able to get their fix!

[chrispalasz]

Illyricum wrote:

Is it alright to take illegal drugs? Should all drugs be made legal?

It is not alright to take illegal drugs because they're illegal and you would be breaking the law! 8)

I think I'll say "no" to the second one. There are too many drugs that are extremely harmful. It is obvious that taking certain drugs will inevitably lead to harming others and having negative effects on other people's lives.

As a Christian, I myself choose not to take any drugs to the point that they would alter my state of mind and good judgement. I choose to remain sober, in that respect, and under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

mrmuffin wrote:

It's your body and your life; screw it up all you want.

Maybe you disagree, but I believe that our actions always effect others, no matter what we'd like to believe. How many people could take the most damaging drugs known and not do any harm to others? I'd say the number is extremely small.

BeHereNow wrote:

We need to outlaw running! Those endomorphine drug addicts wouldn't be able to get their fix!

Funny. Good point. [/b]