Getting Addicts off the street

[Bardan the Slayer]

Selling drugs is a crime, and should be treated as such - sternly.

Drug addiction is a disease, and should be treated as such - with compassion.

And on the methadone subject, although I have a lack of data at the moment, I have heard anecdotal reports from addicts that methadone addiction is more harmful and more severe than heroin addiction.

Recent research has suggested that addiction is genetic - that some of us have addiction personalities, and some of us don't. This is why some people can smoke for 20 years, then quit cold turkey (exhibit A - my brother), and never touch another cigarette. It is also why some people can dabble in drugs for decades, and quit. Others, however, are 'hooked' after only one or two hits.

If this is indeed true, it does seem quite inhuman to excecute people for having a genetic weakness.

Some people are genetically prone to heart disease. After 3 heart-related medical events, we don't excecute them for being a drain on society. I don't see why the same shouldn't be true of addicts.

[ 03-13-2003, 04:05 PM: Message edited by: Bardan the Slayer ]

[Timber Loftis]

I didn't vote. Just legalize the damn things and let natural selection run its course. No support system for addicts, but no punishment system. We as a society have no duty to stop people from ruining their own lives - that's freedom.

And, on a related note, it's stupid to make suicide illegal.

[Bardan the Slayer]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: And, on a related note, it's stupid to make suicide illegal.

Attempted suicide was a felony in the UK until 1961. However, aiding or abetting suicide is still a felony, and can result in 14 years imprisonment. A bit off topic, I know, but it was mentioned.