Global Commission finds War on Drugs total failure

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/06/02/drug-war-report.html

Everyone knows the War On Drugs is stupid, harmful to human rights and civil liberties, costly and downright pointless.

Of course, despite everybody knowing, nobody will do anything about it... Not until a whole generation of old social cons dies. And they're taking far, far, far too long to do it.

Not to mention the effect it's had on the prison system. Our prisons are packed because we go after symptoms, the users, and not the disease, the dealers.

The War on Drugs is unfortunately something that won't likely end any time soon in the U.S., as with our current political climate any lawmaker who attempts it will be demonized as being "pro-drug use" by the opposing party.

What's the point of the war on drugs anyway? Another arbitrary target politicians can bat around at to make them look like tough shit?

It's to reassure old conservatives that they're dealing with those uppity, depraved youngsters and their vices.

Old people shouldn't be allowed to vote: Then we wouldn't have to deal with authoritarian, socially conservative crap.

It's to stop people from doing something that they perceive to be damaging to society.

" 'Drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated,' Office of National Drug Control Policy spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said. 'Making drugs more available — as this report suggests — will make it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe.'

That office cites statistics showing declines in U.S. drug use compared to 30 years ago, along with a more recent 46 per cent drop in current cocaine use among young adults over the last five years."

Well on that, I don't trust their numbers because they made it up themselves. This is a Global Commission that finds drug use has increased over the same time period, one with UN officials. I believe them over the United States government that doesn't even have a statistics agency.

As noted in the same article

edited 2nd Jun '11 8:27:13 AM by breadloaf

Worldwide statistics =/= US statistics. And if the United States' policies are so ebil compared to more permissive states, why is US drug use going down while worldwide drug use is going up?

I wonder if they're counting former drug-users in prison. Throwing a large segment of society into prison is ONE way to solve a problem, but it leads to other problems in turn....

Wanderhome: It's a lie.

Cocaine use has gone down fourty-seven per cent, because the hot shit is opiates and meth now, and weed is considered only slightly more hardcore than cigarettes.

Cocaine was the drug of the current gen's forefathers. There's no wonder its use has gone down. Overall drug use, however, is definitely going up.

This is not a bad thing.

Also, why is America the centre of the goddamn universe now?

edited 2nd Jun '11 8:48:12 AM by Diamonnes

True but read the statistic more closely. One says it's down from "thirty years ago". The UN statistics are for the time period of the "War on Drugs". I think that is telling. Also as stated above, the types of drugs used changes every 10 years or so. So you have to look at total drug use, not just one type and pat yourself on the back, while addicts are still just as high.

Besides, I think it rather insane that the United States has more people in jail than China.

edited 2nd Jun '11 8:48:20 AM by breadloaf

At least we're not making them gold farm? <.<

No, I think people really belive it is working despite evidence to the contrary.

Anyway, nothing new under the sun, as said. harsher policies usually just drive prices up, creating more incentives for dealers and traffickers.

I think that most politicians know that the War on Drugs is a stupid idea by now. The problem is that if you say it, your opponents will tear you a new one with some "think of the children" rhetorics.

edited 2nd Jun '11 9:25:45 AM by Carciofus

The war on Drugs does seem out of proportion.

This article in The Lancet shows the harm caused to others and harm to self rating for a wide range of drugs (alcohol and tobacco included) and if you look at the figure 2 graph you can clearly see that the harm of certain drugs is very low especially compared with alcohol.

I'd be cool with legalizing marijuana and coke but shooting meth and heroine users in the face.

I can't really find any reason to do anything but discourage meth and heroine. I don't remember the last time stoners broke into someones house to sell shit for weed money, and I live in the most pro-stoner state of the union where it's practically legal to buy.

Heroin was rated the second most harmful drug (In combination of both self harm and to others) however meth (are we talking methadone here?) was lower than cannabis by a fair bit.

A tightly regulated industry would probably do wonders for lowering drug related crime if certain drugs were legalised.

edited 2nd Jun '11 9:38:15 AM by IanExMachina

No, methamphetamine. The shit that makes your teeth fall out and your age appear about 30 years older than what you actually are. Fucking methheads.

edited 2nd Jun '11 9:38:29 AM by Barkey

I am so well versed in my illegal drugs :/

Ah yeah I see that meths, yeah that is one of the highest, so most of the highest should probably be illegal due to the harm they cause. Alcohol is the most harmful on the list. (Also the variables for harm are not based upon pure numbers of users as you can see in the evaluation criteria part of the paper. So it is not the widespread use that puts alcohol at the top.)

I'm with Barkey on this. We should be helping the symptom of the problem; the users, they are victims, and going after the dealers.

I dont think Coke should be legal though, Cannabis? Hell yeah, shit's less harmful than cigs. Coke is too powerful if you ask me though.

I just can't find a whole lot of sympathy for drug users past the casual stoner. You knew it was illegal, you knew how massively fucking harmful the stuff is, and you're doing it anyway. You got caught and got arrested, it's your own fucking fault.

Bunch of lazy pieces of shit who did something and end up bitching when they get caught despite knowing the consequences of their actions. I consider the harder drugs like heroine and meth to be drugs that need to be illegal because they effect non-users. Crackheads will steal your shit, break into your home, or kill you, in a heartbeat.

I agree 100% they can be dangerous but if they are simply drug addicts who have not actually done that (or at least not inflicted any real harm) then I think they deserve help more than they do punishment.

They probably did know but people often turn to drugs in signs of desperation. I dont know, I just figured it would lower our prison population problem while helping out those who need it instead of just slamming them in jail and going "oh well, enjoy your withdrawl"

edited 2nd Jun '11 9:57:32 AM by Thorn14

Alcohol hass adverse effects on the surroundings of th users, but we saw waht happened the last time people tried to ban it.

And actaully, decriminalizing heroin should be on the forefront of the new drug policy, because getting the addicts on clean needles will hinder spread of AIDS, and getting them on government dope will cut one of the main sources of income for criminals in Afghanistan and the Golden Triangle. That, and oonce you reel them in with free needles and reliable fixes, you can start getting them on rehab.