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Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs (2016)

washingtonpost.com

11–20 of 377 posts

Re: Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs (2016)

#11

As Chomsky said, the way to deal with drug abuse is through education and treatment. That’s how we successfully reduced smoking, drinking coffee and other unhealthy habits in the USA. Not by throwing people in jail.

Drinking coffee is unhealthy? You sure about that? > Studies have shown that coffee may have health benefits, including protecting against Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and liver disease, including liver cancer. Coffee also appears to improve cognitive function and decrease the risk of depression. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-he...

Don't tell any of that to a mormon... (I can say as an almost ex-mormon - out in mind/spirit if not officially).

Re: Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs (2016)

#12
post #7

And not just recreational drugs. All drugs. We trust people to manage their own life, this includes medicine. Maybe insurance won't pay for it without a Dr, but if someone wants to self pay, that's their choice.

There are lots of reasons to keep many drugs available as prescription-only. Misuse of antibiotics affects everyone, not just the person taking them. Plus, drug interactions are hard even for professionals to manage. I don't think it's a good idea to let people self-prescribe prescription drugs for themselves and others (like their children).

I agree, but if someone somehow gets a hold of drugs--and puts it in their body they shouldn't go to jail for that... putting substances in one's own body doesn't necessarily hurt others--unless they become violent as a result - but until they commit some violent crime hopped up on meth -- innocent till guilty of a violent crime.

Morality and what not should not be forced on people. And most people with drug dependency issue deserve to be in hospitals NOT prisons.

Let's have some compassion as a society instead of fueling the drug -> prison -> poverty because dad-in-jail/single-mom-as-a-result cycle that's so prevalent in the lower class.

Re: Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs (2016)

#14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are lots of reasons to keep many drugs available as prescription-only. Misuse of antibiotics affects everyone, not just the person taking them. Plus, drug interactions are hard even for professionals to manage. I don't think it's a good idea to let people self-prescribe prescription drugs for themselves and others (like their children).

I agree, but if someone somehow gets a hold of drugs--and puts it in their body they shouldn't go to jail for that... putting substances in one's own body doesn't necessarily hurt others--unless they become violent as a result - but until they commit some violent crime hopped up on meth -- innocent till guilty of a violent crime. Morality and what not should not be forced on people. And most people with drug dependen…

Problem is, if there's anyplace more expensive to keep a person than in prison, it's probably in a hospital. Doctors and nurses make a lot more money than guards (and a hospital treating drug addicts will need guards too).

Re: Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs (2016)

#15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are lots of reasons to keep many drugs available as prescription-only. Misuse of antibiotics affects everyone, not just the person taking them. Plus, drug interactions are hard even for professionals to manage. I don't think it's a good idea to let people self-prescribe prescription drugs for themselves and others (like their children).

I agree, but if someone somehow gets a hold of drugs--and puts it in their body they shouldn't go to jail for that... putting substances in one's own body doesn't necessarily hurt others--unless they become violent as a result - but until they commit some violent crime hopped up on meth -- innocent till guilty of a violent crime. Morality and what not should not be forced on people. And most people with drug dependen…

You might be able to make the argument that someone who abuses antibiotics to the point of turning themselves into a walking incubator of drug-resistant bacteria does pose some risk to the general public.

There should be a good middle ground here: one where people have access to drugs, but there's some accountability (or at least a speed bump) to prevent people from causing harm to themselves or others.

I think we all agree that dishing out jail time for getting high doesn't work.

Re: Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs (2016)

#16
post #4
post #2

Paywall?

There's a workaround via Facebook: here's an example of its use: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15270969

A clickable one for this one would then be:

http://facebook.com/l.php?u=https://www.washingtonpost.com/n...

Re: Top medical experts say we should decriminalize all drugs (2016)

#20
post #7

And not just recreational drugs. All drugs. We trust people to manage their own life, this includes medicine. Maybe insurance won't pay for it without a Dr, but if someone wants to self pay, that's their choice.

There's a whole class of drugs guaranteed to kill your child during pregnancy, and another where the interactions may seriously harm the child. Another where two relatively harmless drugs, when interacting, can produce the previous results.

It isn't acceptable to just put the risk on the average, uneducated person, who is easily swayed by the way media portrays something. We have experts for a reason, which is to guide us in what choices are safest, or "best" in the current circumstances they face.

Here's a little example, which is fairly common:

Alice has borderline personality disorder. Most people don't notice, she just seems to be rather outgoing, and prone to depression and anger. Alice isn't sure she has it.

Bill, Alice's husband, convinces her to go to therapy, where the psychologist practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (as CBT is the only government-approved therapy), which has no affect.

Alice's psychiatrist puts her on quetiapine.

The amount is strongly controlled, because an overdose is very likely to be lethal, and one of it's known side-effects is suicidal ideation.

She gains 10kg in a month, and her mood is barely affected, but people feel more comfortable around her. The weight gain depresses her.

The psychiatrist moves her to lithium.

Alice finds she can live a normal life, and no one notices her being outrageous anymore.

Alice and Bill decide to have a child.

Here's the hard part of "best": lithium is class D for pregnancy.

It's probably the best medication for Alice though, who has demonstrated she is fully capable of being a normal and productive member of society.

The same problems will continue if Alice chooses to breastfeed, which is best for the baby, so long as they are careful around medications.

---

Neither Alice nor Bill are remotely qualified to determine what will, or will not, harm a child.

> We trust people to manage their own life

No, we don't.

We create laws, and regulations, to guide people into making safe choices.

Seatbelts are every bit as useful as a prescription.

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