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In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

nytimes.com

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Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#11

Post by allana »

sprafa wrote: post #2

So same as Portugal has been doing for decades - decriminalise small use and treat it as a public health problem instead of making average citizens into criminals. Portugal has a lot of bad things to it, but having no war on drugs has made it into one of the most peaceful countries on earth. And marijuana usage is pretty low, Last I checked. Why? Probably because it’s not a special thing. I’ve always pondered why the…

Washington State is one of the heaviest users of legal marijuana: https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nation-and-world/sewage-t...

I doubt we will ever reach Portugal's low levels of use, but people can lead happy & productive lives while having chemical dependencies.

The UK's war on drugs and party culture surrounding ket and others is kinda sad to watch :c

Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#12

Post by koolba »

> “You’ve got a guy shooting heroin on the street, and the cop is supposed to say, ‘You O.K.?’” grumbled one law enforcement officer in Seattle. (In fact, an officer would typically confiscate the heroin, admonish the user and move on.) Some residents worry that when the city ignores its own laws on the books and tolerates people openly abusing narcotics, it takes a step toward incivility that will eventually result in chaos and crime. There’s also a legitimate argument that the threat of prison is sometimes necessary to motivate users to participate in treatment programs.

What non-drug user would want to live in a town where someone shooting heroin in public is not removed from the street? I know I wouldn't.

I'm not saying lock em up and throw away the key but you can't just move on and pretend nothing happened. If you're going to provide treatment in lieu of jail time then it needs to mandatory.

Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#14

Post by taurath »

dymk wrote: post #7

I am just astounded that this is being spun in such a positive light. It absolutely has had a negative impact on public safety here. They're offered public services, and they refuse them, because many of our "tiny villages" have no-drug-use policies, which they will not abide by. My city has one of the worst problems with repeat violent drug addicts in the nation (perhaps aside from the Bay) and yet we refuse to jail…

Do you have any statistics to back that up (violence rate)? I don’t feel like anecdotes make for good conversation here.

Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#15

Post by nostromo »

... this is probably news to people actually living in Seattle. (Edit: the title was originally, "Seattle Has Figured Out How to End the War on Drugs")

A place where meth heads attack people with pitchforks in the street a few days after being released from prison on a suspended sentence.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/man-accused-...

Not to mention our random piles of used syringes, which are often found in parks where kids play.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/more-than-3...

Here's a syringe pile after cleaning up a homeless camp north of Seattle:

https://2qibqm39xjt6q46gf1rwo2g1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-...

I'm all for decriminalization, but Seattle's current approach is to decriminalize not only drugs, but a host of other actual crimes, like public intoxication, public camping, shop lifting, harassment, etc.

Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#16

Post by vkou »

dymk wrote: post #7

I am just astounded that this is being spun in such a positive light. It absolutely has had a negative impact on public safety here. They're offered public services, and they refuse them, because many of our "tiny villages" have no-drug-use policies, which they will not abide by. My city has one of the worst problems with repeat violent drug addicts in the nation (perhaps aside from the Bay) and yet we refuse to jail…

What about all the people who aren't running around with pitchforks who have been diverted out of the addiction to prison pipeline?

Would you rather be paying $100,000+ a year/person to judge and jail them for the crime of being addicted while poor? (I've yet to see people entering that pipeline for the crime of being addicted while rich.)

Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#17

Post by just_lurkin »

The reporters designation of "figured out" seems to stem more from the fact that the solution fits his own view than any actual real evidence. There is mention of the difficulties such lax policies has brought to the city, but they are waved away as being "growing pains" toward a new utopia.

I can't say, living here, that I feel that the problem is solved. I view the needles outside my apartment as evidence to the contrary - though I suppose I'm an ignoramus for thinking that.

Simply strolling through Pioneer Square or most parts of International District paints a significantly different picture. One can dine at a Chinese place on Jackson and look out their window and see junkies peddling stolen goods at the bus stop. The non-enforcement of so-called "petty crime" used to fund drug addictions is egregious and continues to undermine the already little sense of community there is in this city of transients.

What I'm trying to say is that while I appreciate the difference in approach from the traditional one, I do believe that there needs to be an honest discussion about the limits of rehabilitation. More research on the subject, as it relates to Seattle, shows that there are many, many, people who take advantage of these lax policies to abuse the system, hurting others who actually need help.

Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#18

Post by allana »

taurath wrote: post #4

Interesting take on the situation - one key difference is I don’t feel any less safe now than 10 years ago walking around. I DO see more “open” use, and people walking around obviously on something, especially by the homeless (which makes sense even if they’re not using at a higher level). I don’t see the social services much though. IMO they could use more visibility. The prevailing opinion seems like we do “nothing…

We don't have sufficent funding of social services to provide navigation teams and counselors to all of the visibly homeless (those you see on the street), never mind the thousands living in their cars in Seattle (the invisible homeless).

Seattle is doing what it can, but we need state and federal action to go further. We can't single handedly solve the severe wealth stratification that is worsening day by day :c

Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#19

Post by psychometry »

just_lurkin wrote: post #17

The reporters designation of "figured out" seems to stem more from the fact that the solution fits his own view than any actual real evidence. There is mention of the difficulties such lax policies has brought to the city, but they are waved away as being "growing pains" toward a new utopia. I can't say, living here, that I feel that the problem is solved. I view the needles outside my apartment as evidence to the co…

Supervised consumption sites would go a long way toward fixing the needle problem.

Re: In effect, Seattle is decriminalizing the use of hard drugs

#20

Post by caiocaiocaio »

Hmm, a headline with an extreme claim that seems completely unbelievable to anyone in the Pacific Northwest? I'm sure this is a legitimate article headline and not just clickbait, so I'm going to move my mouse cursor right on up there, expecting a rewarding, enlightening, and satisfying use of my time.
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