Fentanyl is fueling a record number of youth drug deaths • Hacker News Board

Re: Fentanyl is fueling a record number of youth drug deaths

#101

Post by lenkite » Sat, May 25, 2024, 2:03 PM UTC

phone8675309 wrote: post #3

When do we say "enough" to all of these death and just legalize opiates? Fentanyl's rise is 100% attributable to smuggling in drugs due to the War on Drugs. It allows the smugglers to move the maximum potency with the minimum risk and minimum quantity. Drug smuggling is a business, and as long as opiates remain illegal to posses without a prescription than this incentive will dominate. Legalizing opiates, providing s…

Isn't Pharmaceutical fentanyl already physician approvable ? Why would making an it a recreational drug reduce the number of deaths ?

Or is your position that all drugs - including antibiotics should be freely available for recreational use without any physician advice ?

Re: Fentanyl is fueling a record number of youth drug deaths

#102

Post by bermuda4you » Tue, May 28, 2024, 4:26 PM UTC

jrflowers wrote: post #99

bermuda4you wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no personal experience with decriminalization in Oregon. What's your point?

This is a good point. Firsthand experience and secondhand opinion are interchangeable so why would anyone ask a question like that

Totally agree with you - great point! HN is known as the hub for drug addicted homeless people from Portland, OR. I should probably find a different forum since I don't share this experience first hand.

Re: Fentanyl is fueling a record number of youth drug deaths

#103

Post by phone8675309 » Tue, May 28, 2024, 5:28 PM UTC

Gud wrote: post #85

graeme wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Prohibition dramatically reduced drinking. 70% initially then 30% long run: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w3675/w3675... And alcohol can be used in quite a benign way. Good reason to think opioids would see an even larger decline as they are high impact and unlikely to be openly consumed for group socialization the way alcohol is. You can argue for legalization but it is a fallacy to believe that p…

And did the problem drinkers quit drinking or the casual drinkers?

Which is better for habitual, problem opiate users: a) they can get a clean supply of their drugs, a safe place to do them, medical support if they encounter issues, and connection to treatment programs and social services even if they keep using or b) they cannot get a clean supply of their drugs and needles which means increased spread of HIV and hepatitis (both preventable diseases), increased chance of interaction and overdose due to adulteration, active pressure to not admit use or seek addiction treatment for fear of criminal punishment, and active exclusion from social services?

Yes, not _everyone_ will stop using opiates if they’re made legal. THAT'S THE POINT - more users will quit when provided resources and the ones who don’t quit are better off than they were before while they work toward sobriety if they choose.

Re: Fentanyl is fueling a record number of youth drug deaths

#104

Post by Gud » Wed, May 29, 2024, 8:55 AM UTC

phone8675309 wrote: post #103

Gud wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And did the problem drinkers quit drinking or the casual drinkers?

Which is better for habitual, problem opiate users: a) they can get a clean supply of their drugs, a safe place to do them, medical support if they encounter issues, and connection to treatment programs and social services even if they keep using or b) they cannot get a clean supply of their drugs and needles which means increased spread of HIV and hepatitis (both preventable diseases), increased chance of interactio…

I think you’re responding to the wrong person.