Lagalising Dugs???.

[Lonnie]

There are various post argueing for theb legalisation of Drugs, some for the legalising all drugs.

I am in a 'Safety critical job, where even a smidgen of the weakest drugs found in my bloodstream will lead to my dismissal.
This is because it can impair my judgement, and lead to the possibility of hundreds of deaths.

My Question,
For those that are for the legalisation of drugs, although i'd be happy for the opinions of others.

Would you be happy to get in a Taxi, Bus, Train or Plane, knowing that the person in charge, had been taking Marijuana or Cannabis shortly before going on duty?.

[megan07]

Hi Lonnie, i would be frightened to travel, knowing the driver had been taking drugs. love megan. xx

[IggyB]

of course no one wants a high taxi driver - in the same way no one wants i drunk taxi driver... this has nothing to do with the debate of examining the UK drug legislation and pondering whether there is a more successful way at reducing the damaging and expensive effect of drug use to the community.

[aims1202]

Alcohol is legal but it is illegal to drive or fly a plane etc when you have had a lot of it. I reckon if drugs were legal then this would still be illegal to do these things when youve used them. If they test people for this now then they would still do the same.
I think drugs should be decriminalised in particular heroin as i said in my answer to the question Legalise All Drugs?
If you research the facts about this then you would see that it would make the lives of everyone better. (google channel 4 heroin on prescription)
Do you really think that if drugs were made legal everyone would start taking them? You obviously dont take drugs so them being legal wouldnt make you do it would it? I'm sure there are many people like you. Those who take drugs will do so whether they are illegal or not.

[Lonnie]

Hi megan,
Nice to see your name, and thanks for the reply.

Iggy,
Even though its linked, I was just aking AB members, especially those that recently said all drugs should be legalised, if the would do any of the things in the post.

I was just trying to put accross how stupid it would be to do that.


However, as you've touched on it, probably the best way would be to prosecute the pushers, and help the users to come off the habit.

The pushers are murders, nothing less.

[aims1202]

The dealers are only supplying the demand, most people who take drugs do so because they choose to and they enjoy it. Just like those who choose to drink alcohol and enjoy it.
The addicts are the minority and yes they should be helped, any addiction is an illness and thats why treating them as criminals is wrong.
I dont think you will ever catch all the dealers as you say. The police are fighting a loosing and pointless battle. If heroin was prescribed and other drugs legal then they would not have to waste so much time and money on this.

[Lonnie]

aims,
I do agree, that under certain circumstances, some drugs should be made available on perscription, but that wouldn't stop the pushers, or even cut down the numbers.

[The Sherman]

but would legalising it dramatically increase the numbers?

there are two thoughts

there are people that might try some once they had all the facts and new they were coming from a safe source.

and also would it really harm people to take things occasionaly? obviously some are a lot more harmful than others but personnaly (have never taken anything!) i dont think someone trying ecstasy/mushrooms/cannabis for example once or very occasionally is harmful (which is the exact same advice i would give someone who is drinking alcohol!)

[aims1202]

Taking drugs recreationally actually does most people no significant harm. They may not all be healthy but it is a choice to be healthy.
If drugs were legal i dont think it would increase or decrease the number of users. Those who choose to take drugs will do so regardless of legality and those who dont are unlikely to start doing so. We choose whether or not to use other things, like cigarettes, alcohol, junk food that we know can harm us, so why are drugs so different. They are definately not more harmful than those.
The reasons for making drugs legal or on prescription would be to reduce the crime associated with it. It might not stop all the dealers but would reduce the number. It would also allow the police to concentrate on more important things and there would be more space in prisons for those who are a danger to the public. Helping those with addiction would also help with a lot of other problems such as abuse and neglect of children.

[Goodsoulette]

I agree with aims, because they were legal I might feel safer about chemically based drugs but it wouldn't increase the amount of times I use them. If there was a swipe card system where you were monitored on how much you use, I would buy them illegally. Just the same if alcohol usage was monitored that way, I wouldnt want people knowing I smoked an eighth a month, or went on a bender with booze every 3 months or so. I think that information would get misused.

[Skreecheeboy]

I sometimes ride my bike when I'm stoned or drunk. I don't think that's very dangerous as it's at a low speed, it's only me that might be hurt and bikes don't often kill people. I think driving a car or flying a plane would be completely irresponsible though.

[Lonnie]

The Sherman,
All the 'less harmful' drugs, just saying that, points to the fact that they are still harmful, and, taken occasionally, soon leads to more regular use, and don't forget, even those can still impair judgement, eg, when behind the wheel, and don't forget that now you have to be as good as teetotal before driving.

aims,
I refer you to the above answer, and the Police already concentrate on more henious crimes than drug pushing, eg Motorists.
Also, even with legal drugs, and there is a case for them, just how can you stop someone driving if they so wish.

Goodsoulette,
I refer you to the above.

skreecheeboy,
I reckon thats irresponsible, admittedly, the damage you might do is reduced, but you could still harm yourself, and others.

[4GS]

I'll get straight to the point Lonnie

No, I wouldn't feel safe
end off

[Lonnie]

Thanks John, straight answer to a straight question.

[sherminator]

yeah but lonnie when i say less harmful drugs i certainly dont include alcohol and cigarettes. they are right up there with the most dangerous drugs. So which is less harmful a night taking cannabis or a night getting wasted on alcohol? the chances are that you will come to far greater danger by drinking than you ever could on cannabis. Long term i would still say that alcohol is far more damaging than cannabis

[sherminator]

p.s i am also the sherman!

[Lonnie]

True sherminator, But I never mentioned alcohol or cigarettes, on that score, almost anything to excess is dangerous.

[Goodsoulette]

err I don't drive. I wouldn't be under the influence of anything if I did though and I wouldnt want anyone driving me to be either. Why assume that everyone who smokes weed is irresponsible? It's like assuming everyone who drinks lager is! Its like people have a preconceived notion that everyone who dabbles in drugs is wreckless.
However you appear to be arguing that the reason against legalising drugs are to do with safety at work or on the roads. So for that very reason I call for a ban to all alcohol, people don't use it responsibly, they come into work still drunk from the night before and how many people do they kill on our roads each year.

[sherminator]

if thats all your asking then i think you'll be hard pressed to find someone who would advocate taking drugs and then getting behind the wheel of a car! But i suppose there are soome nutters out there.....

[Lonnie]

Goodsoulette,
I never assume anything, a lesson I learnt a long long time ago, but the thing is, you don't know, and if say Cannabis was legalised, a drug that has a proven track record of enhancing Schizophrenia, and warping peoples judgement, also making them irrisponsible, the incidence of people driving while under the influence is likely to worsen.

[donella]

that's quite an interesting question, my first response is to say, no i wouldn't feel safe.....but then i consider some people i know who have smoked cannabis moderately for years and if they don't smoke have a very short attention span, i would prefer them to have smoked!!!. then ....again i consider things like the affect redbull has on some people and i think if a taxi driver told me he'd been drinking that all day i probably wouldn't get in the car!!!

I'm curious, is caffeine screened for where you work??