Why shouldn't Heroin by regulated in the UK?

[Lexmarker]

Why shouldn't Heroin by regulated in the UK? If the UK were to regulate, tax and dispence Heroin. Do you think it would help prevent public misconception? Is it safe enough to regulate? What do you think the downsides would be?

[Ice.Maiden]

What do you class as public misconception, Lexmarker???

[figure]

If that should happen, think about what would become of the health system. Not forgetting the hospitals and health clinics.

[Ice.Maiden]

Hi Figure. I agree with you. x

[figure]

OMG, thinking seriously about it - if this should become a reality you'd see people stoned on every corner, and crime rate will soar.

Less would be employed because they'd be too stoned to work. When they need a fix and don't have the money to pay for it, what will they do .... any and everything illegal to pay for their vice.

[Ice.Maiden]

The place'd become a land of ill and mental people. No one'd be able to function properly, to drive a car, to work. Babies'd be born addicted, only to pass it on to their own children......
Goodness knows why folk want to get onto heroin in the first place.

[WaldoMcFroog]

The domestic issue is actually pretty clear. Most heroin deaths occur as a result of the stuff being adulterated with other substances. This either means that deaths occur because of unintentional overdose because they had no idea what strenght gear they had, or because of the adulterated substances. Legalisation would remove both those issues at a stroke.

Currently, those stupid enough to use heroin cost the country loads of money in medical treatments (see above). If the drugs were taxed, then at least some of the cost would be recaptured.

Although I certainly wouldn't recommend it, Heroin can be used for years and years without significant bad effect, and users can be productive members of society. William S Burroughs - one of the greatest writers to come from the US and a junkie for nearly 20 years. He died of an unrelated heart attack.

As it's illegal, even if they do not commit any other crimes, users are brought into the criminal sphere from which it can be hard to break out. Legalising would decrease the chances of people becoming caught in a cycle of criminality from which it is difficult to break out.

There are clear issues around how heroin might be sold, since clearly heroin's not a great thing to be doing, even if one can be a productive member of society, and the government would clearly wish to ensure that uptake was minimised. It might be that supply was controlled via chemists etc.

However, the single largest downside is the supply countries. We don't grow the poppies. The Taliban does and they're a bunch of utter scrotes. Doing business with people like that has big knock ons for those economies that are completely out of the hands of the domestic government. There was a recent documentary with Alex James (formerly of Blur), where he saw the effects of the cocaine trade in South America. Much the same issues apply here.

[keyplus90]

I think the idea of legalization of Heroin is co product of America & Britain. Because I do not agree with Waldo on this fact that Heroin is controlled by Taliban. Majority of people here will not agree but Taliban (when they were in control in Afghanistan) criminalized the cultivation of poppy. And the punishment was severe. This is not only media propaganda but real story by the people who saw that with their own eyes. Since Afghanistan was invaded by allied forces poppy cultivation has started again. I believe American are planning to make money out of this as well. Because supply is in their hands now. Although we may not see those hands.

[SKA]

I hope they don�t. I know someone who went to prison for dealing drugs particularly heroin so don�t want him to have been locked up for no reason.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Keyplus, the relationship between the Taliban and opium is well documented. They have had occasions when they banned it, but that is generally considered to be to cause a shortfall in the market and raise the price.

There's also the anti-Taliban Afghan warlords, supported by the west. They're scumbags too, and also produce heroin.

[Lexmarker]

Excellent summary Waldo. Thanks to all who have participated. I beleive it is inevitable come 2020. I beleive the heroin substitutes or mixers of the substance will be more at risk of prosecution. I feel it will be governed much the same as prescriptive medication. Ultimately this will be a sad day.

[jimmy654]

No it's not safe enough to regulate cannabis is one thing but heroin kills and leads to terrible crime and helps spread disease. Need more reasons?
http://www.myaddiction.com/heroin.html