Legalise "Illegal" Drugs?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by kestrelx

However not forgetting that New Labour gave us 24 hour drinking and sowed the seeds for the Binge drinking culture!

Thats backwards, when closing time was 11 o'clock people used to rush the last few drinks down. Now you can drink all day and all night so there is no rush.

Drinking to much is just a stupid British thing.

[kestrelx]

Originally Posted by mobertol

Cigarettes and alcohol are bad for you if you exagerate but they are not illegal.

You say exagerate - the harm done by tobacco and alcohol is not exagerated Mobertol

Can't imagine why anyone would carry on doing something they didn't enjoy first time around, just to be a part of the crowd, myself -but it takes all sorts, some are born weaker.

I don't know what age you had your first alcohol - but spirits and beer are not nice to taste to a young person! We learn to like them to fit in with our peers - I now enjoy the taste of lager when I drink it - not often though.

This morning my neighbours son, aged 22 called to say Goodbye, he is friends with both my boys. They hugged, wished him well and all had tears in their eyes -it has put a shadow over my day. He has had to go into a rehab community because of Heroin addiction. he is a lovely lad, artistic and wouldn't hurt a fly but he ended up being drawn into the worst kind of spiral. He is lucky to have the support of his family, friends and neighbours -lots don't have that. When you are talking of real peoples lives and the effect certain things have on all those around them, I wish those of you who speak in defence of these Illegal substances would be be less flippant, stop making out that in some way it's cool do have dabbled and come out unscathed and would basically put a sock in it!

I wonder how this neighbours son takes his heroin? Needles, snorted or smoked - why did this lad become an addict and if he's using needles? What is the thinking behind that - I never understood why people get into using needles.

LSD is not the same as Heroin and people take these drugs for different reasons - so I wish people wouldn't lump all drugs into one category!

[Neil]

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

So what punishment would you dish out for people caught with personal amounts of illegal drugs.

As I have mentioned Cannabis lets use this as an example.

How about a mandatory 6 month prison sentence for possessing illegal drugs?
This is what the government intend to do with adults carrying knifes even if they have not committed a crime with them.
That's finding you guilty of a crime before you commit one.
Possessing illegal drugs is a crime so I think 6 months would be ok for a first offender.

What do you think the punishment should be?

[***Mr D***]

Originally Posted by Neil

How about a mandatory 6 month prison sentence for possessing illegal drugs?
This is what the government intend to do with adults carrying knifes even if they have not committed a crime with them.
That's finding you guilty of a crime before you commit one.
Possessing illegal drugs is a crime so I think 6 months would be ok for a first offender.

What do you think the punishment should be?

Our prisons are full to the brim and its easy to get drugs inside. To any class A drug user its like going to butlins.

Pre-crime, im dead against it, guilty when found guilty, I carry a knife every time I go out with my dogs in the form of a multi tool.

I think more effort in to rehabilitation would be a better step forward, for a first offence, of course it all depends on Type and quantity. I think the whole classification of drugs needs to be reviewed.

Drunk and Disorderly is a crime, 6 months prison for them as well?

[tommiasfc]

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

Our prisons are full to the brim and its easy to get drugs inside. To any class A drug user its like going to butlins.

Pre-crime, im dead against it, guilty when found guilty, I carry a knife every time I go out with my dogs in the form of a multi tool.

I think more effort in to rehabilitation would be a better step forward, for a first offence, of course it all depends on Type and quantity. I think the whole classification of drugs needs to be reviewed.

Drunk and Disorderly is a crime, 6 months prison for them as well?

I agree if you help people addicted to drugs instead of jail them you free up so much prison space and the people that have the likes of cannabis for personal use and don't need help aren't just thrown in jail if they aren't bothering anyone. The resources be there for people that need help instead of throwing money at police who are fighting a losing battle.

[annesingleton]

So would you help rather than punish a drug user who had broken into someone's house in the middle of the night whilst they were in bed, or mugged someone in order to get money to fund their habit? Or simply help them only if they were found to be in possession and punish them for other drug related crime?
What about suppliers? Would you help rather than punish them if they had a drugs problem themselves?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by tommiasfc

I agree if you help people addicted to drugs instead of jail them you free up so much prison space and the people that have the likes of cannabis for personal use and don't need help aren't just thrown in jail if they aren't bothering anyone. The resources be there for people that need help instead of throwing money at police who are fighting a losing battle.

If the punishments were tough for possession do you think people would be less likely to risk it?

[tommiasfc]

Originally Posted by annesingleton

So would you help rather than punish a drug user who had broken into someone's house in the middle of the night whilst they were in bed, or mugged someone in order to get money to fund their habit? Or simply help them only if they were found to be in possession and punish them for other drug related crime?
What about suppliers? Would you help rather than punish them if they had a drugs problem themselves?

Punish them for mugging etc but help them for there addiction if they get help for addiction and loose there habbit they then dont have an addiction to feed by mugging and robbing houses. Then its a case of supply and demand if people are being cured of addiction there will be less demand and less dealers. What use is it to a drug user to be thrown in jail when they could be helped and police can have more resources for every supplier that is stopped another one will start its a never ending war. Portugal had very high drug use but since they changed the laws its still above average but its coming down.

[tommiasfc]

Originally Posted by Neil

If the punishments were tough for possession do you think people would be less likely to risk it?

Not addicts and the jails are already full and when people come out they will have no life and most likley be surrounded by drug users again

[***Mr D***]

Originally Posted by annesingleton

So would you help rather than punish a drug user who had broken into someone's house in the middle of the night whilst they were in bed, or mugged someone in order to get money to fund their habit? Or simply help them only if they were found to be in possession and punish them for other drug related crime?
What about suppliers? Would you help rather than punish them if they had a drugs problem themselves?

I would only offer no criminal charges with possession of small amounts, any other crime is punishable regardless if they where a drug user or not, however the drug user would be offered hard core rehab, this to them would be worse than prison and in the long run could aid society.

Originally Posted by Neil

If the punishments were tough for possession do you think people would be less likely to risk it?

No, addiction make them rob there own children and mothers punishment, ie prison is just part of the game.

Punishment for drink driving is you loose your licence and could face jail, how many do you think get done in a year? should this also be made tougher?

[Boeing Guy]

Prisons are easy to sort out, just build some more. This would create jobs and work.
Once they are built you would need Prision Offcers and Staff, so yet again more jobs.

The big problem with illegal drugs, is the fact that the whole supply chain is run by organised crime.
One of the most prolific suppliers to the UK is Morocco, it's grown in the Rif Mountains, not somewhere you are safe to visit. I should know, I used to live in Morocco.

As we cannot catch those at the top of the tree we have to prune the lower branches, unfortunately there is so much money involved you will never, ever get rid of the couriers, dealers etc.

Oh by the way, to those who may want to or have taken Cocaine and Heroin, it normally travels inside someone's stomach, wrapped in condoms or similar but would you wants to take something that has traveled though somebody's intestine?

[Boeing Guy]

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

No, addiction make them rob there own children and mothers punishment, ie prison is just part of the game.

Punishment for drink driving is you loose your licence and could face jail, how many do you think get done in a year? should this also be made tougher?

In 2007, 83,975 convicted for drink drive offences.

Maybe we could learn one or two things from Sherrif Joe Arpaio, the pink underwear and maybe the Tent City.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Neil

Thats backwards, when closing time was 11 o'clock people used to rush the last few drinks down. Now you can drink all day and all night so there is no rush.

Drinking to much is just a stupid British thing.

11pm closing Neil, don't remember that, well not in the pubs I used anyway

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by ***Mr D***

I would only offer no criminal charges with possession of small amounts, any other crime is punishable regardless if they where a drug user or not, however the drug user would be offered hard core rehab, this to them would be worse than prison and in the long run could aid society.



No, addiction make them rob there own children and mothers punishment, in prison is just part of the game.

Punishment for drink driving is you loose your licence and could face jail, how many do you think get done in a year? should this also be made tougher?

In the case of drink driving, first offence should be 5 years disqualification, second offence disqualification for life, end of storey

[***Mr D***]

Originally Posted by Boeing Guy

Prisons are easy to sort out, just build some more. This would create jobs and work.
Once they are built you would need Prision Offcers and Staff, so yet again more jobs.

The big problem with illegal drugs, is the fact that the whole supply chain is run by organised crime.
One of the most prolific suppliers to the UK is Morocco, it's grown in the Rif Mountains, not somewhere you are safe to visit. I should know, I used to live in Morocco.

As we cannot catch those at the top of the tree we have to prune the lower branches, unfortunately there is so much money involved you will never, ever get rid of the couriers, dealers etc.

Oh by the way, to those who may want to or have taken Cocaine and Heroin, it normally travels inside someone's stomach, wrapped in condoms or similar but would you wants to take something that has traveled though somebody's intestine?

But isnt there worse crimes that go without a custodial sentence the extra room could be used for?

Not that I would take coke or heroin, but it would of not been touched as it would be sealed, IMO the big shipments would come in via different methods.

Originally Posted by Boeing Guy

In 2007, 83,975 convicted for drink drive offences.

Maybe we could learn one or two things from Sherrif Joe Arpaio, the pink underwear and maybe the Tent City.

I agree for certain crimes tent city would be a good option, keeping the cost down to the tax payer.

Originally Posted by jaysay

In the case of drink driving, first offence should be 5 years disqualification, second offence disqualification for life, end of storey

Do you know if you had an argument with the other half and went to sleep in the car with the keys in the vehicle, if you where drunk and the police arrived, you could and probably would be done for drunk and in charge of a vehicle.

Or morning after the night before, you think you fine but your just over the limit.

Do the above deserve a 5 year ban.

The people who don't care, the repeat offender would carry on driving regardless banned or not, licence or not.

Going of BG figure in 2007 - 83,975 people would be banned for 5 years, or life if a second offence, this would have a very big impact on a lot of lives.