Did Russia invent the world's worst drug?

[Hauldren Collider]

The question isn't whether drug users deserve to die, it's whether we ought to be expending society's limited resources trying to save people determined to inflict self-harm. There's certainly value in doing so, but would there be more value in trying to save other people? (I don't actually know or have an opinion about the answer to that question.)

[Elok]

No. If you were Hitler, would you rather live or die?

To be fair, Hitler himself decided that question pretty decisively.

[DaShi]

"Say what you want about Hitler, at least he killed Hitler." -Guy

[C0ckney]

The question isn't whether drug users deserve to die, it's whether we ought to be expending society's limited resources trying to save people determined to inflict self-harm. There's certainly value in doing so, but would there be more value in trying to save other people? (I don't actually know or have an opinion about the answer to that question.)

the usual argument for the legalisation of drugs is that we already waste an enormous amount of resources criminalising drug users. with legalisation the money spent on the police, courts and prisons which deal with drugs related crimes, could be spent on education and treatment for addicts. if you compare the amount spent on drug enforcement to the amount spent on drug education and treatment, you'll see that getting rid of the former and diverting part of it into the latter would mean a huge saving for society as a whole. to say nothing of the potential tax revenues from drugs.

the argument is often made that more people would use drugs if drugs were legalised. however, there doesn't seem to be any evidence to support this view, at least for harder drugs. in fact, the evidence we do have, from portugal (which is more of a partial decriminalisation of drug use, rather than a full blown legalisation), has shown a slight decline in the use of heroin and crack, and a slight increase in the use of marijuana.

[C0ckney]

I would be interested in hearing about these addicts that manage to keep professional careers.

a friend of mine died a few years ago from a heroin overdose. he was an accountant. you don't hear much about professional people using hard drugs, because of the stigma attached to it. however, they certainly exist.

[DinoDoc]

a friend of mine died a few years ago from a heroin overdose. he was an accountant. you don't hear much about professional people using hard drugs, because of the stigma attached to it. however, they certainly exist.

Was he a successful accountant? Well until he killed himself anyway.

[C0ckney]

reasonably. i don't think he was outstanding but he held a job at a reputable accountancy firm for years.

[regexcellent]

The fact that non-poor as **** people use drugs is not new information and doesn't really change things and also holy **** what an idiot.

Seems like heroin must be way bigger across the pond because it's relatively uncommon here, compared to other hard drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine).

[Captain ******* Kirk]

To be fair, Hitler himself decided that question pretty decisively.

QFT

[Captain ******* Kirk]

Just to clarify ... you don't think middle class boomers on medicare abusing prescription drugs deserve to die, right?

They don't deserve to die because they're abusing prescription drugs, if that's what you're asking.

[Captain ******* Kirk]

The question isn't whether drug users deserve to die, it's whether we ought to be expending society's limited resources trying to save people determined to inflict self-harm.

This is an argument in favor of legalization. The drug war is a massive expenditure of resources, in theory to save people determined to inflict self-harm from the scourge of narcotics.

[notyoueither]

The question isn't whether drug users deserve to die, it's whether we ought to be expending society's limited resources trying to save people determined to inflict self-harm. There's certainly value in doing so, but would there be more value in trying to save other people? (I don't actually know or have an opinion about the answer to that question.)

Well, we could stop expending massive effort making their habits highly costly and driving them into crime. How's that for a start?

[notyoueither]

You're talking about societies limited resources?

That's fvcking hilarious!

How much does it cost to institutionalise all the people in the US convicted of drug crimes?

[DinoDoc]

The fact that non-poor as **** people use drugs is not new information and doesn't really change things and also holy **** what an idiot.

He was largely responding to this post:

I would be interested in hearing about these addicts that manage to keep professional careers.

I will admit though that these people would make for more compelling anecdotes if they didn't end with the word overdose.

[Hauldren Collider]

This is an argument in favor of legalization. The drug war is a massive expenditure of resources, in theory to save people determined to inflict self-harm from the scourge of narcotics.

Fair enough.