I'm used to think I wasn't easily shocked, but having moved work recently down near grand canal dock area, I was shocked by the daily open drug dealing by the strung-out people that hang around Tara street DART station, the Custom House and generally around that whole area. Clearly-visible drug dealing taking place by people clearly out of their heads. How is this tolerated by law enforcement? I've tried to convince myself that they present no threat, but my impression is that someone out of their heads can react randomly and irrationally. Always a worry as I walk past. At the very best it's depressing. I'm struggling to understand how our gardai do nothing on this, but I'm also struggling to understand how it has received such little comment in the press?
I think you'll need to decide which side of the decriminalisation argument you are on, and whether you propose decriminalising use as well as possession.... Why are we not going down the more sensible road by decriminalizing drug possession including marijuana, cocaine and heroin ... Cigarettes are a drug that has catastrophic consequences to the wellbeing of a person and his life expectancy ...
I think you'll need to decide which side of the decriminalisation argument you are on, and whether you propose decriminalising use as well as possession. .
Is it your argument that the importation, sale, supply and use of drugs such as "marijuana, cocaine and heroin" be licenced or regulated in some way by the state, such that they only end up in the hands of "appropriate people", however you might want to define "appropriate people"?
Is it your argument that you regard certain drugs as being less harmful than tobacco products, and that these other drugs do not have "catastrophic consequences to the wellbeing of a person and his life expectancy"? If that is your argument then I would certainly like to see references to supportive evidence.
If that is your argument then I can only conclude that you believe the regulations and restrictions governing the importation, sale, supply and use of drugs such as prescription medications, alcohol and tobacco work sufficiently well such that these substances :
Incidentally some of the commonest drugs smuggled into Ireland are tobacco products and it would appear that this is as lucrative a venture as smuggling other drugs. Possessing smuggled tobacco products has not been decriminalised and I don't hear any calls for such decriminalisation at the moment.
Would it be such a big improvement if the drug dealing was going on behind the scenes, instead of out in the open?I'm used to think I wasn't easily shocked, but having moved work recently down near grand canal dock area, I was shocked by the daily open drug dealing by the strung-out people that hang around Tara street DART station, the Custom House and generally around that whole area. Clearly-visible drug dealing taking place by people clearly out of their heads. How is this tolerated by law enforcement? I've tried to convince myself that they present no threat, but my impression is that someone out of their heads can react randomly and irrationally. Always a worry as I walk past. At the very best it's depressing. I'm struggling to understand how our gardai do nothing on this, but I'm also struggling to understand how it has received such little comment in the press?
Would it be such a big improvement if the drug dealing was going on behind the scenes, instead of out in the open?
I don't understand the emphasis on the problem being things happening out in the open. The problem isn't that people are taking drugs out in the open. The problem is that people are taking drugs.There are probably two issues here, but they are related. The first issue is the presence of strung-out people falling about our streets in broad daylight and the accompanying threat to my personal safety, and frankly public decency. If they want to be strung-out but do it away from the public, then yes that would be an improvement.
Of course, the reason they are strung-out in public areas is that they they seem to be allowed to openly flout the law in relation to their open drug-dealing and drug-taking. The fact that they are allowed do this unchecked is a fairly public affront to me and every other law-abiding citizen. I fully accept these people probably need help and if that's the case they should get it. But allowing them to act as they wish in public, and openly break laws, is not acceptable in a decent society.
Anyway, as numerous complaints to Gardai was useless the windows had to be changed so now staff (thankfully) can’t see out anymore. We can still hear them though and it is pitiful listening to the conversations they have with children in tow.
I have no argument with that sentiment.I am for a sensible approach that helps the affected individual...
I never mentioned legalisation in my post.... I did not call for the legalization of drugs like marijuana, cocaine and heroin, ...
Presumably because they have broken the criminal law and the criminal law is there to protect society and to punish law-breakers; any discrimination in an addict's favour against criminal prosecution is protecting them from the consequences of their behaviour.... Why do we treat people that have an addiction as criminals ... ? ...
Current modes of 'de-tox' and 'treatment' are inadequate and the model is seriously flawed. I would be interested in understanding what you mean by “ managing their addiction”.... instead of offering them adequate support for the difficult process of managing their addiction? ...
Personally I would have issue with a report issued by the CATO institute.... There is a very good report of the CATO institute here that looks in depth into the Portuguese solution: http://www.cato.org/pubs/wtpapers/greenwald_whitepaper.pdf
…
I never mentioned legalisation.... Again I think you have not understood the difference between decriminalising personal possession and legalization…
No, what I did was ask a series of questions.... Are you arguing with me that nicotine or alcohol is not having "catastrophic consequences to the wellbeing of a person and his life expectancy" while at the same time the government is reaping in money from its sale?…
You’re half right - its simple but also very simplistic in that the focus is on the “addiction potential” of a substance, which has a use but my focus is more on the “harm potential” a substance has for the individual, the family and society, medically, psychologically, financially, etc.... I think a while ago a guy called Jack E. Henningfield came up with a simple table that showed that Alcohol and Nicotine are more addictive than Marijuana. [broken link removed] ...
I agree and part of the problem is that the powers that be see "drug treatment" as administering a legal, prescribed toxic substance (methadone) in place of an illegal one.... The problem is that people are taking drugs.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?