Addicts are not CRIMINALS!

What classifies as an addict? IS there specific drugs or substances as well as usage required?

Is an alcoholic an Addict as well? Should people who are addicted to alcohol get given an easy break when ever they decide to drive drunk and kill some people on the road?

If addiction is a Disease. Then that makes Alcoholism a Disease. I can see where some addicts really do need help. But it's mostly people not wanting to help themselves.

As for prison, it's just unfortunate. But i still think drunk drivers should go to prison. Same as anyone else who legit does a crime.

However taking drugs in of itself is not a crime, But what a person does on drugs should still be enforcable by law as long as the person did it themselves and wasn't * Poisoned* persay.

Will legalizing drugs somehow stop crime when somebody runs out of money to buy drugs?

The War On Drugs is a failure. Legalize marijuana. Stop prescribing opiates like candy, so that folks become addicted and turn to heroin because its cheaper. Stop throwing addicts in jail. Enough government intrusion into peoples lives.

See above post about portugal????????? a reply to: xuenchen

10 years after decriminalization

Health experts in Portugal said Friday that Portugal’s decision 10 years ago to decriminalise drug use and treat addicts rather than punishing them is an experiment that has worked.

“There is no doubt that the phenomenon of addiction is in decline in Portugal,” said Joao Goulao, President of the Institute of Drugs and Drugs Addiction, a press conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the law.

The number of addicts considered “problematic” — those who repeatedly use “hard” drugs and intravenous users — had fallen by half since the early 1990s, when the figure was estimated at around 100,000 people, Goulao said.

Other factors had also played their part however, Goulao, a medical doctor added.

“This development can not only be attributed to decriminalisation but to a confluence of treatment and risk reduction policies.”

Decriminalization and good policy works.

Some other stats from Time

The Cato paper reports that between 2001 and 2006 in Portugal, rates of lifetime use of any illegal drug among seventh through ninth graders fell from 14.1% to 10.6%; drug use in older teens also declined. Lifetime heroin use among 16-to-18-year-olds fell from 2.5% to 1.8% (although there was a slight increase in marijuana use in that age group). New HIV infections in drug users fell by 17% between 1999 and 2003, and deaths related to heroin and similar drugs were cut by more than half. In addition, the number of people on methadone and buprenorphine treatment for drug addiction rose to 14,877 from 6,040, after decriminalization, and money saved on enforcement allowed for increased funding of drug-free treatment as well.

I see that someone on the previous page had the same idea i had, scrolled right by. Oh well. More info never hurts.

Addiction is a disease the only way to cure it is to smoke more dope. Isn't that what medical weed is for?

Addiction is a drain on society. It does not matter if it is illegal/legal drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. It takes away from being a productive member of society. It burdens the rest of the civilization with their "needs". I have no sympathy for said disease ridden individuals. There are many programs available for their "cure".

a reply to: searching411

I do not see much logic that statement. It seems like your are just hitting emotional points on why the rest of us 'hard-working' productive members of society should classify someone addicted to something the oligarchy does not like as a criminal, or a lesser class of person.

Addict does not equal degenerate nor criminal.

a reply to: wantsome

That or mushrooms, Both have been shown to be effective at treating chronic cigarette smoking.
There are people who willingly smoke cigs and cannabis but some people who are trying to get off of cigs who are older and have never smoked MJ have had sucess in kicking a pack a day habbits.

It's good to get off other hard drugs, tho Cannabis can be addictive because you want to get high. The substance itself has little physical withdrawl symptoms so it's def good for using for getting off hard drugs.

Mushrooms are good for kicking addictions all together. There was a couple different studies on psilocybin.

originally posted by: AnuTyr
a reply to: wantsome

That or mushrooms, Both have been shown to be effective at treating chronic cigarette smoking.
There are people who willingly smoke cigs and cannabis but some people who are trying to get off of cigs who are older and have never smoked MJ have had sucess in kicking a pack a day habbits.

It's good to get off other hard drugs, tho Cannabis can be addictive because you want to get high. The substance itself has little physical withdrawl symptoms so it's def good for using for getting off hard drugs.

Mushrooms are good for kicking addictions all together. There was a couple different studies on psilocybin.

I agree with this, as a species we undervalue the use of some of these "street drugs", even though we have pharma grade ones in every hospital nearly (ie, diamorphine = pure heroin). As an example, the drug MDMA which was produced in a lab in the late 60's early 70's was originally intended to be used as a drug for people with mental illnesses. For those unaware, MDMA is also known as the love drug, for the reasons of high eurphoria, hard topics become easier to talk about, and bonding between humans is increased. Scientists intended to use it for good reasons. Then the government banned it, and it hit the streets (which is what happens when you ban things).

Ooohhh! A mass debate! I'm addicted to mass debates.

Are addicts criminals? Depends if their commuting crime, I guess.

Is addiction a disease? Um, no.. It's just a human response to being so skull crushingly bored with the monotony of modern life that you end up preferring to spend your money getting out of your face and/or enjoying yourself and chasing emotional highs to break the tedium.

Everyone has an addiction to one thing or another. Time for everyone to grow up and realise there's nothing wrong with that. Eff social taboos!

originally posted by: Kryties
Addiction is a disease, not a criminal act.

Is addiction, itself, actually a crime anywhere?

originally posted by: Kryties
Addiction is a disease, not a criminal act.

Lets just make selling a death penalty and all users are set free...I can work with that...

a reply to: eastbosbud

NO they are NOT criminals...BUT they are weak and pathetic and often resort to criminal activity to aid their weakness in order to get what they need for their addiction.

I have no sympathy for addicts!! And I have NO desire to "praise" their reform.....shouldn't of been an addict in the first place so why get an applause for becoming a normal person....grow up!!

You fail at life

A good question might be whether addiction, however defined, exempts someone from conviction for committing crimes. Is the fact that someone is addicted to a substance (and, for the sake of argument, let's say that addiction is real) ample justification for committing a crime to obtain the substance that they not be judged guilty of the commission of a crime?

a reply to: eastbosbud

Unless you are addicted to crime.