Controversial Poll 7: Should drugs be legalized?

Should drugs be legalized?

No. I've seen first hand the harm drugs do to people.

I do think, though, that the law should be easier on users (ie give them help to kick the addiction) and harder on pushers.

If the goverment offered drugs for free then there wouldn't no dealers/pusher & after a while kid wouldn't bothered with drugs

You reckon? I don't.

Kids (some of them, anyway) will always gravitate towards drugs for the 'kicks' they get from them. It has very little to do with it being illegal, althou I accept that some take drugs just because they're not supposed to.

i dont know when i was kid it made me want it more becasue it was illegal... it was a extra buzz becasue you doing something wrong

Steve, when I was about 12 or 13 my sister mixed with a load of junkies. The legality of the drugs didn't come into it because the [police never bothered with prosecutions etc. If they found you with drugs then they gave you a slap on the wrist & sent you on your way.

They still took drugs & they still died from them. Four of my sister's friends died from drug related problems from overdose to kidney failure & heart attacks. These kids (mainly mid to late teens & early 20s) didn't give a monkey's whether it was illegal or not, they just took them for the buzz.

I think most people who used drugs at first was becasue it was illegal then after time getting away with it the illegal part becomes less important.

i voted for don't know. on one side if it were legal user's would be getting drugs they know have not been cut with brick dust or rat poison, the goverment could generate revenue from it and if center's were set up where users could go to take it there would be less infected needles dumped on the steet. on the other hand if they don't legalize it then they need to get tougher on the suppliers and dealers by giving longer sentances and if users are caught they should be made to do rehab in lieu of prison but this is only my opinion

But if you legalise it you will be encourageing people (kids & adults) to become addicts. Drug addicts kill themselves & cost the NHS one helluva lot of money!

And you can't guarantee that people wouldn't want to use drugs just because they were allowed to!

i would rather have the goverment to be control of drug then teenager drug dealers selling drug to 13 year old out side of school gates.

It would still happen, though, Steve. There are young hoodlums who think it's funny to give drugs to primary school kids - that wouldn't change.

If they legalised them, they would tax them. It would be a whole economy boost but at the same time create a whole hell of a lot of junkies. The more people who are on drugs the more people who wouldnt be able to work and the more people that would end up on the dole getting free NHS drugs. Then the working people who don't take drugs would be footing a huge bill for something the country sells. So in that case no.

Its hard to get sometimes unless you know people so for the average jo the temptation just isnt there, but if it was freely available then everyone would be trying it and wed have loads of deaths and new junkies. lol

its not really that hard to get drug now there was recent study that you can goto every street/ village in the hole uk you be able to get some type of drug you want off dealer or off someone who know a dealer.

Yes, there would be a huge tax benefit, the prison population would dramaticaly decrese, violent crime would go down and there would be less deaths from overdoses from drugs that were either too pure or cut with something dangerous. There will always be a demand but this way the supply would be controlled. It would also take alot of money away from terrorist organizations.

Yes, they should be legalised and regulated.

Alcohol & tobacco are two of the worst drugs out there. Why are they legal?

Paul H wrote:Alcohol & tobacco are two of the worst drugs out there. Why are they legal?

Just because they have been socially accepted over a long period of time. I watched a thing once that said if alcohol was discovered today it would be a class A drug.

At least if drugs were legalised, they could then be controlled, with the criminal element removed, and tax revenue from the sale which could go towards treatment programmes etc.

I have seen far too many young people die from drugs, or at the very best have wasted, useless lives and bodies. Far, far more than were killed or injured on the roads or by (non-drug related) illnesses.

I'm in agreement with you Lynda. I've lost good friends to drugs, and family members I never really knew because of them.

I voted I'm not sure because I don't think it'd make a difference one way or the other, minus people going to jail. If it's legal, there can be restrictions and people can be more educated on it. But that doesn't mean people won't do it, I'm sure the people who take drugs because it's illegal are in the minority, most people would do it regardless. So wouldn't make a difference.

I can only reiterate that I have known many more young men die from illegal drugs than from any other cause.

and I can honestly say that a certain (not so young now) man I know of would certainly be dead by now if Class A drugs were freely available.

Well i voted No. i'm a firm believer that the producers, dealers and pushers of drugs should be shot. There are people who are out of work and spend hundreds of pounds a week on drugs, where do they get their money? mugging little old ladies and robbing our houses, they should be shot too.

Well you now know where i stand

In 2011 nearly 9000 people died as a result of one drug, the violence it causes is uncountable. Its legal, available everywhere and seems perfectly acceptable to those who deem drugs a menace. Its alcohol. Over the years i`ve watched people who i once considered friends succumb to it, not just a few friends but most of them have a problem, i see them at 7am when i`m coming home from work hanging round waiting for the shop to open so they can get their first bottle of frosty jacks or tins of extra strength larger, off the top of my head i can think of 30 + people who are no hopers, they actually get disability benefit for their addiction, i also know 3 who have died because of it.
I voted no but i`m uncomfortable enforcing my beliefs on others plus if you want to get smashed you`ll find a way even if its sniffing something widely available

I agree that there's a real problem with alcohol abuse in the UK, especially amongst younger people. I don't, however, think that alcohol should be banned the way other drugs are.

Most banned drugs are almost immediately addictive & can kill very quickly. Alcohol, if used sensibly, is harmless by comparison.

I voted no, but I'm biased I've lost my brother to drugs, I don't mean he's died just that we lost him 20 years ago to cocaine addiction.

I think drugs should remain illegal as when abused they have devastating effects.
However I do believe that we should be able to research them more, so that maybe we can learn from some of the effects they have for therapeutic benefits and maybe go on to manufacture forms without the nasty side effects i.e. a form of cannabis is used for MS sufferers in certain controlled circumstances.

Some facts about damage and addiction from the drug war site. They speak for themselves
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You`ll notice that their harm and dependency traits or deaths have nothing to do with their legal status. Its inevitable that you deem something you use yourself acceptable. I remember going back to a girlfriends house a few years ago and getting a lecture off her heroin addict father about legalising heroin, it did him no harm apparently and if they`d just legalise it he wouldn`t have to go to unsavory people and pay extortionate prices for it. The ease of getting something so addictive and no doubt creating an epidemic didn`t occur to him. In the same way drinkers think their particular drug is harmless when in reality it is addictive, promotes accidents,violence and deaths on a greater scale than anything else except tobacco. Take a tour round your local casualty and from what i`ve seen on the telly, police stations on a weekend night and you`ll find mostly drunks. Ban them all or at least ban the big killers. Poison shouldn`t be allowed just because it brings in more revenue than something half as bad
Well it does say controversial

Those figures are very misleading. Deaths from alcohol are higher because more people drink alcohol than take other drugs. Also, some of those deaths, although alcohol related, will be deaths from things like drunk drivers. Also, are the figures %s, and if so, % of what?

I'm not playing down the dangers of any substance abuse, just saying that, taken responsibly, alcohol is not as bad as other drugs which can be instantly addictive.

I'm all for legalization. It would regulate supply and generate tax income. It would free up prison space and allow police to focus on violent crimes and prevention of crime with increased patrols. It also would reduce drug violence and stop drug money from going to fund rouge nations and terrorist groups.

Agree with jstaff, they should legalise drugs, monitor/manage it, regulate supply, tax it and get us out of this recession!

Taxing street drugs and therefore helping the economy out of recession should be the last thing to consider.

For whatever reason, a large proportion of the younger members of this generation are taking drugs - quite often it kills them, more often it ruins their lives and/or health.

These drugs are illegal for a reason - they ruin lives, not only the drug-takers' lives, but the lives of their families as well.

Lynda, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

Lynda wrote:Taxing street drugs and therefore helping the economy out of recession should be the last thing to consider.

For whatever reason, a large proportion of the younger members of this generation are taking drugs - quite often it kills them, more often it ruins their lives and/or health.

These drugs are illegal for a reason - they ruin lives, not only the drug-takers' lives, but the lives of their families as well.

I wholeheartedly agree Lynda

Lynda wrote:Taxing street drugs and therefore helping the economy out of recession should be the last thing to consider.

For whatever reason, a large proportion of the younger members of this generation are taking drugs - quite often it kills them, more often it ruins their lives and/or health.

These drugs are illegal for a reason - they ruin lives, not only the drug-takers' lives, but the lives of their families as well.

The same can be said of legal substances such as alchol and tobacco as well though. I would rather police focus on catching violent criminals than enforcing drug laws. It would also be nice if they could be kept behind bars for their entire sentence as well.

jstaff wrote:
The same can be said of legal substances such as alchol and tobacco as well though. I would rather police focus on catching violent criminals than enforcing drug laws. It would also be nice if they could be kept behind bars for their entire sentence as well.

Well said J

I voted not sure as it all depends on the drugs and the user . Bit of weed in moderation is socially acceptable but at the same time a bad habit on weed can lead to a desire to go bigger and braver ............

I've never seen anything proving that weed is either addictive or a gateway drug. I think it's since it is illegal you have to be around a criminal element to obtain it and that is how people are exposed to the harder drugs.

jstaff wrote:I've never seen anything proving that weed is either addictive or a gateway drug. I think it's since it is illegal you have to be around a criminal element to obtain it and that is how people are exposed to the harder drugs.

I know several people who started on weed so then decided to go a little further and experimented with coke , speed etc , admittedly I do not know anyone who became a crack addict from it

jstaff wrote:The same can be said of legal substances such as alchol and tobacco as well though. I would rather police focus on catching violent criminals than enforcing drug laws. It would also be nice if they could be kept behind bars for their entire sentence as well.

If necessary I would prefer that tobacco & alcohol were banned as well, rather than legalise hard drugs.

Dave wrote:I voted not sure as it all depends on the drugs and the user . Bit of weed in moderation is socially acceptable but at the same time a bad habit on weed can lead to a desire to go bigger and braver ............

Maybe it isn't addictive, but it certainly can lead to mental health problems. Severe, long term Paranoia and Schitzophrenia for example.

The point is, people are going to take them regardless. If they want to, they will, and its easily obtainable. So if the demand is there, why not just legalise it and control it? Right now, its uncontrollable, majority of crime is due to drugs, alot of bad people are making money from this. Why not use that money, which people are going to spend on it anyway, and use it for something productive? People need a release in life, stress relief, whatever you want to call it. Some people will have a glass of wine, some people will smoke up, whatever it is, it won't stop.

Caryll wrote:Maybe it isn't addictive, but it certainly can lead to mental health problems. Severe, long term Paranoia and Schitzophrenia for example.

It actually can't, I've done more than enough research in this topic and the only way weed can lead to mental health problems is if you have that specific gene in your body which marijuana will contribute to, and even then, theres only a really small percentage of people that do have that gene in their body. There's plenty more contributing factors to lead to mental health problems then just weed.

However, I agree with what was said earlier, a little weed isn't a problem, it's just like someone having a drink. It's when someone gets carried away with it, that it becomes a problem. But then that's just the same as alcohol, alcohol contributes to alot of crime which is going on today, violent crimes, sexual crimes, whatever it is. When someone smokes some weed, theyre most likely going to stay at home and relax, so whats worse? Weed or alcohol?

The only reason this is all an issue is because the Government have banned weed and legalised alcohol, which makes people believe its bad. Thousands, if not millions of people have died through alcohol, but as far as I believe, not one single person in the world has died from weed.

goldie87 wrote:

Caryll wrote:Maybe it isn't addictive, but it certainly can lead to mental health problems. Severe, long term Paranoia and Schitzophrenia for example.

It actually can't, I've done more than enough research in this topic

More than the Health Services? I doubt that.

However, I would happily see alcohol and tobacco banned if it meant that the other drugs stay banned as well.

NHS info....

Risks
The following risks are associated with cannabis use:

•Even hardcore smokers can become anxious, panicky, suspicious or paranoid.
•Cannabis affects your co-ordination, which is one of the reasons why drug driving, like drink driving, is illegal.
•Some people think cannabis is harmless because it’s a plant, but it isn’t harmless. Cannabis, like tobacco, has lots of chemical 'nasties', which, with long-term or heavy use, can cause lung disease and possibly cancer. The risk is greater because cannabis is often mixed with tobacco and smoked without a filter. It can also make asthma worse, and cause wheezing in people without asthma.
•Cannabis itself can affect many different systems in the body, including the heart. It increases the heart rate and can affect blood pressure.
•If you have a history of mental health problems, taking cannabis is not a good idea. It can cause paranoia in the short term, but in those with a pre-existing psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, it can contribute to relapse.
•If you use cannabis and have a family background of mental illness, such as schizophrenia, you may be at increased risk of developing a psychotic illness.
•It is reported that frequent use of cannabis can cut a man's sperm count and reduce sperm motility. It can suppress ovulation in women and so may affect fertility.
•If you’re pregnant, smoking cannabis frequently may increase the risk of the baby being born smaller than expected.
•Regular, heavy use of cannabis makes it difficult to learn and concentrate. Some people begin to feel tired all the time and can't seem to get motivated.
•Some users buy strong herbal cannabis (also known as skunk) to get ‘a bigger high’. Unpleasant reactions can be more powerful when you use strong cannabis, and it is possible that using strong cannabis repeatedly could increase the risk of harmful effects such as dependence or developing mental health problems.

i know 100's of peoplewho smoke weed and only know 2 people that went crazy BUT they wasn't just smoking weed they was taking other drugs with it....

IMO alcohol is more worse than weed

Ok, so ban alcohol & tobacco. That's fine by me, just don't legalise the other drugs!

Yes, alcohol and tobacco, the "legal" drugs, are also dangerous, destructive and ruin peoples' lives and health. So why add to the list of freely-available, dangerous and destructive drugs already out there?

Cannabis is a dangerous and gateway drug - sorry, but I've seen it so many times.

weed isn't a gateway drug at all it's the people who you hang around with is the gateway to other drugs...

Steve wrote:weed isn't a gateway drug at all it's the people who you gang around with is the gateway to other drugs...

Yes that's very likely true - someone has the wherewithal to a "bigger,better" hit and you'll go for it. Gateway.

In contrast, a drinker of alcohol will just drink more alcohol, a smoker of normal tobacco will just smoke more normal tobacco - no escalation.

i know 100s of weed smokers that never try anything else i know people who never smoked weed but they go out every weekend drink silly amount beers and take e's all weekend that never had weed in their life...