To believe that all drugs should be legalised?

Hundreds of thousands of people are addicted to prescription drugs, especially in the US.

Fortunately, Oregon, where I live, has now reversed the decriminalization of drug possession. It was a crazy, dangerous experiment that failed spectacularly, as most of us knew it would be.

Drug possession is now a crime again. As it should be.

Very much against it. Can't understand why anyone would be, unless they've never actually had proper front line engagement with someone off their face on meth/crack/heroin.
Who do you think should be responsible for managing and monitoring the paranoia, tweaking, aggression? The NHS?

Legalise them you can then tax them, control the quality where they’re sold, you’ll free up police resources as they’re no longer illegal. The nhs could then tackle the problem addiction. Far better to control them.

I don't work in MH but I know quite a lot of people who drink alcohol and have managed their whole lives without needing to detox or do any lasting damage to themselves.
I don't think I know any meth users, but I don't believe that there is the same percentage of casual meth (or crack) users who are generally ok, living long and happy lives.
Do you think that pure crystal meth would enough safer than impure to encourage its use?

I’ve just added a look on YouTube at what has happened in Portland, Oregon 🤔🙁

Why would decriminalised heroin for example, available on prescription only turn normal people into addicts?

NO. Definitely not. Have you any close family OR been an addict yourself?
I was deeply deeply addicted to an assortment of drugs inc crack in the end, it doesn't matter if they are legal - they still ruin lives they almost ruined MY life and MY families life.

YES I have ALL my teeth and NO I don't look like a drug user
It was the most single hardest thing coming off drugs legalising them will do nothing, people can still OD, there will still be dealers etc.

Well, I guess people were making this argument before cannabis was legalized. You clearly are against the proposition, I am for it. Probably going to leave it there, tbh.

Defeatist argh stupid phone

Yes it is depressing that there's constantly more coming to take their place. But that's defeatest- almost like saying let's not arrest murderers as there's always going to be murders!
The lower level drug dealing should be dealt with alot harder, first offence support given but then any following offences, serious jail time..half of them shifting major gear aren't even sent down anymore these days.

Who's going to want to be the first company to do that?
'When I grow up, I want to own the biggest crack producing factory in the UK!'

You've clearly never seen someone on heroin or crystal meth!! The addictive properties of these drugs are MASSIVE! More so than alcohol.

But this hasn't worked - they've tried it and more dealers come and take their place. Even the big drug lords haYs someone to replace them when they eventually get taken out or arrested.

Who's going to test every batch of these drugs? Produce and import them?
Next you'll be saying they should be free!

What?!!!! 😂

I guess they would be produced, tested, regulated and taxed like all the other mood altering substances which are currently legal!

Criminalisation doesn't lead to abstinence

Well we could come down a hell of a lot harder than what we currently do. Most drug dealers get a slap on the wrist. We need a belt and braces approach supporting addicts, removing shame so people can access help, but coming down like a ton of bricks on the dealers.

What? Are you classing people who have meth labs as farmers, or are you advocating farmers diversify?
Who's going to test every batch of these drugs? Produce and import them?
Next you'll be saying they should be free!

People can’t be trusted to stick to safe limits that’s why they have to say zero alcohol. I agree with what you say about smoking and they are phasing it out thankfully but not quick enough imo.

I used to be very liberal about drugs and then saw what they did to my family.
I have also lived in a country with legalised drugs. It doesn’t work. It just doesn’t. And the argument above also about your country becoming a hub for criminals who just use your country as a supply chain conduit is a very wise one.
It would be a disaster for the UK.

I'd like it considered as at the moment the war on drugs is not working is it? We need to think differently and outside of the box. Criminalisation, social scorn etc. haven't worked at all.

I think decriminalising drugs may be the way forward.

They are making tobacco illegal though in the uk, for anyone born after 2009.

Lovely, we can turn our cities into Portland, Oregon. They're not quite fucked enough.

I used to believe in decriminalisation but against it now for the many reasons people have already discussed.

Nope, alcohol is fully legal and normalised, and the toll on society from that alone (financial and in the misery caused to the addicts themselves, the people who love them, the children stuck living with them and the innocent people mown down on the roads by them) is incalculable. Why would you want to replicate that with other harmful substances?

You and I might be fine, but you'd be opening a yawning abyss in front of plenty of troubled people without the ability to resist these drugs if all obstacles to them are removed.