Ok, end the war on drugs. Force the ACLU and legislatures to enact laws allowing for forcing adults into mandatory detox and/or mental/rehab programs based on their drug use.
Live in a liberal area sometime and experience the excuses and lack of action around heroin addicts and meth heads and their criminal activities for the next fix or based off their current hit...
Live in a liberal area sometime and experience the excuses and lack of action around heroin addicts and meth heads and their criminal activities for the next fix or based off their current hit...
Don't those same problems exist in conservative areas too? I grew up in a small town in a pretty conservative state and I saw many more serious drug problems up close there than I ever see now in a mid-sized city in a very liberal state.
My point, didn't make it clear enough, if you point out issues like tracking needles (county exchange or pharmacy -- done through county ordering such), requesting enforcement of laws, etc. you end up being lectured that the city/county embraces best practices...
"Ok, end the war on drugs. Force the ACLU and legislatures to enact laws allowing for forcing adults into mandatory detox and/or mental/rehab programs based on their drug use."
Or, you know, actually look at facts instead of only the percentage of folks that have a major issue.
I'd not force a person to give up their daily evening pot habit any more than I'd force a person to give up their two-glass-a-day wine habit. I don't freaking care if a couple sends the kids away to the grandparents for a weekend so they can drop some acid. I don't care if someone does cocaine twice a year (Yes, I've met some folks like this).
Most concerning, however, is the US's general policy of using AA or NA as the standard program for detox or rehab. While it works for a few, it is really lacking in substance - even for folks that aren't actually addicted, merely get caught with some drugs during a traffic stop. Sure, it works for some folks, but I'd personally never be able to follow through due to my lack of belief in some "higher power" (in other words, god) nor do I believe that everyone is an addict for life.
I agree. I've met one single person that said it helped them: They replaced their alcoholism with tattoos and religion. Unfortunately it did nothing to help the lingering mental health issues he had, and he missed being more social.
There aren't any liberal areas in the US, at least with respect to the handling of people addicted to stuff on the narcotics schedules.
Switzerland (that notorious wussy liberal haven where every adult male is a member of the army) treats heroin and cocaine addiction by providing people with the substance, and helping them stop using it when ready. They save a lot on police and prisons.
That will never happen in the US. The police and prisons are far too big a part of the economy, and have too much influence over legislators, to allow them to be laid off.
Switzerland can get away with this. When DEA people from the US tell them, "recriminalize drugs or we'll cut off your foreign aid," they can say, "OK, it's a deal."
>Force the ACLU and legislatures to enact laws allowing for forcing adults into mandatory detox and/or mental/rehab programs based on their drug use.
I'm very uncomfortable with the notion of forcing someone to accept medical treatment without an extremely good reason. If we're going to entertain the notion, it should require a warrant to be obtained from a federal court.
Even the power to detain someone for psychiatric evaluation is used sparingly, and that has checks and balances to protect patients.
Live in a liberal area sometime and experience the excuses and lack of action around heroin addicts and meth heads and their criminal activities for the next fix or based off their current hit...
Or the long term mental effects.