Leslie

It is a big mistake to take the easy way out and remove the legal restraints on the use of drugs. It was a gross error to make Cannabis class C since it sent the message to children that it can't be that bad and encouraged them to use it. Now that we have Skunk which is so strong that the damage that is being done is terrible. I gather that it takes very little to start schizophrenia off these days!

It has to be accepted that drug taking is very dangerous and is a destroyer of people and their minds.

I believe that the authorities should take the matter in hand and make considerably harder efforts to sort out the dealers and importers. There should be a major effort made to educate children of the real dangers and to dissuade them from even wanting to experiment with them. If they can show them Gore's stuff in an effort to indoctrinate them they can certainly do far more in the fight against drugs.

I wonder why those who use them feel that they need to do so. Do they feel they have to bolster themselves up for some reason, or cant they exist without the buzz. Is it really worth risking screwing themselves up just for that. There is no doubt that it is severely bad for the health.

Brunstrom has demonstrated himself to be a hypochritical git!

Les

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

Ever had an alcoholic drink Leslie or smoked a cigarette? If so why did you feel the need to do so?

SiPie

Was going to say exactly the same thing STi but with the addition of a cup of coffee added in

However, the blinkered on here who have never had the 'fun' of an acid trip or experienced that first e feeling or the hysterical giggles the first few times you smoke good grass will never open their eyes and see any sense to the whole thing.

Hence I seldom waste my breath on the debate on blinkered SN anymore


Edited to say that this is in no way an attack on Les, many others share the same naive view on SN and immediately label any illegal drug as evil

I'm only too aware of the effects that strong weed can have on a young mind..........and still wear the t-shirt every day sadly.

But would I go back and change things...................?

yup very probably

Leslie

Yes I was addicted to cigarettes and have always regretted that, thank goodness I managed to kick it. Cost me the thrill of a quad bypass eventually! My only excuse was that when I started smoking, no one knew that there was any danger attached and when that was found out it was extremely difficult to stop. Down to me in the end though.

I do enjoy a glass of wine and have managed to avoid becoming addicted to that. I do know the dangers involved there as well. However it is not in the same league as crack when it comes to addiction. All narcotics seem to eventually to the really hard and damaging kind. How often do we see the effects of that?

I think that all these drugs affect people differently, some are more likely to become addicted than others but we may not realise that until it is too late. I am lucky in that I have never been tempted to try those kinds of drugs, I have always had a fear of losing control of my own body in that respect anyway.

That is why I said that a strong education in these problems is a must and I think it is the Government's duty to do just that as a responsibility to our young people.

Les

SiPie

In all fairness, Crystal meths and tobacco aside, not many drugs are .....

Totally agree

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

Fair points Les but some things I always find strange when people comment on it. The thing about softer drugs leading to harder ones. Well It's pretty certain those who take the hard drugs will have also tried the lesser drugs (as they're perceived). That's the same with most things in life. People may enjoy a beer but never go on to drink spirits. Do we say that a shandy invariably leads to somebody becoming an alcoholic?

The fact is there's an inbuilt thing inside every human that tends to want to experience certain things for themselves to a degree. We of course can see the effects on others and the degree of harm that may do and in most cases a person will evaluate it and decide that it's not something they want to do. This can be the same for trying anything. Dangerous sports for example. so this is where education comes in but I also believe in personal freedom of choice for an adult as long as they are not doing harm to others. The problem is what is taught and what is reality is often very far from the truth.

I just think the politicians have their heads in the sand and cant see the truth of the society we live in where drug use is in all walks of life.

astraboy

In all honesty les I think your last statement applies to everyone from casual users to no hoper addicts. You stop when you want (Or have) to stop, no-one can tell you otherwise, you just dont listen.

although I dont dabble myself, my social life means I have a lot of friends who do.

One of them has stopped becuase pills made his OCD much more pronounced.

Another stopped becuase of his failing health in general.

However, on the flip side, I know one guy who still dabbles on a weekly basis despite it wrecking his digestive system to the point of him having absorbsion [sp] problems.

I went out with a girl who despite her receiving therapy for her OCD and anxiety attacks, furiously took everything she could get her hands on. Her personaity changes were quite pronounced to the point where I always made myself scarce when she was having a puff. She was the exact opposite when she was on pills though.

Its all down to perosnal choice though, no legislation or education will help, people stop when they want to stop. You are proof of that, the same as the examples I have provided, just with different commodities.

I'm afraid there is no distinction between illegal drugs and alcohol & tobacco les, apart from the social stigmas attached to them. People with addictive personalities will become addicted to addictive substances, no matter whether they are illegal or not.

There are just as many smackheads as there are **** head and people chaining 90 a day. Hell, back in 2000 I was addicted to drinking diet coke, I used to drink 2 litres a day until it cost me my appendix. It was only the 9 days without food or drink which got me off the caffiene buzz.

I agree with you on that one. I've never been tempted to try regular drugs, but hallucinogens scare the crap out of me, I would happily inject rather than take them.

Education wont do a thing, apart from raising awareness. People will still take them no matter what they know though. I intend to go raving tonight and drink enough red stripe and tequila to kill several small babies, despite the "reccomended" limits and all the horror stories surrounding binge drinking.

I do this because I want to do it, the same as everyone who is planning to get wasted tonight. Legislation and education be damned. Not an ideal situation I admit, but its the one society has to deal with.

I dont profess to have the answers, I'm not even sure there is an answer apart from the adage that "theres a time and a place for everything"
astraboy.

Leslie

All perfectly good points made by all here as far as I can see. Gross addiction to drugs is a terrible problem and the answer is a difficult one because of the widely different attitudes towards the use of hard and soft drugs.

My main worry is that if all legal restraint was removed, it would send the wrong message to young people who would not see any reason not to experiment. It seems to be one of those creeping diseases which suddenly catches up and hooks you before you know it.

My own idea is that it is better to put up a strong fight against those who procure and sell them with no thought for the health of their customers except that if they get them hooked, they will get more trade of course.

I also think that a concentrated effort should be made towards educating young children about the dangers involved with no punches pulled.

It may save a good few, although I agree that if a person is set on using them-he will do.

Les

Suresh

The Dutch are on the brink of criminalising magic mushrooms (paddos) as tourists have taken to jumping of bridges whilst tripping their heads off.

Alcohol still causes the worst drug-related problems in society by a long way though.