'It is time to end the war on drugs', says top UK police chief - Polidicks

[quote] One of England's most senior police officers has called for class-A drugs to be decriminalised and for the policy of outright prohibition to be radically revised. In a dramatic move that will reignite the debate over the so-called war on drugs, Mike Barton, Durham's chief constable, has suggested that the NHS could supply drugs to addicts, breaking the monopoly and income stream of criminal gangs. Comparing drugs prohibition to the ban on alcohol in 1920s America that gave rise to Al Capone and the mafia, Barton argues that criminalising the trade in drugs has put billions of pounds into the pockets of criminal gangs. Drug policy reformers have praised Barton's challenge to the status quo as sensible and courageous. Writing in the Observer, Barton said: "If an addict were able to access drugs via the NHS or something similar, then they would not have to go out and buy illegal drugs. Buying or being treated with, say, diamorphine is cheap. It's cheap to produce it therapeutically. "Not all crime gangs raise income through selling drugs, but most of them do in my experience. So offering an alternative route of supply to users cuts their income stream off. "What I am saying is that drugs should be controlled. They should not, of course, be freely available," Barton wrote. "I think addiction to anything – drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc – is not a good thing, but outright prohibition hands revenue streams to villains. "Since 1971 [the Misuse of Drugs Act] prohibition has put billions into the hands of villains who sell adulterated drugs on the streets. "If you started to give a heroin addict the drug therapeutically, then we would not have the scourge of hepatitis C and Aids spreading among needle users, for instance. I am calling for a controlled environment, not a free-for-all." [/quote] [url]http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/sep/28/time-end-war-drugs-uk-police-chief[/url]

I wasn't even aware there was a "War on Drugs" in the UK.

The problem with Drug Legalisation is that no matter how logical it is, no government will ever do it because of how stigmatising it is.

[QUOTE=The mouse;42339268]The problem with Drug Legalisation is that no matter how logical it is, no government will ever do it because of how stigmatising it is.[/QUOTE] Except some already have.

Restriction is only going to create more organised crime, Supply and Demand.

[QUOTE=The mouse;42339268]The problem with Drug Legalisation is that no matter how logical it is, no government will ever do it because of how stigmatising it is.[/QUOTE] I think the stigma of drugs is quickly evaporating with each generation. I can see weed legalized just about everywhere by the end of the century.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;42339315]I think the stigma of drugs is quickly evaporating with each generation. I can see weed legalized just about everywhere by the end of the century.[/QUOTE] with current trends, it could possibly be just a couple decades, or even less (in the West, at least)

By giving addicts the drugs from the NHS, does he mean they buy the drugs from the NHS at a lower rate, or they are free on the NHS with the money saved on drug crackdowns?

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;42339315]I think the stigma of drugs is quickly evaporating with each generation. I can see weed legalized just about everywhere by the end of the century.[/QUOTE] Just about everywhere in the socially liberal parts of the western world, with a few other exceptions Saudi Arabia isn't about to legalize toking up

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;42339377]Just about everywhere in the socially liberal parts of the western world, with a few other exceptions Saudi Arabia isn't about to legalize toking up[/QUOTE] With time, I'm sure they'll come around. They'll just be one of the last few to, I'm sure. With liberal ideas spreading to developing nations through media and internet, I think these types of things will get rapidly done faster than expected.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;42339399]With time, I'm sure they'll come around. They'll just be one of the last few to, I'm sure. With liberal ideas spreading to developing nations through media and internet, I think these types of things will get rapidly done faster than expected.[/QUOTE] I think you greatly underestimate the stagnation factors in an extremely culturally conservative region

[QUOTE=The mouse;42339268]The problem with Drug Legalisation is that no matter how logical it is, no government will ever do it because of how stigmatising it is.[/QUOTE] Haven't many have? looking at weed alone [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_country[/url] quite a few have decriminalized it it seems

sux i've just finished my breaking bad box set and was hoping of making some money

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;42339405]I think you greatly underestimate the stagnation factors in an extremely culturally conservative region[/QUOTE] No, it won't happen tomorrow, but it will happen. Look how quickly democracy is spreading throughout the Middle East with the Arab Spring. Liberal ideals are spreading much faster than ever before.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;42339454]No, it won't happen tomorrow, but it will happen. Look how quickly democracy is spreading throughout the Middle East with the Arab Spring. Liberal ideals are spreading much faster than ever before.[/QUOTE] Most of the uprisings during the Arab spring were suppressed and most of the ones that succeeded either became new dictatorships or elected far-tight Islamist parties. Democracy does not equal liberalism and a lack of a democracy does not mean a lack of liberal polices, a lot of middle eastern nations used to have moderate socialist dictatorships which were remnants from the soviet era, they have mostly been replaced by Islamists.

[QUOTE=Aidan_088;42339633]Most of the uprisings during the Arab spring were suppressed and most of the ones that succeeded either became new dictatorships or elected far-tight Islamist parties. Democracy does not equal liberalism and a lack of a democracy does not mean a lack of liberal polices, a lot of middle eastern nations used to have moderate socialist dictatorships which were remnants from the soviet era, they have mostly been replaced by Islamists.[/QUOTE] Maybe I'm just being naively optimistic, but I'd rather think hopefully of the situation than ponder the worse of it.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;42339399]With time, I'm sure they'll come around. They'll just be one of the last few to, I'm sure. With liberal ideas spreading to developing nations through media and internet, I think these types of things will get rapidly done faster than expected.[/QUOTE] I think most of them will have to accept alcohol before weed though

[QUOTE=The mouse;42339268]The problem with Drug Legalisation is that no matter how logical it is, no government will ever do it because of how stigmatising it is.[/QUOTE] You should take a look at the drug laws of Portugal and the effects it has had. Some governments are already taking a much more liberal attitude.

[QUOTE=J!NX;42339419]Haven't many have? looking at weed alone [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_country[/url] quite a few have decriminalized it it seems[/QUOTE] I love how the world's laughing stock and resident expert on how to violate every tenet of the Geneva Convention at the same time, North Korea, is completely 100% DGAF about pot. They don't even consider it a drug at all.

[QUOTE=The mouse;42339268]The problem with Drug Legalisation is that no matter how logical it is, no government will ever do it because of how stigmatising it is.[/QUOTE] Not really. It'll stop being stigmatising as soon as they realize recreational drugs aren't essentially worse than cigarettes or booze and that as such don't deserve a special treatment. Hard drugs are another story altogether.

[QUOTE=Memobot;42339357]By giving addicts the drugs from the NHS, does he mean they buy the drugs from the NHS at a lower rate, or they are free on the NHS with the money saved on drug crackdowns?[/QUOTE] I guess it would like [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3592877.stm]this[/url]. It seems that they (both the NHS and the woman in the article) treat it like a normal prescription.

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;42339377]Just about everywhere in the socially liberal parts of the western world, with a few other exceptions Saudi Arabia isn't about to legalize toking up[/QUOTE] And they're a country with hookah bars on the open street ffs

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;42339208]I wasn't even aware there was a "War on Drugs" in the UK.[/QUOTE] There's a war on drugs in Australia but the cops here are more focusing their attention on Cocaine and meth, not so much weed

[QUOTE=fruxodaily;42341252]There's a war on drugs in Australia but the cops here are more focusing their attention on Cocaine and meth, not so much weed[/QUOTE] Ask the australian government how much of taxpayers money is wasted on busting steroid dealers its hilarious(ly sad)

[QUOTE=Aidan_088;42339633]Most of the uprisings during the Arab spring were suppressed and most of the ones that succeeded either became new dictatorships or elected far-tight Islamist parties. Democracy does not equal liberalism and a lack of a democracy does not mean a lack of liberal polices, a lot of middle eastern nations used to have moderate socialist dictatorships which were remnants from the soviet era, they have mostly been replaced by Islamists.[/QUOTE] Sadly, this is true. You can refresh the tree of liberty with the blood of the most reviled tyrants, but a tree is founded off the fluid it's watered with.

[QUOTE=jaegerisacunt;42341421]Ask the australian government how much of taxpayers money is wasted on busting steroid dealers its hilarious(ly sad)[/QUOTE] maybe we should ask Sylvester Stallone.

Psychology has certain things that ALWAYS apply, similar to physics. Here we see an example of people wanting somthing with fervor just because it's denied. The more something that looks/seems procreative and not immediately dangerous is prohibited from being used, the more people will want to consume it. Amazing how often this applies to things.

The war on drugs here in the UK has been bizarre, cannabis was reclassified twice within the last like ten years, firstly being downgraded because of new research and studies, and secondly being reupgraded because of ?????. It's not quite as extreme as in the US, and certainly among the younger generation (ie mine) weed is seen as almost exclusively neutral or even good (although you do get the twats who insist there's literally nothing negative about excessive usage of it). Other drugs are normally seen more negatively by the general public, and treated even more severely by the police. Weed's always seemed like somewhat of a variance based on the police you've been caught by; a kid at my school was found with it and only got let off with a stern warning.

sometimes i have to fight to keep a real big rip in my lungs without coughing thats kind of a war on drugs

Pretty impressed this guy came out with this while still in his position - shows his conviction really. Most people who come out and say this do it after they've left their position or left office because they're scared their popularity will be hit by it.