You are correct. Heroin has exploded in Kentucky due to the crackdown on Meth. It's cheaper, easier to obtain and, unfortunately, more dangerous. .

...and this is why the War on Drugs is NOT a winnable war. Especially the way it's currently "fought".

 

That was an attempt to assist in the crackdown. Helped with Meth and Rx meds.

 

And failed horribly to address any addiction issues because they just moved on to the most physically addicting drug in the planet. In the process giving more power to gangs. At least the supply was more controllable when they were legal opiates and not nearly as dangerous.

...and this is why the War on Drugs is NOT a winnable war. Especially the way it's currently "fought".

 

Agreed.

 

What is your solution? Rehab is a revolving door. I see it every day. People given multiple opportunities at rehab. They mostly go to rehab just to get out of jail for a period of time.

 

I don't have all the answers.

 

Are we to just ignore those that break the law?

Agreed.

 

What is your solution? Rehab is a revolving door. I see it every day. People given multiple opportunities at rehab. They mostly go to rehab just to get out of jail for a period of time.

 

I don't have all the answers.

 

Are we to just ignore those that break the law?

I'm for the legalization of all illicit drugs. So, they wouldn't be breaking the law by possessing/trafficking/using them. Any other laws someone breaks while under the influence would be severely punished. I was going to write a pretty long post but while looking for some actual numbers I found the following article which sums up most of my thoughts:

 

War on drugs a trillion-dollar failure

 

It is time we broke the taboo and opened up the debate about the war on drugs. We need alternatives that focus on education, health, taxation and regulation.

 

If you ignore a serious problem, refuse to debate it and hope it will go away all by itself, you are very naive. The war on drugs has failed. It's time to confront the issue head on.

First I don't have the answer either

 

The biggest issue with drugs isn't that people use them. It's that people lie, cheat, steal and kill to be able to get them. The crime around drug use that does harm others is the biggest issue to me.

 

If someone wants to inject an 8Ball and OD that's on them, unless I personally know them it doesn't impact me. If the same guy breaks into my garage and steals my tools so he can then go buy drugs, I have a problem.

 

If someone wants to get high on Oxy, I don't care. But if the do a home invasion looking for drugs at my grandma's house, I have a problem.

 

If someone want's to smoke weed until their brains ooze out their ears I could not care less, but if they are shoplifting from local businesses to be able to buy it, I have a problem.

 

So for all of you wanting to legalize all drugs, that's fine...you better start a government handout to pay for them or the crime associated with being able to afford them is about to explode to epic proportions as even more more people will be using drugs and thus needing to feed their addiction.

 

Again I don't have the answer, but please don't ever believe that drug use is a victimless crime. For every person out there that works hard and is able to maintain employment while partaking in illicit drug use there are at least 10, 20, 30 more that don't have a job and are trying to figure out what they can steal next to afford today's fix.

First I don't have the answer either

 

The biggest issue with drugs isn't that people use them. It's that people lie, cheat, steal and kill to be able to get them. The crime around drug use that does harm others is the biggest issue to me.

 

If someone wants to inject an 8Ball and OD that's on them, unless I personally know them it doesn't impact me. If the same guy breaks into my garage and steals my tools so he can then go buy drugs, I have a problem.

 

If someone wants to get high on Oxy, I don't care. But if the do a home invasion looking for drugs at my grandma's house, I have a problem.

 

If someone want's to smoke weed until their brains ooze out their ears I could not care less, but if they are shoplifting from local businesses to be able to buy it, I have a problem.

 

So for all of you wanting to legalize all drugs, that's fine...you better start a government handout to pay for them or the crime associated with being able to afford them is about to explode to epic proportions as even more more people will be using drugs and thus needing to feed their addiction.

 

Again I don't have the answer, but please don't ever believe that drug use is a victimless crime. For every person out there that works hard and is able to maintain employment while partaking in illicit drug use there are at least 10, 20, 30 more that don't have a job and are trying to figure out what they can steal next to afford today's fix.

Drug use is a victimless crime. Everything you described is a crime in and of itself.

Drug use is a victimless crime. Everything you described is a crime in and of itself.

My point is that drugs aren't free and the vast majority using them can only afford them due to committing other crimes.

 

In my last job I dealt with people stealing from my employer on an almost daily basis, by their own admission probably 8 out 10 were stealing due to a drug habit.

 

While many just look at it the way you are, I'm asking that they look beyond that. Drug use doesn't happen in a vacuum, it drives a huge number of other crimes in this country that don't seem to be drug related.

My point is that drugs aren't free and the vast majority using them can only afford them due to committing other crimes.

 

In my last job I dealt with people stealing from my employer on an almost daily basis, by their own admission probably 8 out 10 were stealing due to a drug habit.

 

While many just look at it the way you are, I'm asking that they look beyond that. Drug use doesn't happen in a vacuum, it drives a huge number of other crimes in this country that don't seem to be drug related.

 

If that's the case, all these things you just mentioned are already occurring, so your presumption that there would be an epidemic of other crimes would seem to be false.

My point is that drugs aren't free and the vast majority using them can only afford them due to committing other crimes.

 

In my last job I dealt with people stealing from my employer on an almost daily basis, by their own admission probably 8 out 10 were stealing due to a drug habit.

 

While many just look at it the way you are, I'm asking that they look beyond that. Drug use doesn't happen in a vacuum, it drives a huge number of other crimes in this country that don't seem to be drug related.

 

Is the drug operations ran by cartels, and the crime that's associated with it more dangerous than the petty crimes (theft) drug users resort to?

If that's the case, all these things you just mentioned are already occurring, so your presumption that there would be an epidemic of other crimes would seem to be false.

 

You think more drug users would created less fringe crime? Unless legalized drugs are given away for free, legalizing them is just going to lead to more people using them and then trying to figure out how to afford them once they become addicted.

Is the drug operations ran by cartels, and the crime that's associated with it more dangerous than the petty crimes (theft) drug users resort to?

A ton of the cartel crime happens outside of the U.S. aka "places we don't care about"...

You think more drug users would created less fringe crime? Unless legalized drugs are given away for free, legalizing them is just going to lead to more people using them and then trying to figure out how to afford them once they become addicted.

More speculation than anything but a lot of the issue driving prices way up for some of these drugs is the illicit nature of them. Legalization could definitely see prices drop. Also, marijuana could just as easily be grown by the user.

Is the drug operations ran by cartels, and the crime that's associated with it more dangerous than the petty crimes (theft) drug users resort to?

Which impacts the most people? Is most of the street crime in the US caused by Cartels, or those associated with drug use?

 

Like I said, I don't have the answer but no way I see that legalizing drugs is the magic answer that many of you do.

More speculation than anything but a lot of the issue driving prices way up for some of these drugs is the illicit nature of them. Legalization could definitely see prices drop. Also, marijuana could just as easily be grown by the user.

You were talking about ALL Illicit drugs not just Marijuana. Marijuana is much different than Heroin, Cocaine, Oxy, Meth and other illicit drugs. Even if prices drop on Heroin, how many Heroin users you think are able to hold a job and afford cheaper Heroin? As said earlier it is the most addictive drug out there, you don't use Heroin recreationally and just walk away.

You were talking about ALL Illicit drugs not just Marijuana. Marijuana is much different than Heroin, Cocaine, Oxy, Meth and other illicit drugs. Even if prices drop on Heroin, how many Heroin users you think are able to hold a job and afford cheaper Heroin? As said earlier it is the most addictive drug out there, you don't use Heroin recreationally and just walk away.

 

Even if drugs are made legal, companies can still require drug tests for employment.

 

The increase in drug users will not jump in the way you're assuming IMO.