The idiotic war on drugs!

[Sid]

Well, that flies in the face of all academic studies.

You obviously have an insight into these type of matters greater than anybody at The British Journal of Criminology and Drug and Alcohol Review.

I bow down to your superior knowledge and intellect. I will have to re-evaluate my train of thought that leads me to believe people who have studied a subject and have achieved a certain level of eminence in their field know more than the likes of either of us!

[Ollyof39]

I judge someone by what they say, not what they are, Sid. I suggest you do the same mate - I've known qualified individuals who have no common sense or nous whatsofuckingever, and they've got to where they are by arse-licking, who they know, or by having a good memory which has enabled them to qualify in their specific field. No need to thank me for this wise advice mate.

[Casper]

Personally, I'd like real information on how much of a problem drugs are — eg, the number of users and addicts, how much drug use costs/harms society compared to alcohol and tobacco in terms of theft, violence, fatalities, etc.

And to get some idea of scale, I'd also like to know how this compares to the "more-acceptable" costs, injuries and deaths on our roads.

Transform's 2009 report examines the benefits of prohibition versus the benefits of a legally regulated system of drug control – a comparison that has never been carried out in the UK or anywhere else in the world.

This initial analysis demonstrates that a move to legally regulated drug supply would deliver substantial benefits to the Treasury and wider community, even in the highly unlikely event of a substantial increase in use.

The report reveals how the prohibition of drugs is the root cause of almost all drug-related acquisitive crime, and that this crime constitutes the majority of drug-related harms and costs to society.

[Sid]

How can it not be the best course of action to make drug use a medical problem instead of a criminal one. Eventually, once the situation in Portugal, which isn't a million miles in distance and way of life than this country, is clearly seen to be working beyond any shadow of a doubt then others will surely have to follow suit.

I live in hope. One day we won't be at risk of having our £500 TVs stolen so some scumbag can get his bag of brown for the night!

[Casper]

How can it not be the best course of action to make drug use a medical problem instead of a criminal one. Eventually, once the situation in Portugal, which isn't a million miles in distance and way of life than this country, is clearly seen to be working beyond any shadow of a doubt then others will surely have to follow suit.

I live in hope. One day we won't be at risk of having our £500 TVs stolen so some scumbag can get his bag of brown for the night!

I agree. Even if we're wrong to paint a utopian picture in the effect of legalising drugs, all the evidence indicates that the benefits of legalisation outweighs the cost.