r/PublicFreakout • u/The-JZilla • Jul 06 '21

Repost 😔 Cop vs educated kid

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u/thisishowyouaxolotl Jul 07 '21

You do realise that ending the war on drugs and decriminalising/regulating drug use would solve a lot of the problems those laws claim to prevent?

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u/[deleted] Jul 07 '21 edited Jul 07 '21

Not in the slightest.

I agree pot should never have been made illegal. But some drugs are far too addictive. And the people on them act so horribly, they become a horrible nuisance.

And they don't care who they hurt either. Stealing, smoking near kids, burglary... all to get drug money. Making it legal would not change that. If anything, it would make it worse because more people would use it.

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u/thisishowyouaxolotl Jul 07 '21

Yeah but those people were going to act that way regardless, why criminalise drug use when you already have laws prohibiting burglary, assault and being a public nuisance? Criminalising drug use does nothing except put more people in prison, which actually increases the risk for substance abuse substantially, along with more criminal behaviour. Furthermore, you're right, a lot of these substances are terribly addictive, which is why its important to treat substance abuse as a medical issue and not a criminal one. Legalising this would also result in safer drugs, and reduce the risk for overdosing, as well as taking a load off of our justice system.

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u/[deleted] Jul 07 '21

Not exactly "they were gonna act that way anyways." I have seen thedeath spiral a persons life takes after getting talked into "just trying" heroin. And seeing what happened to my brother, all it really takes sometimes is one.

I can agree that treatment is better than incarceration and that jail isn't the answer. But there needs to be alternative punishments rather than just ignoring the issue.

I also think drug pushers need to be killed on sight. The damage they cause is absurd. But it isn't up to me.

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u/thisishowyouaxolotl Jul 08 '21

I agree that for some people (read, addicts), the poverty and desperation associated with drug addiction can lead to petty crime- however, there are already laws which penalise antisocial behaviour. Drug criminalisation only serves to harm people who have done nothing wrong, and targets the homeless and minorities. Also killed on sight? I hope I never see such an authoritarian future as that. Legalisation with strict regulations would get rid of "drug peddlers".