It is definitely not a mental issue since 100% of the addicts know perfectly well what kind of crime they are committing and take full responsibility of their act.
Now, how will pay for the rehab and medical treatment of those addicts? I don't know the figure but the cost of medical treatment must be in the thousands of $/£ or EUR.
Assuming that there are 50 million drug addicts (consumers) in the US alone and assuming that it costs $5,000 per addict, the bill would be a horrendous $250 billion.
Who pays for that bill? It's you and me through our taxes and because there is not enough funds to pay, the logic consequences is to increase the taxes.
I appreciate your opinion but it is wrong. As someone who has experienced drug abuse and also works in mental health. You are wrong. Go and look at statistics and make all of the calculations on how much it is costing the tax payer for people in prison for drug related crimes and get back to me with the numbers and references.
The costs are up to $20,000 per person according to this simple Google search
QUOTE
"How much does drug rehab cost? Well-known centers often cost up to $20,000 for a 30-day program. For those requiring 60- or 90-day programs, the total average of costs could range anywhere from $12,000 to $60,000. Outpatient programs for mild to moderate addictions are cheaper than inpatient rehab. Many cost $5,000 for a three-month program"
So, I will take the lowest amount of $12,000 and multiply that by 24.6 million and the result is...
$295,200,000,000 tax payers money.
Thank you for the correction. I tend to dedramatize things all the time.
People punish drug addicts to discourage drug use and to prevent them from being in positions of trust and liability like day care worker or teacher. They do not punish them because drug users are more evil than other people. It's not a good way but it might be the only way. I know medication helps but without punishment - people are going to do it more.
I'm for decriminalizing drug use. Decrimanalizing drugs would eliminate so much chaos worldwide. It's what fuels economies & creates lavish lifestyles for dealers. While sucking the dignity out of drug users. Does creating a driving cash flow really produce mass life changing results for the abuser? No way. The US government spends $51b yearly to fight a $100b business. I'm sure no one really thinks imprisoning drug addicts has altered its use.
I think using the mass amounts money fighting drugs would actually be better utilized by helping addicts find more purpose in a more stable & productive lifestyle. Taking away demand
Well it goes both ways, the problem really lies in what drug they are addicted to. and how they obtain the money. to buy the drugs also what happens when they are intoxicated. there is so many variables. in this problem that really make the difference. if they get treatment or be locked up. it should be a case by case situation because some people need to be woken up by being put in jail in order to want the help of getting treatment they say that there is only three options in drug addiction jail's institution and DEATH sometimes we need Devine intervention and that could very well be jail
There is too many drug substance abuse clinics are being run like meat freezers for dead cattle waiting to be sent out to Grocery stores. Yes something needs done about these clinics. As a Moderate who votes either way I feel the Democrats are to blame for these clinics that are run like meat freezers people go them clinics give bogus urine test and most go there high on Methadone or Suboxene most are on xanax that is highly abused the addicts mix these two drugs together don't care about the risk they are taking.
Maybe I'd governments did away with laws regarding what a person can or can not put into their body the family, city, country and world would look after the sick and addicted almost like a system of class or could be like 1 oh you take opiates well you get a small square room with all the features a drug addict needs and NO we sdont want to hear a squeak from you. The state your in means that everything is diluted and toxic 2 oh you dont do any drugs ok well we have a 4bdrm house with a pool and a garage just waiting and yes of course your say matters uou are of sound mind and clear intention
I think they should be given the opportunity to help themselves. Most drug addicts I've met stay addicted because they want to be. My colleagues that can't pass drug tests resort to selling and flipping drugs instead of trying to stay sober at least long enough to pass a lousy test and get a job. I've seen that happen so many times that Im kind of unsympathetic to them but at the same time they should get an adequate amount of help if they choose to help themselves as well.
the former, absolutely. a golden society should always seek to lift up its citizens; whether or not you think drug use is something of an 'evil' act is besides the point. If we are talking about EXCESSIVE drug use, the person in question might have a problem with mental control over whether or not they can stop themselves from using said drug. why punish them? why spend an excessive amount of money labeling them a criminal, jailing them and solving nothing instead of rehabilitating them? we must help those in need.
Yes I believe prevention is better than cure but any help should be rehabilitive to get them of drugs. I believe in the full legalisation and state controlled supply of drugs being the only method of getting drugs to get rid of criminal element. All revenue from drugs sales should be used for rehab effectively paying to put themselves out of business
Of course they need help, anybody with an addiction shuold be treated, not everyone is capable of asking for help or even seeking it out. Punishing people for something they can't help is just adding more problems to their plate and they wonder why so many addicts commit suicide. It's so sad :(
it should be both treated as a mental addiction an help people but the problem is getting free help an get some way to correct the part of brain that's addictive to drugs 1 day they mite finally have a simply way with out cutting the brain ppen to send brain cells that correct the problem well replacing the brain cells that were causing the problem then the bad cells could just die but till then it's a hard thing to fix
If you've been addicted to something before (smoking, drugs, whatever) it's clear that at a certain point you're not doing it because you want to. The choice isn't a factor, you have to do it just to feel normal or to not feel sick. Absolutely they should be helped. Addiction is already the punishment for trying stupid shit, and it's fucking brutal.
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Anonymous
(45 Plus)
+1 y
I don't think it's mental health either, it's addiction! But it does "change" their thinking for sure. But it doesn't make it any less illegal either. And they have to want the help themselves (most don't), really want it I mean and really work at it (they often have to hit rock bottom before that happens, and even then it doesn't for some).
All drug use should be decriminalized, some drugs should be legally sold same way as alcohol and marijuana in some plaves. And everyone should have extremely easy and hassle-free access to bias-free information, education and medical and/or mental help related to drugs or drug abuse if need be.
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Anonymous
(18-24)
+1 y
I don’t think that it should be a criminal offense, but I do think they should be helped to a certain extent. I think they deserve a second chance, but if they keep relapsing I don’t think we should just keep giving them chances. At then end of the day using drugs is a choice. If a person chooses to poison their body then that’s on them. I don’t think they should be arrested unless they actually rob somebody or hurt somebody.
yes, that's half the problem with this country is we punish, punish punish. we need to Help people and not lock them up where they don't have access to the resources that they need.
Best thing they can do is be locked up in a prison for 6 years under forced sobriety. They should have prisons for drug addicts, which specifically work on rehabbing them in an environment where getting drugs is impossible
Drug market is the deadliest sphere of organized crime and it only exists because of addicts. They definitely deserve to be punished, ideally by death.
Yes they should be helped. Speaking as an ex addict myself addiction is a disease something that is really hard to control and is a day to day battle for the rest of one's life regardless of how many years have passed
Punish the dealers more drasticly and help the users more, like any addiction you need help to get pass itthe drug leaves the body eventualy, but the mind...
It is a mental health issue. Same with every criminal act. They should be helped rather than punished. Punishment does not work nearly as well as people believe it does.
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