>>If Opium were for sale in every corner store (even if it was safely packaged, measured etc) we would have a healthcare epidemic that would shatter society.
Smoking has been decreasing for 60 years, despite being legal, and that's due to anti-smoking campaigns and growing social rejection of smoking. And nicotine doesn't kill a significant proportion of its users within five years the way heroin does.
Drug-use would be heavily discouraged if it were legal. Reducing use through social pressure seems to me to be far more effective than reducing it through legal punishment of those that buy, sell and possess it.
>>The #1 cause opiate problem is addiction to legal pain killers and it's not a 'street problem' it's a 'suburbs problem'.
So the problem could be that medical professionals are recommending people to use it, not that it's available on the street.
Legalizing it would eliminate the entire illicit drug market, and would significantly reduce the crime committed by drug addicts to support their habit.
Smoking has been decreasing for 60 years, despite being legal, and that's due to anti-smoking campaigns and growing social rejection of smoking. And nicotine doesn't kill a significant proportion of its users within five years the way heroin does.
Drug-use would be heavily discouraged if it were legal. Reducing use through social pressure seems to me to be far more effective than reducing it through legal punishment of those that buy, sell and possess it.
>>The #1 cause opiate problem is addiction to legal pain killers and it's not a 'street problem' it's a 'suburbs problem'.
So the problem could be that medical professionals are recommending people to use it, not that it's available on the street.
Legalizing it would eliminate the entire illicit drug market, and would significantly reduce the crime committed by drug addicts to support their habit.