Comments on: Emerging Neo-Progressive Issues: Drug Policy

By: Timothy

Timothy — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:35:43 +0000

This is silly! Usually people do talk about their experience in drug rehab centers. The taboo subject is the actual drug prohibition. Some people want it's legalization because of it's medical benefits... some other people think we shouldn't legalize it because of addiction problems. And this is why no one can find a middle solution that satisfies everyone.

By: Alice Wonderland

Alice Wonderland — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:47:56 +0000

I totally agree with you Ada, and i think it's really stupid what is going on... People that passed over their addiction period should try and talk with other people; like this they make can let other people know how hard a drug addicts life is and what its like being in a drug rehab center and getting fixed

By: Ada

Ada — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:15:53 +0000

Drugs will always make a taboo subject. Same for the former drug addicts who usually avoid talking about their experience in a drug rehab treatment center. It's not their fault... It's the society we're living in, that makes hard for anyone to be sincere and have an open opinion on a subject...

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Sun, 10 May 2009 11:06:41 +0000

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By: Jeremy Vernon

Jeremy Vernon — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:17:35 +0000

In the latest issue of Foreign Policy, Moises Naim labels the US the worlds leading exporter of bad drug policy.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?stor...

By: phatpooch

phatpooch — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:57:34 +0000

THE R.A.A.S.T.A. MANIFESTO RECOVERING ADDICTS AGAINST SUPPORTING TERMINAL ADDICTION WE BELIEVE THAT THE MANY RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE DTES TODAY DO NOTHING MORE THAN SUPPORT ADDICTION IF THAT WERE NOT TRUE THAN WHY DO YOU HAVE MORE SUPPORT FOR ADDICTION FINANCALLY THAN RECOVERY WHY IS THERE NO SUPPORT FOR DETOX SERVICES WHEN THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF ADDICTS IN THE DTES IS SOME TEN THOUSAND AND THERE ARE ONLY 200HUNDRED BEDS AVAILABLE THE CARNEGIE HAS THE LARGEST OPEN DRUG FACILITY IN NORTHAMERICA AND IS SUPPORTED BY MANY DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS THERE ARE OVER 200HUNDRED CARNEGIE CENTRES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND NOT ONE OF THEM HAS THE REPUTATION AS OUR VERY OWN IT'S BEEN ESTIMATED THAT OVER 2000 DRUG TRANSACTIONS TAKE PLACE ON THE VERY DOORSTEP OF THIS BUILDING DAILY.WHO CARES WE DO WE ARE A GROUP OF RECOVERED ADDICTS THAT WANT TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE CITY THE POLICE THE GOVERMENT TO PUT A STOP TO THIS BUILDING AND IT'S FLAGRANT ABUSE OF THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION AND LEGACY NEXT WE HAVE UNITED WE CAN THIS BUILDING IS PROBABLY THE WORST EXAMPLE OF ABUSE OF ANY IV'E SEEN EVERYDAY MEN WOMEN WILL SCOUR THE BINS GARBAGE CANS ETC OF EASTVAN ONLY TO END UP BACK ON THE HASTING STREET LOCALE TO EXCHANGE BOTTLES FOR CASH WALK OUT THE BACK DOOR AND BE MET BY A DRUG DEALER TO SPEND WHAT TAKES HOURS AND HOURS OF DIGGING THROUGH GARBAGE TO EARN THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THESE MEN WOMAN IS BANKRUPT THEYARE ONLY STEPS AWAY FROM DEATH THERE HEALTH IS POOR THEY ARE BEING MOTIVATED BY ADDICTION NOT THE ECOSYSTEM AND I HAVE SEEN THE LINEUPS THEY CAN BE QUITE FESTIVE AS FRIENDS GATHER TOGETHER TO TELL STORIES OF A NIGHTS WORK MOST OF THESE POOR LOST SOULS EARN 20 T0 40 DOLLARS FOR THERE LABOUR THEY ARE INFECTED AND DISEASE RIDDEN WHAT A SAD STATE TO ME THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THE UNITED WE CAN FOUNDATION AND ALL IT'S SUPPORTERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED SUPPORTING TERMINAL ADDICTION IS NOT A GOOD CAUSE INSITE IS NEXT ON THE LIST THE MONEY THAT SPENT TO KEEP THESE DOORS OPEN IS JUSTIFIED I'LL AGREE ON THE POINT OF SAVING LIVES BUT IN THE END HOW MANY TIMES WOULD THEY ALLOW AN OVERDOSE IN THERE FACILITY TO HAPPEN FOR A REPEAT OFFENDER THE FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICE IS STRESSED TO THE MAX IN GENERAL THIS BUILDING KEEPS THEM BUSY I'M SURE THE ONE REAL QUESTION I HAVE FOR THE CITY THE POLICE THE CARNEGIE THE GOVERMENT THE INSITE SUPPORTERS THE UNITED WE CAN STORE IS WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING NOT ONLY ADDICTION BUT WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING DRUG DEALERS THE ONES THAT MAKE THERE TRADE IN FRONT OF THESE SERVICES ARE RUTHLESS THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN A GREEN LIGHT BY EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU AND YOUR SPONSERS THEY SEEM TO BE DOING QUITE WELL THEY HAVE GENERATED 10.000 CUSTOMERS RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSES AND NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE SUPPORTING TERMINAL ADDICTION IS ALIVE AND WELL IN VANCOUVER AND I.M SICK OF IT.THE METHADONE PROGRAM IS AS WE SPEAK CREATING A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF OPIATE DEPENDENCY THE GOVERMENT JUNKIES SLASH METHADONE ZOMBIES ARE JUST STARTING TO AMASS THE SUPPORT OF THIS FORM OF TERMINAL ADDICTION IS THE WORST OF IT'S KIND THE OVERALL PROGRAM IS CORRUPT THE KICKBACKS THE PHARMACIES THEMSELVES CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT THEY ARE OUT OF CONTROL IF YOU THINK THAT THESE SEVICES ARE HELPFULL THEN JUST ASK ANY TWENTY YEAR VETERAN OF THE DTES HOW HE OR SHE FEELS ABOUT THEM SELVES TODAY AND THE ANSWER WILL BE UNIVERSAL THEY WISH THEY HAD A BETTER CHANCE AT LIFE BUT NOW THEY ARE ADDICTED TILL DEATH THUS TERMINAL ADDICTION THIS IS WHAT YOU SERVED THEM A HUGE PLATE OF ENABLEMENT AND YOU BETTER HOPE YOUR CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN DON'T GET A TASTE BECAUSE THE SYSTEM OR THE MACHINE IS WELL OILED AND ORGANIZED AND ALIVE AND IT'S EATING MOTHERS FATHERS BROTHERS SISTERS ETC. AS FAST AS IT CAN .WE AT RAASTA ARE JUST BEGINING TO ORGANIZE YOU WILL HEAR FROM US AGAIN I PROMISE YOU THE RESOURCES WE HAVE AVALIABLE ARE THE SAME AS YOURS BUT WE ARE COMING FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE NOT TERMINAL ADDICTION BUT A LIFE FREE FROM ADDICTION OF ANY KIND IF WHAT WE DO ON BEHALF OF THESE OUR BROTHERES AND SISTERS IN THE DTES WILL SAVE JUST ONE FROM TERMINAL ADDICTION ARE CAUSE IS JUST AND WE CAN SLEEP ONE MORE NIGHT BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO STAND BY AND ALLOW THIS SLAUGHTER TO HAPPEN UNDER OUR NOSES ANY LONGER THE KILLING FIELDS OR DEATHSENTENCE AS WE KNOW IT THE EXISTENCE AND SUPPORT OF TERMINAL ADDICTION HAS TO BE STOPPED WE FEEL THE PLACE TO START IS WITH DETOX ON DEMAND NOT WAITING A WEEK IF WE ACCOMPLISH THIS ONE GOAL WE WILL FEEL WE HAVE MADE A SMALL DENT INTO THE WORST ADDICTION PROBLEM IN NORTHAMERICA

By: david_a_eaves

david_a_eaves — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:41:06 +0000

MLH - couldn't agree more. There is a whole industry and economy built around drug enforcement.
Mark Haden of Vancouver Coastal Health put together a brief where he pulled government published numbers related to drugs and addiction. This included a note that:
"Canada spends $2.3 billion on enforcement (police, courts and corrections), and 1.1 billion in direct health care costs every year, dealing with illegal drugs. Source: J. Rehm, et al. (2006). The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada-2002. Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse."

By: MLH

MLH — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:29:19 +0000

David, you also can include the issue of the enormous cost of maintaining a courts and prison system which spends an inordinate amount of time and money processing relatively minor possession and dealing charges. In 2003, Madame Justice Southin (BC Court of Appeal, now retired) remarked:

"I have not yet abandoned my conviction that Parliament has a constitutional right to be hoodwinked, as it was in the 1920s and 1930s by the propaganda against marijuana, and to remain hoodwinked," she said.

Southin noted the enforcement and prosecution of marijuana laws had created a good deal of work for police, lawyers and judges.

"Whether that work contributes to peace, order and good government is another matter," she said."