...I agree. The government will than tax it to the hilt - as they do - and no one will be able to afford it. Problem solved.
But if they can't afford it, drug smuggling will start again, same as fake cigarettes and booze
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...I agree. The government will than tax it to the hilt - as they do - and no one will be able to afford it. Problem solved.
But if they can't afford it, drug smuggling will start again, same as fake cigarettes and booze
The problem is not the smuggling of drugs...but the whole war on drugs nonsense. Legalise it and give us all a break.
But if they can't afford it, drug smuggling will start again, same as fake cigarettes and booze
I never said legalise drugs, I said take control of the supply of the problem ones.
I think we do need a rethink on the war on drugs. I think part of the problem is that drugs are all treated the same as each other when perhaps we should look at each drug in turn and work out which are the "real problem drugs" and which ones are not so much of a problem.
For instance, they say that 80+ percent of all crime in the UK is drug related. So if we focussed on which drugs were behind these crimes specifically we'd likely find that drugs like heroin and crack were the chief problems with dependent users being behind much of the crime, simply to feed their habit. If these addicts were able to source the drugs they need (for free), in a very tightly and carefully controlled manner (this is the tricky bit), then pretty soon you'd have 'never seen before' reductions in crime rates.
Dealers would find that these particular drugs werent profitable any more and would move onto something else (less problem drugs hopefully) the addicts could be very gradually weened off and fledgling users wouldnt be exposed to these problem drugs on the street and become the addicts of tomorrow as they simply wouldnt be available anymore due to supply and demand. Within 5 years, heroin and crack addicts would be few and far between.
Meanwhile, the police would have much time on their hands to do greater more proactive things, the public will suddenly find their insurance premiums going down and the streets will be a safer place.
Those still smoking the odd joint or taking a pill whilst clubbing on a saturday night will still continue to do what they have always done and frankly go pretty much un-noticed because this subset of drug users were never really a problem in the first place.
I've no doubt her family will be on the news soon saying what a wonderful mother / daughter and wife she is and was threatened by unknown persons to smuggle the drugs.
Petitions and marches will be organised and the Govt will be criticised for not doing enough.
Bali will be criticised for it's legal system and lack of human rights.
Britain will once again attempt to interfere in the affairs of foreign lands.
Eventually she will receive a reduced sentence, get released, return home and sell her story to the papers for £1000's.
It's not wonder these individuals continue to smuggle drugs.
Personally I have no sympathy with these people.
Signs are erected all over the place in these countries warning of the consequences of drug smuggling.
These individuals should serve their full prison term and pay for their crime.
If the can't do the time they shouldn't do the crime.
If you saw the article in The Independent today, all her neighbours were saying what a nuisance she was and how happy they were for her to move away (former neighbours) or to not be coming back (most recent neighbours)
Dealers would find that these particular drugs werent profitable any more and would move onto something else (less problem drugs hopefully)
Great post Spike - some sanity on the subject at last. Only highlighting the above part to mention that up till now it has been the reverse that has been happening - peeps looking for a harmless soft drug and being told there's none but there's this: heroin. Merely because it is more lucrative (and easier smuggled) for the dealer.
Elsewhere on this forum a member posted that the bulk of UK drug use was ''recreational and non-problematic''. So why criminalise these people?
Prohibition of any type does not work...look at the US during the years of alcohol prohibition.
I disagree, it depends on how it is done. Suddenly announcing drugs/drink/fags illegal will not work unless you have decades to persevere.
You could test everyone for illegal drugs every week, and introduce escalating but draconian penalties.
Going gently and slowly, increasing taxes, introducing restrictions and bad publicity will probably(possibly) work quicker and better. Ultimately, public opinion will decide, once its takes seriously.
I'm finding it difficult to imagine what £1.6M 'worth' of cocaine actually looks like...for a woman to carry.
The fact the neither a minority of moralistic puritans .....
can impose their views on the majority is a triumph to our democracy.
Let's have a debate in parliament. Let's demonstrate in the streets, blog online, make speeches in Hyde Park... let's convince our fellow countrymen, if we can.
The second issue has to do with upholding the principle of respect for the law. Whenever someone here gets a parking ticket, the views on this forum are immediately divided between those who say that if you park illegally and get caught then you should just pay the fine and not complain, and those who say that traffic wardens should fine something better to do with their time than dishing-out tickets to motorists who caused no inconvenience to anyone by their illegal parking (and other similar arguments).
I am firmly in the first camp. Whatever I think about where people should or should not park, parking illegally when you know the law (or any other traffic offence for that matter) is a conscious decision for which one should be willing to accept the consequences. I am not suggesting that I have never parked illegally - and I do not take the moral high ground on legal parking. But when I do park illegally and do get caught, I do not see myself as a victim.
The same, to my mind, should apply to drug users. I am not suggesting that they are all dangerous criminals - some of them are just minor offenders - but offenders they are, and there's no other way to describe it.
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