Sunday, June 29, 2008

Don't Tell the Proponents Of The Drug War

For decades we have all been bombarded with the information of the dangers of Narcotic Drugs. I remember back to the "This is your brain on drugs" commercial ad days. I also remember all the Stay Off Drug Campaigns in school. But the only drugs talked about on those, and on most of the bombardment, is Marijuana, Cocaine, Heroine, PCP, Acid, LSD, etc. Even in some circumstances Tobacco and Alcohol is thrown in there with it.

But in any of these, has it been noted about the Prescription Drugs. No, since prescription drugs are prescribed by a Doctor (and common believed to be safer) none of these have ever thought of to be dangerous.

Well i just read an article from a few weeks back, originally in NY Times, that never got the time of day due to it not being information that the mongers from the War On Drug division of the federal government wants anyone to hear.

The information is this. In Florida, where this report comes from, they studied the total number of death and where the deaths came from. Here is part of the report:

"The Florida report analyzed 168,900 deaths statewide. Cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines caused 989 deaths, it found, while legal opioids — strong painkillers in brand-name drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin — caused 2,328."
"The study also found that while the number of people who died with heroin in their bodies increased 14 percent in 2007, to 110, deaths related to the opioid oxycodone increased 36 percent, to 1,253."

This information is quite interesting. While our government spend Billions of our tax dollars on a a failed war on illegal drugs (drugs that the almighty politicians deem as illegal), they turn their eyes to a bigger problem then the one they are fighting. Florida has more death from legal drugs than they do from illegal (at a rate of 2.5 to 1).

Like i said, the only thing that separates a drug from being illegal or legal is a group on numb-skull politicians. I have to ask this question: Which is worse, an all natural drug that does have addiction issues that are deemed illegal, or an un-natural substance made by man that has numerous side-effects and major issues of addiction and death? Now i know, some of you are cursing me for my viewpoint, but ponder this. Heroine is illegal, as you know. It is addictive, as you know. But what legal substance are you given to get off of it? Methidone, if you don't know, methidone is an alternative to heroine used to lessen the effects of the addiction. However methidone is many times more addictive than Heroine ever could be. Why is Methidone legal, while Heroine is not, when Methidone is more addictive and has more adverse effects.

Now for those of you that have looked up and studied the ideals of the Libertarians, know that we believe in the legalization or at least De-criminalization or Illegal drugs. We believe that by doing this, Less people would be in Jail (and actually being productive citizens), Crime would drop (just like happened once Prohibition was lifted in the 1930's), addicts would be more likely to get the help that they need (because the stigma that exists now, would no longer exist). And perhaps, just perhaps, there would be less need for Prescribed drugs that have dangerous side-effects, because there would be other more natural substances to help people deal with problems in their lifein a regulated form(for the record, i don't advocate the use of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs to help deal with stress, but some people do).

Viva Liberty!

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