It becomes everyone's business, when a junkie is no longer productive and becomes a burden on society.
So what about people who are productive taxpayers who use? Not everyone who uses narcotics are toothless junkies.
The problem is that real junkies don't just screw-up their own lives. They become a burden to all of their family and friends, in many cases. Then they'll steal from anyone they can to support their habit (this would be a problem even if it were legal). I have pretty liberal views on the drug war, and support 100% legalization of weed. But heroin, meth, coke, etc. should not be made available. Take all of the resources from busting potheads and spend it on battling the really harmful shit. Then, instead of simply incarcerating people with extensive sentences, get to the root of the problem and require treatment for addiction. Spend the money that would be used on keeping them locked-up to rehabilitate people. Instead of pouring millions of dollars into building and expanding prisons, use it to build top-notch treatment centers. That is the only way that any real difference can be made. The attitudes towards addiction in America are often highly misguided.
That's the thing, it's only a financial burden if we let it become one by A. Locking them up B. Sending them some bullshit treatment that we have to pay for.
They're a burden on society, either way. Even if it's legal, they still become worthless asswipes that will steal your shit or kill you to fund their next dose. At least with treatment there's some hope that they'll change and therefore minimize their detrimental impacts to society.
It may take both. In Britain, they will allow an addict to legally register as a heroin addict. Then they can come down to the clinic and get a shot of Methadone for pennies instead of megabucks. It accomplishes several things. It gives an addict an incentive to take treatment and counseling because that comes with the deal. It puts the clinic in charge of dosage and drawing them down as their treatment proceeds. And it takes the black market out of the heroin business for registered addicts. They don't have to commit crimes to pay for expensive drugs. They don't have to hang out with other addicts to obtain drugs. They don't OD. It's not perfect, and many fall off the wagon, but no more than any other treatment plan. It takes profits out of the equation, reducing organized crime in heroin trafficking.
Not everyone man. And if it was readily available who would steal or kill? And why isn't big pharma taking any of the heat for this. They create more addicts than anyone. They drive people to heroin. People need to stop looking at drug addicts as this bane on society because most aren't. Most are members of our family who probably ended up being there because A. they were driven there by a doctor and a pharmaceutical company. B. laws are so archaic they have been forced underground.
I agree that big pharma plays a role in this, but I also believe that addicts shoulder the responsibility for their own problems. Ha...as I'm typing this, an ad for Holisitc Light Addiction Rehab Center is appearing above the response field. Coincidence?
I always feel like stuff like that wouldn't be as effective in the US. We're too much of a gluttonous society and couldn't handle the freedom/responsibility.
