You'd think by now with all the historical examples of prohibition not working, that we'd learn that prohibition doesn't fucking work. Guess what, making something illegal doesn't stop people from...
You'd think by now with all the historical examples of prohibition not working, that we'd learn that prohibition doesn't fucking work.
Guess what, making something illegal doesn't stop people from doing it! Yes, we should be cautious about prescribing drugs that are potentially addictive, but what that means is that we should be making it easier to detect addiction so that we can provide the correct resources to help break that addiction and find an alternative if that's a more desirable outcome than an addiction.
But, if we make the thing bad, that makes the people who are doing it bad. And we're good people, and they are bad people who will be punished. And isn't that really what we want?
Guess what, making something illegal doesn't stop people from doing it!
But, if we make the thing bad, that makes the people who are doing it bad. And we're good people, and they are bad people who will be punished. And isn't that really what we want?
It greatly reduces consumption though. Prohibitions work, not perfectly but that's not the point. Raised prices also work to reduce consumption. Sin taxes have huge health benefits on a societal...
Guess what, making something illegal doesn't stop people from doing it!
It greatly reduces consumption though. Prohibitions work, not perfectly but that's not the point.
Raised prices also work to reduce consumption. Sin taxes have huge health benefits on a societal level. Environmental taxes lead to improved environment.
I'm concerned about the mental effects to us as individuals from all sorts of substances with strong effects, be that pain killers, alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, broad spectrum antibiotics, antidepressants, even caffeine in high doses, and all sorts of other things.
I think society has a duty to have strong policies that protect us as individual biological animals from making sound choices because the substances themselves affect our decision-making processes.
That doesn't mean prohibition, but it does mean sensibly regulating these substances with an aim of reducing unnecessary use by people who's brain and choices change due to the effects of the substances themselves.
We have to deal with the underlying causes of many things, and medicate symptoms where that's necessary. If I want to go on fender benders every weekend, and that's a real priority I make in my life, great! If it's because I'm dealing with an unsatisfying life or mental issues that should be dealt with in other ways, it isn't.
You'd think by now with all the historical examples of prohibition not working, that we'd learn that prohibition doesn't fucking work.
Guess what, making something illegal doesn't stop people from doing it! Yes, we should be cautious about prescribing drugs that are potentially addictive, but what that means is that we should be making it easier to detect addiction so that we can provide the correct resources to help break that addiction and find an alternative if that's a more desirable outcome than an addiction.
But, if we make the thing bad, that makes the people who are doing it bad. And we're good people, and they are bad people who will be punished. And isn't that really what we want?
It greatly reduces consumption though. Prohibitions work, not perfectly but that's not the point.
Raised prices also work to reduce consumption. Sin taxes have huge health benefits on a societal level. Environmental taxes lead to improved environment.
I'm concerned about the mental effects to us as individuals from all sorts of substances with strong effects, be that pain killers, alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, broad spectrum antibiotics, antidepressants, even caffeine in high doses, and all sorts of other things.
I think society has a duty to have strong policies that protect us as individual biological animals from making sound choices because the substances themselves affect our decision-making processes.
That doesn't mean prohibition, but it does mean sensibly regulating these substances with an aim of reducing unnecessary use by people who's brain and choices change due to the effects of the substances themselves.
We have to deal with the underlying causes of many things, and medicate symptoms where that's necessary. If I want to go on fender benders every weekend, and that's a real priority I make in my life, great! If it's because I'm dealing with an unsatisfying life or mental issues that should be dealt with in other ways, it isn't.
see also this New York Times article from earlier this year (tildes discussion), which discusses similar issues.