Yesterday, the New York Times carried a story about a movement to criminalize yet another substance in order to protect those idiots who might want to injest it. The target this time, an herb called salvia divinorum, is the focus of legal attention by various states because it is a powerful hallucinogen. Some idiots have apparently been posting videos to YouTube showing themselves getting high on it. One Texas representative, Charles Anderson, commented: "When you see it, well, it sure makes a believer [in prohibition] out of you." (Hmm, Representative, I wonder if a video of some guys getting drunk on beer would be any more edifying.)
The fact is, the state should not be involved in determining what people put in their own bodies. If someone is stupid enough to poison themselves with some drug, that is their problem, and my tax dollars shouldn't be spent on it. We shouldn't be criminalizing people for just being stupid.
What makes this really disturbing is that salvia divinorum looks as though it could be a useful component for psychiatric medications and possibly AIDS treatments. Idiots like Rep. Anderson, in trying to protect people from themselves, will only slow the progress of medicine.
Showing posts with label drug laws. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drug laws. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
What's REALLY Behind Last Year's Bloodbath
Well, last year ended with 392 murders in Philadelphia, slightly less than 2006, despite a gruesome summer.
What was behind this violence, and its sudden decline. There is no one solution, but I think this NPR story holds some clues. What we saw was good law enforcement in action! Yes!
You see, according to federal drug enforcement officials, such as Drug Czar John Walters, there were major successes in curbing the amount of drugs, particularly cocaine, coming into the country early this year. One of the first places hit by the cocaine shortage was Philadelphia, where the scarcity started in May. In the following summer, there were massive amounts of violence.
Coincidence? I think not.
You see, drug shortages contribute to violence in at least two ways. First, drug gangs start competing more for territory, in order to make up for lost revenue. Second, drug addicts become more desperate for drugs, which means they became more violent and willing to rob people.
The story also contains a clue to why violence dropped later in the year. As one Philadelphia detective they interviewed notes, the shortage ended with the summer, creating less stimulus for violence.
Of course, this is not the only reason for the drop in violence. Violence always drops somewhat after the summer ends. Furthermore, the Philadelphia Police have been given impetus to crack down by the election of a reformist mayor, a new, tough police chief whom precinct captains will want to make a good impression on, not to mention a spate of Philly police officers getting shot.
Nonetheless, I think this is worth considering when we look at our nation's drug laws.
What was behind this violence, and its sudden decline. There is no one solution, but I think this NPR story holds some clues. What we saw was good law enforcement in action! Yes!
You see, according to federal drug enforcement officials, such as Drug Czar John Walters, there were major successes in curbing the amount of drugs, particularly cocaine, coming into the country early this year. One of the first places hit by the cocaine shortage was Philadelphia, where the scarcity started in May. In the following summer, there were massive amounts of violence.
Coincidence? I think not.
You see, drug shortages contribute to violence in at least two ways. First, drug gangs start competing more for territory, in order to make up for lost revenue. Second, drug addicts become more desperate for drugs, which means they became more violent and willing to rob people.
The story also contains a clue to why violence dropped later in the year. As one Philadelphia detective they interviewed notes, the shortage ended with the summer, creating less stimulus for violence.
Of course, this is not the only reason for the drop in violence. Violence always drops somewhat after the summer ends. Furthermore, the Philadelphia Police have been given impetus to crack down by the election of a reformist mayor, a new, tough police chief whom precinct captains will want to make a good impression on, not to mention a spate of Philly police officers getting shot.
Nonetheless, I think this is worth considering when we look at our nation's drug laws.
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