Ireland To Legalise Drugs

[Svejk]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ireland-to-decriminalise-small-amounts-of-drugs-including-heroin-cocaine-and-cannabis-for-personal-a6719136.html

[Svejk]

It will be interesting to see how it goes, don't you think?

[DTCwordfan]

well that's Ireland going up in smoke. What next, Prostitution?

[Old_Geezer]

I have some sympathy with decriminalising drugs. Should reduce genuine criminal involvement/gain. And folk may feel they can be more open/honest and maybe seek help on getting rid on an addiction. Good luck to them.

[Cloverjo]

It will definitely be interesting. I am slightly confused by what the injecting rooms will offer. Are they just safe places where people can go with their stash in order to take it supervised by a medic? Or are these places going to offer free drugs so addicts don't have to steal in order to pay for their habit, as some of the commentators at the bottom of the report have said?

[DTCwordfan]

oops, I meant Protestant....

[Old_Geezer]

I have some sympathy with decriminalising prostitution. Should reduce genuine criminal involvement/gain. And folk should be free to offer their body or pay for the use of a willing sex worker without state interference. Should get them off the street, increase health checks, less risk , raise tax, etc.. Good luck to them.

[Baldric]

///Should reduce genuine criminal involvement/gain///
Don't see how that bit will work, unless I missed the bit that said they are going to be available from Boots?

[SeaJayPea]

On the face of it, this looks like being a sound idea - a good experiment, at the very least. I'd like to think that users might also be able to get their 'stash' checked for purity. Bizarrely, many, if not most, people who die from heroin use, die because they get sold some stuff that has been 'cut' fewer times than normal and overdose as a consequence.

Portugal does something on similar lines and this is The Washington Post's line on that:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/05/why-hardly-anyone-dies-from-a-drug-overdose-in-portugal/

[EDDIE51]

Ireland is to DECRIMINALISE drugs which is VERY different from legalising them!!
Legalising them would mean that they could legally be sold commercially just as alcohol and tobacco are. Decriminalising them means you do not prosecute users, which allows resources to be concentrated on stopping dealers and importers.

[jomifl]

Good point Eddie, There are thousands of drugs which are legal but a prescription is neede to obtain them.

[jomifl]

Have they legalised contraceptive drugs?

[sandyRoe]

That would be a step too far.

[EDDIE51]

'Injection rooms' would supply clean sterile needles and safe areas to use them with proper disposal of used needles . At the moment dirty shared needles are a major cause of hepatitis and other infections among addicts, and there are many cases of accidental injury from discarded needles.

[Svejk]

I knew I was inviting some pedantry with my OP. But frankly I couldn't be arsed.

[sandyRoe]

Haven't both Portugal and Switzerland led the way in this? It seems a good idea.

[hc4361]

Jomifl, I take it that is a joke about the contraceptive pill?

[jomifl]

hc , hardly a joke, I have just ascertained that the contraceptive pill was finally made legal in Ireland in 1980, despite the catholic church's attempts to impose its will on all people in Ireland regardless of their religious affiliation.

[hc4361]

That's why I thought you were joking - the contraceptive pill and the 'morning after' pill are both available in Ireland.

[SeaJayPea]

Thanks for the Best Answer, Svejk.