I Watch A Lot Of Reality Type Programmes, The 999 Type Thing Not Sex On The Beach Rubbish.

[RATTER15]

I often find it odd that so many people are caught stoned or high on drugs, often driving cars etc.

These people are never charged with taking, smoking or consuming these illegal drugs!
just the secondary offence of driving under the influence in the case of driving.

Why not give them a large fine or a few weeks inside, at least a criminal conviction just for taking it!

[ummmm]

They turn a blind eye to drugs for personal use. Usually just confiscate them.

[Buenchico]

Taking drugs isn't illegal and never has been. It's only 'possession' (usually a very minor offence) and 'supply' (frequently a far more serious offence) which are illegal.

[davebro]

fines don't get paid & no space in prisons for low grade offenders.

[RATTER15]

"Taking drugs isn't illegal and never has been" I know, but maybe if it was illegal they may make a bit more headway!

[ummmm]

Ratter - they haven't even got the resources to catch dangerous criminals.

[RATTER15]

I know ummmm, it winds me up, these people should be classed as dangerous criminals when you think of all the deaths relating to drugs being taken!! Maybe down a back ally for 5 mins with a tazer! Can I be the the one with the tazer please! :-)

[Buenchico]

>>> Why not give them a large fine or a few weeks inside

All of the research shows that prison sentences of less than 6 months are totally ineffective and might actually make a person more likely to reoffend.


>>> at least a criminal conviction just for taking it

Motoring offences (other than those which are dealt with by fixed penalties) all create 'criminal convictions' and 'criminal records' anyway. i.e. if you end up in court for ignoring a 'No entry' sign, you'll receive both a 'criminal conviction' and a 'criminal record'. So I can't see the point of your suggestion.

[david small]

Birch em......Birch em all.

[davebro]

^^^ absolutely^^^

[Bazile]

Taking drugs isn't illegal but possession is
But in order to take it ,you need to possess it , don't you ?

[ABSpareEditor]

I have moved this thread into the category "Media & TV".

[Barsel]

Ratter, I watch quite a few of those programmes too, and at the end of the programme they say what happened to the person involved. 'No further action was taken' 'Not enough evidence' etc. This is the point I start swearing at the tele! I appreciate we can't send everyone to jail, but surely they should get some form of punishment? Community service perhaps.

[ummmm]

Community service still takes a lot of time and money, sadly.

[Ken4155]

Barsel; if there's "not enough evidence", how can a punishment be handed out? Knowing and proving are two completely different things in the eyes of the law.

[Barsel]

I appreciate what you are saying Ken, of course there can be no punishment if there isn't enough evidence, but it must be frustrating for the police who know a person committed a crime but can't be charged due to lack of evidence. Nothing can be done about that.

[Ken4155]

^
It is very frustrating, Barsel. I mentioned on another thread, yesterday, that while serving on the Regimental Intelligence Section on my 3rd tour of Ulster (70s) i had access to Top Secret documents which revealed we KNEW who the bomb makers were, we had STRONG suspicions who the snipers were. But we couldn't prove anything and they went unpunished for quite some time. In fact, as far as i know, some of them never were punished.