[gafage]

[flagged]

[namesbc]

We tried this cruel inhumane policy for the decades called thew war on drugs and it was one of the worst failures in US history

[notyofriend]

Singapore has been successful so clearly we’re doing it wrong and focusing on the wrong things.

[iamcasen]

Just curious if you'd include alcohol in that list? What about prescription pain-killers? Just curious where you draw the line on what's criminal, and what's not.

Personally, I'd rather criminalize the negative behavior, rather than the drugs themselves. Like DUI laws, for example.

[rpmisms]

This is slightly smarter. I have zero issues with people being addicted to whatever they want, so long as it doesn't negatively affect others. You do fentanyl in the privacy of your own home, then go to work in the morning? Cool.

[defen]

> Personally, I'd rather criminalize the negative behavior, rather than the drugs themselves. Like DUI laws, for example.

How do you punish a homeless drug addict living on the streets with no assets or income?

[iAMkenough]

It is a hard problem to solve. Criminalizing drugs and throwing addicts in jail doesn't resolve the problem.

[skippyboxedhero]

...apart from in every country that does this and doesn't have lots of addicts?

It is quite strange because you go almost anywhere else in the world...no addicts, no-one uses drugs, they find it strange that anyone would use drugs...go to the US, you not only have drug addicts but a whole industry dedicated to offering very knowledgeable-sounding opinions about what should work...it never is explained why the drug problem in the US is so out of control with so many people who know what "should" work.

The only places where I have ever been that have had lots of drug addicts have been places that have tried to decriminalize (for some reason, almost always with help from the police who just want this stuff off their books altogether).

[bluescrn]

It's not a total solution, but a jailed addict isn't breaking into your car, robbing people at knifepoint, or resorting to prostitution to fund their habit. And they should have much more limited in access to drugs.

To help the addicts and reduce reoffending, what we probably need is better jails that are less a punishment and more an enforced rehab program with high-quality mental health support. And then a better path from jail back into society.

But that's expensive.

[hooverd]

Hell, why not just summarily execute them. No more homeless problem!

[tiahura]

Sounds like you’re volunteering to take them in. Good for you.