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Lisa Campbell Salazar
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drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 11, 2004 - 04:13 AM
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i just did a workshop last month for a rural youth centre conference. most of the workshops at the conference were on drugs, alcohol, and ciggarettes. they preached abstention which is a good option for some people, but not accessible for everyone. i was wondering what other people's experiences and opinions were on drugs as i have not seen this topic discussed on TIG before (although i'm sure it has been!).
should rural youth centres preach obstension? or should they have a policy of harm reduction (non-judgemental, peer-based, meeting the user where they're at)?
personally i think that harmreduction is the best way! if youth centres are trying to reach at-risk youth then they should have a policy of harm reduction so that the services can go to those most in need.
peace,
elle.
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Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 11, 2004 - 04:39 AM
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Harm reduction is the way to go. If parents, teachers, government or what have you say it's evil, bad or for the derranged, what will curious minds do? Use them. So instead of that (which we've tried in Canada and it obviously hasn't worked since something like 60% of people have at least tried weed once) lets tell people that using drugs can be fun, it can have some great ups BUT it will also have its downs and depending on the drug there are different effects. Letting people know that by using it they aren't automatically bad or criminal and that should they want/need to know about different drugs, information can be made available to them with ease.
On top of that, I think safe sites for using is also key. Many youth live at home and want to use or experiment with a drug but don't have a safe place to do it. The worst thing to do is drive them into unsafe areas that will likely cause them more trouble than the drug itself. Safe injection sites have begun to develop in Canada and it's some of the smartest policy making that's gone on in the past 5-10 years.
In my mind, I believe that every drug out there should be totally legalized. In short, it would prevent a criminal monopoly ont he business side of drugs, it would prevent users from feeling criminalized and it would allow the money being spent all over the world to prosecute users to be used for social programmes that desperately need the funds.
The scariest part about that is not only as an activist do I subsribe to that method but mainstream ECONOMISTS will agree with me on this one! (Normally I'm accused of voodoo economics or just not taking the ramification of national debt seriously. In reality, national debt is the worst excuse for a neo-liberal agenda ever invented but that's for a different discussion :-)
-Adam
http://www.hungry4change.ca
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Brian
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 14, 2004 - 11:32 AM
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I have seen both cases and they don't always turn out the same. My best friend in high school's parents allowed their kids and friends to smoke pot in the house. Dad often smoked with kids too! My friend just had a mild tendancy to smoke pot and quit after just a few years. His next younger brother always had a problem with drug abuse and is still pretty messed up to this day.
I don't think there's a panacea for this whole problem but I agree that legalization would help in a myriad of ways. I think we can look at Prohibition in the 1920's and see how well that fared.
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Jessie Giles
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What worked for me
April 14, 2004 - 12:12 PM
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I know this doesn't really apply to all drugs but it did work for me regarding alcohol......
As a young person (I am young but I mean like a child) from about the age 10 up at christmas, birthdays, new years eve, etc I was allowed to taste alcohol, most of which I didn't like as a young person. As I got older I was allowed to have a small amount of wine in lemonade or soda or juice so I felt part of the celebrations and coz every one else was having wine. Then at about 15 I was given the option of having a glass or two of wine or champaine on special occassions. When I was 12 I stayed at a friend house and we found half a bottle of jim beam and drank it all. I have never been sooooo sick in all my life. Now I not drink, I might have a vodka and orange when I goo out with friends or a glass of wine on Christmas but I have only drunk a lot of alcohol once and that was the time when I was 12. Any way what I am trying to say is that if you are allowed to try things and learn about them and how to use them in a safe manner and in a safe environment then usually you learn how to do it properly with out going over board. I know alot of young people who where never allowed to try alcohol with their parents and then when they had the oppertunity they went stupid with it and as soon as they where legal to drink they over used it.
I don't know if I was able to get my point across clearly, but I hope at least some one understands what I am saying.
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ayden
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 15, 2004 - 11:03 AM
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harm reduction and decriminalization all the way, yo.
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Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 18, 2004 - 02:09 AM
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Suryakiran, the solution to your problem is legalization. If drugs are criminalized, like they are now, people will and clearly are abusing them in a most unsafe manner (for example, re-using needles). If drugs were to be legalized there is a stronger potential for things like needle exchange programmes and education to help people use safely to avoid the problems you have witnessed.
If we look at alcohol as an example of how legalization is a positive thing, you'll note that when the United States instituted prohibition, the production of the substance went to organized crime. Because it went to organized crime, alcoholics found themselves alientated because admitting that they had this disease also meant they were admitting to committing a criminal offense. Nowadays, an alcoholic has many resources to help themselves out -- not to say it's a perfect system but help is available and that's the attitude that is important with drugs.
-Adam
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Brian
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 18, 2004 - 08:13 AM
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In addition if drugs were legalized the youth would largely loose interest. Most kids want something dangerous and exciting. What can be more boring that a pack of marajuana with a plain label with a government tax label on it?
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suryakiran
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 18, 2004 - 12:09 PM
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Dear sir!
Now a days drug addiction and alcoholism are too dangerous. A small exception to cigarette smoking. because now a days HIV/AIDS spreading highly by using drugs with syringe in group addiction, and having sex in the hangover of alcohol. But there is no evidence of spread of HIV through cigarette. But cigarette is creating lung cancer, TB and other respiratory diseases.
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Udara
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 18, 2004 - 12:25 PM
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Hey!
"alcoholism are too dangerous"
Its also a waste, I have seen many drugs/alcohol addicts from rural areas of Sri Lanka spending the every penny for drugs/alcholol destroying the whole family structure..
Any other voices on drugs from developing world countries?
Udara
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Brian
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 19, 2004 - 04:12 AM
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One of the main reasons I support legalization is that our prisons are packed full of drug offenders. Mostly marajuana dealers if I'm not too far off. If at least pot were legal it would take the ultra-violent drug dealer aspect out of the equation. I used to live that life so I know! Think about it. No more dealers shooting each other over a bag...or whatever.
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Rob
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yeah
April 19, 2004 - 06:23 AM
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you are right
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Brian
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 19, 2004 - 07:01 AM
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Yeah you're right. Keep in mind also pot is a double sided coin. On the one side pot does have medicinal value. On the other is it is still smoke. Most anything that burns contains carbon monoxide which kills the cilia in the lungs. A case for moderation!
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Lisa Campbell Salazar
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 19, 2004 - 12:13 PM
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marijuana is unsafe? it is one of the safest drugs out there. more people die from taking advil every year than from smoking weed.
the worst a dealer can do to weed is spray it with windex. it is cheaper to just let weed grow then to lace it with crack or any other illegal substance. if you are worried about your weed being laced with anything you can just grow it yourself.
of course if the government of canada was really concerned about health they would provide seeds for people and decriminalize growing.
if you are worried about the ill health effects of smoking try cooking or making tincture.
these are some examples of HARM REDUCTION. we know people are going to do drugs no matter what laws and policies we create. doesn't it make sence to create policies that are healthy to drug users?
to suryakiran:
i am not a sir. i appreciate your concern about drug use being dangerous. drug user politics are very different in "developing countries". in canada we also have people who beg on the street to get money for ciggarettes, crack, alcohol, mouthwash, and other drugs. these people cannot go to most shelters and are forced to live on the streets. if shelters were to develop a harm-redcution policy then these people would have places to go.
an example of this is the shelter just down the street from me. it is a "wet shelter" and serves home-made wine for 25 cents a glass, by the hour. if alcoholics go without alcohol they can die from withdrawel. this methods provides street people with alcohol so that they can stay alive, and stay off the street.
another example of harm reduction in toronto is the queen west health centre (where i work!). queen west has a harm reduction outreach team where we go to drug users and provide them with info on how to keep themselves safe. TRIP! (www.torontoraverinfoproject.ca) gives out condoms and fliers on drugs and sex. everything that we create is written for users by users.
these are just some examples of harmreduction and how it has helped out drug users and homeless people in toronto.
lisa
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Lisa Campbell Salazar
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marijuana harm reduction
April 20, 2004 - 02:09 AM
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http://www.maps.org/mmj/vaporizer.html
this is a machine that reduces harmful toxins from marijuana.
Re: drugs being illegal because they are addictive
there are many things in our society that are adictive and bad for us. television is a horrible vice. when i was younger i used to watch t.v. for 6 hours a day because my parents both worked and my babysitter prefered it (less work for her). i dearly miss those many hours lost infront of the tube. i used to also eat whole bags of cookies because my parents didn't have time to cook for me because they were too busy paying the rent and for my babysitter.
things that i think should be illegal:
-paying someone below a living wage (for a family!)
-eating meat
-watching tv
-ciggarettes
-etc.
but if i instituted all those things i'd be a facist asshole and there would definately be an underground resistance. criminalizing vices doesn't really do much to stop them. there are plenty of drug users and whores out there and let me tell you they have no rights at all. there livelyhoods are determined by the state... and who runs most states?
rich men!
who uses whores? rich men!
who gets persecuted when they get caught? whores!
who uses drugs? everybody!
who gets put in jail for using drugs? poor people (over 80% of people in US jails right now are locked up for NON-VIOLENT crimes. there are more black males in prison right now than there were black slaves back in the day)
so we've got a system where the people in power get away with curruption and the people with no power (women, people of colour, youth, poor people, etc.) get busted and put in to prisons owned by more rich people. the people who get busted work for sweatshop wages making us bras, computer parts, and working in call centres and aren't even allowed to have a union.
this is why harmreduction is so important. we need to find different ways for dealing with drug users besides locking them up. drug users are people to! enough with this social darwinist merde.
*pardon my french*
so there's my big rant for the day. take it as you will.
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toobie
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Re: drugs, drugs, drugs....
April 20, 2004 - 02:40 AM
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canabis in it's self is not addictive, it is the tobacco that it is smoked with that is.
im for legalisation. i agree that if it's legalised the social stigma will be considerably reduced. and think how much the government will make of the taxation of it. i mean they make millions on tobacco, so maybe they will put it back into drugs facilities.
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