Originally Posted by
Basil
He does say that, after 15 years, injecting is only down 50% in Portugal.
OTOH if one of that 50% is your kid then good.
I'm only convinced about the alcohol problem because vastly more people abuse alcohol.
Cocaine use is not uncommon in a highly educated sociable part of city society and heroin is getting there too, so these substances are not only used by the societally disconnected.
Are we comparing casual use with a life ravaged by addiction? They’re 2 very different sides of the same coin, much like alcohol. I like a beer but I can go months without, vs an alcoholic who’s entire life is based around alcohol.
And of the 50%, the devil is in the detail which unfortunately I dont have. 50% of 100 is the same ratio as 50% of 500,000 but has vastly different implications on society, individuals and the entire state of a country. Having been involved with the ambulance service for 5 yrs I can attest that 50% less drug related ‘999’ calls would have a strategic and far ranging impact on the UK, 50% less alcoholic related would be an absolute game changer!
Drug abuse is rarely by those who have had a loving home, opportunity and a real physical and meaningful social network (vs Facebook). And whilst I am most definitely not advocating that the military recruits from this demographic, smoking cannabis as a teenager is a different proposition compared to a 5 yr heroin addict. I am happy to go on the record and state that I tried cannabis in my teens. I am also happy to state that I have never killed anyone, robbed my grandmother or tried to sell the family car. I am now a fully funtioning, mortgage paying, responsible parent who has, and is, serving their country.
Times change and we all need to be open to new ideas. Let go of emotional responses and look at peer reviewed research by experts in the field who are looking to the future and not stuck analysing history.