Irish Radio Drug Debate ¦ March 22nd 2011 ¦ Newstalk 106

[mmclees]

So a lady calls up and says, "I feel threatened so sometimes I carry a little knife for self defense." And the host's response is, "Oh.... you shouldn't do that!" What a pansy he is, telling a little old lady that she shouldn't arm herself.

[disamjisa]

Where are the peer reviewed studies for Marie Byrne's program? And who the hell does she think she is to attack methadone programs, that almost every public policy maker in the world, from the far left to almost the far right, accepts is far better than the alternative (just like needle exchanges are better than HIV transmissions)

[scrufduf]

No rights violations occur when people take drugs. What business have big wigs and legislators in any sovereign persons choices? Especially if nobody except themselves are harmed? Ridiculous laws and cost the people more. All laws that have no injured party and cause no rights violations should be scraped. Portugal is a testament to this. That woman is what is wrong with Ireland, she is a fool and far too interested in meddling in peoples choices. Get a life women.I'd say she likes a drink.

[DaithiDublin]

@scrufduf What the anti-people fail to allow for when they talk of the 'terrible consequences of drugs', and their effects on society, is that they are describing the result of an illegal trade. As you point out, Portugal best illustrates what can be achieved under legalisation. Only then can harmful drug use be tackled and the vast majority of 'harm no-one' recreational users left free of the fear of being criminalised.

[disamjisa]

@DaithiDublin Exactly! And this is why I think just decriminalisation of personal use is actually probably worse than the present system. It must be legalised, and the illicit market in drugs destroyed by that process of legalisation, for society to get the full benefits of this policy approach.

One of the major benefits is supposed to be the major blow to organised crime that would come with legalising the drug trade. Just decriminalising personal use will deprive society of that benefit.