What should be done about drugs from Cannabis to heroin, given that many people want to take them and that they do cause serious damage to some or all people? Criminalise or legalise? Should suppliers be liable to users for damages via class actions run by govt.? Should traffickers get longer gaol higher $ penalties, loss of citizenship if given in return for pledge to uphold Aus laws? Your views?

Voter land welcome, good subject.
I had it as part of Sydney gun crime, and found it difficult to sell.
First I hate the effects drugs have on us all, users and non users.
My thoughts tend to be about the middle of the two you offer.
I think we should take it out of the hands of Criminals.
So in part legalise, but within a fence.
Have medical certificates for users, sell to them via a non judgmental,but helpful GOVERNMENT institution.
Continue all laws such as driving or working under the influence.
And raise prison terms for black market distribution.
But keep the price down, not at a loss, to keep black market away.
Side issue but true, current system has produced nothing but more drug users more corrupt polices and others.
We need to challenge the status quo always.

If I may recant a story in a shock jock radio show, featuring a talk back caller. A father whose son had died of a drug overdose. He said his son had died in a lane way etc, he went on to say that his second son was now in the same situation and that all drug dealers should be executed.

It struck me, that had the father had more understanding of the first son's situation, he may not have had to overdose in a laneway, but in a more supervised, or monitored (even home) environment and still be alive today, and now the second son was possibly about to become a victim of the same paradigm. The father again increasing the possibility of harm to his remaining son without learning from the first time or understanding the process going on here.

The shock jock was trying to talk up the death penalty for drug dealers. I'd listened to enough at that point.

In simplistic terms the prohibition of recreational substances is directly linked to the harm caused.

More people die from prescription drug overdoses than illicit drugs today apparently anyway ?, as found in a recent local stats despite prohibition and policing and the accompanying crime and punishment cycle, official corruption, money laundering, tax evasions etc, that directly result from prohibitions.

The massive profits generated by prohibitions draw the corrupt, like bee's to a honey pot. In some countries prohibition has caused their democracies to degenerate into games of power, control, and territory between drug supply factions with sovereign govt's able to do little to stop the carnage.

As the father and his son's may have benefited from more understanding of the process, we all need to re-examine our thinking on this complex question.

Instead of driving victims of illicit drug addictions into lane ways to die and increasing the capacity international villians to profit, we should definitely re think this question and bring the possibility of supervised legalisation into the mix.

Drugs - criminalise or legalise?

That's a really difficult question.
Drugs are extremely addictive and have a high
risk of overdose - will legalisation really
fix the problem? I'm not sure that it would.
I think that legalisation of drugs wouldn't
fix the problem of addiction itself. Even rehab
has its limits. Addiction is an illness and it
is an uphill daily battle to not succumb - even
after years of sobriety - ask any drug addict.

However- I agree with Thinker 2, we need to re-think
the issue - and treat it as an illness - not a crime.
Supervised legalisation would help - so that
addicts don't have to die in laneways. Education is
another vital ingredient in all of this - so that
the public knows ahead of time - what addiction really
means.

Thinker 2 I understand what you are saying.
But,for me if we could get this subject talked about in the wider community,a chance exists for real change, for the better.
You and Lexi,will know i tis salesmanship that is needed.
Those uninterested in change, will target your story, some will say let them die, quite stupid, but it will be said.
Others, as they do with legal shoot up centers say we pander to them.
Hope is worth true debate here.
We must look for a middle way, center way,achievable way.
If government takes a form of control that,
Excludes corruption/black market,and tax's drugs.
While counseling against use, keeping laws about age ext, we can isolate crime from drugs.
Maybe Mexico would want that.
I see need for honest fair reform in many things Welfare for one.
It is us,those who seek change who must craft it in away people want and do not fear it.

We already have a legal drug Alcohol and from it we have criminals come from the use of the drug. More deaths are caused from users of alcohol than all other drugs combined. Legalising drugs will not curb its use or its deadly effects. If we want to increase the loss of productivity and life legalise them, and be prepared for more taxes as the increase the national level of resources needed to deal with their effects. We now have a society of children psychologically affected from their parents use of legal and illegal drugs.

Legalising mind altering drugs is a brainless idea!