Who cares Philo. The war on drugs is a sham and we are all paying for it when we need every penny we have to build a stronger country. The war on drugs forces our own people to attack and rape us, and prey upon our homes for valuables.....the federal drug police need to justify their own existence, salaries and funding, as does the costly prison system, by demonising drugs every chance they get...and they do so while demanding ever more increasing amounts of money to deal with "the problem" which just doesn't ever go away, but requires them to keep running in circles for their whole lives

"Fester your patronizing comments are noted and discarded beyond"

A pity, Col. That's the stuff that could really help you.

Why justify your own habits above others? And why make a phony distinction between drug addiction and other addictions? And I would like to see how many drug addicts would fit the warped mold you have made for them.

What is needed is intelligent and considered management based upon fact, not ignorant and prejudicial management based on warped fantasy.

Steel,
I have worked for 20 years as a manager in the manufacturing industry in Australia, and seen good workers destroyed by the introduction of recreational drugs. The company no longer produce products in Australia because drug users reduced our productivity. Drug users if supplied with drugs will not make for a productive and healthy society. The increase in work accidents, absenteeism, schizophrenia and parkinsons etc among the workers left the company with no option other than to import products. Your dream of a productive society of drug users is a myth.

Celevia “Good point about gambling as an addiction, at least you made me think about it.”

Thanks C.. however, please realize, the problem if narcotics are legalized is this

Gambling is not physically addictive.

Cocaine, heroin and Amphetamines, in their various forms are.

Gambling, like drug abuse, consumes the individuals resources

however
Gambling does not cause physical medical issues
Gambling does not cause psychosis
Gambling does not prevent someone from holding down a job (Philos comments)
Gambling does not limit a persons ability to reason (beyond the level of worry about their indebtedness)

If you think there are problems attributable to the legalization of gambling, they are nothing compared to the range of problems which legalized narcotics would unleash upon the entire society, not just the junkies.

And I never suggested alcohol was not addictive, simply that it becomes addictive for a far smaller % or users.

“Sex addiction”, like gambling, is not a physical addictive, or producing any symptoms of physical withdraw.

Fractelle read my posts, I have already acknowledged the medical uses for opiates and the licenced Tasmanian growers

Australia cannot dictate terms to the Afghani government.

As the greenies say, “think global but act local,”

Actions achieve, thoughts do not.

Fester “A pity, Col. That's the stuff that could really help you.”

What part of

“I can just see Col holding up the bar with schooner and durry, telling his reluctant and bored witless listeners yet again of the evildoers with habits even more disgusting than his own.”

Is ever going to help anyone?

If my comments bore you witless (which a sentence of more than ten words is likely to do), I suggest you exercise manners and ignore them, rather than demonstrate your feeble wit by commenting.

I am contributing to the debate, from your posts, I have yet to see you contribute to anything other than the ad hominines’.

“What is needed is intelligent and considered management based upon fact, not ignorant and prejudicial management based on warped fantasy.”

From the history of your posts here, I will not hold my breath for your input.

Philo, in all the utter rubbish that you've written here over the years, I haven't been aware of you telling actual porkies. However, that last post just begs for some kind of substantiation.

Surely, if what you've written is true, this is a malady that must be experienced across the manufacturing industry in Australia. If so, why have we not heard a word about this epidemic of "work accidents, absenteeism, schizophrenia and parkinsons etc" due to recreational drugs that is apparently crippling our manufacturing industries (I mean, as opposed to globalisation, removal of tariffs, the emergence of China and India etc etc)?

Somebody should tell '60 Minutes', 'A Current Affair', or 'Today Tonight' about this. They'd be all over it, wouldn't they?

The one thing we can’t do as a society is legislate against stupidity.

We can set up programs to minimise harm, however, with the illegality on commonly used drugs like heroin, marijuana, amphetamines this is difficult to effectively monitor.

If drugs addicts are required to register with rehabilitation and health programs it is possible to actively monitor and communicate with the majority of drug users. Unlike gambling where harm reduction is more difficult to implement due to relative anonymity of gamblers. Not until a chronic gambler's world comes crashing down around them do we discover the extent of the problem. Whereas with requiring drug addicts to register before receiving aid, their recovery has a far better chance of success.

PS

CJ - thanks for the clarification, life is too short to spend justifying oneself before even making a contribution to a debate.

Speaking of clarification, Philo, I asked YOU what YOU would suggest doing on the issue of abuse of legally obtained drugs. Please reread my post. Thank you.