Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 - Impact Assesment. Petition (30,000 signatures already)

[FlyingJesus]

I don't think there are any claims that sex with children has any health benefits though

[Kardan]

I don't think there are any claims that sex with children has any health benefits though

Ahh, I was thinking more along the lines of pleasure and happiness as opposed to health benefits

[Firehorse]

I think the government is stupid not to legalise them, they're missing out on a cut of a multi-billion pound industry. Legalising and taxing recreational drugs could solve the financial deficit.

Legalising it would also remove the crime aspect around dealing, and the drugs themselves would be safer as the production would be policed (no more mixing cocaine with washing powder or spraying cannabis with liquid glass).

[-:Undertaker:-]

I think the government is stupid not to legalise them, they're missing out on a cut of a multi-billion pound industry. Legalising and taxing recreational drugs could solve the financial deficit.

And who pays for the doped up, stuttering idiots who have ruined their mental health and are incapable/don't want to work? the same applies to healthcare as I mentioned earlier. Unless welfare is at the same time stripped back, people won't take responsibility for their own actions - something we see when people describe drug addiction as a 'disease' rather than what it is - a selfish action.

Again, I think people ought to have the right to be selfish and ruin their lives - but not if the rest of us are going to be forced to pay for their stupidity.

[Firehorse]

And who pays for the doped up, stuttering idiots who have ruined their mental health and are incapable/don't want to work? the same applies to healthcare as I mentioned earlier. Unless welfare is at the same time stripped back, people won't take responsibility for their own actions - something we see when people describe drug addiction as a 'disease' rather than what it is - a selfish action.

Again, I think people ought to have the right to be selfish and ruin their lives - but not if the rest of us are going to be forced to pay for their stupidity.

I hardly think it will make a difference. The amount of people who already take drugs regularly is insane, and I doubt that figure will change more than about 5% if these drugs were legalised. The fact is it's already happening, so you either let it be an illegal practice and pay for the damage or take control of it. The money made by taxing recreational drugs would heavily outweigh the cost on the NHS, it's the same with cigarettes.

[Kardan]

I hardly think it will make a difference. The amount of people who already take drugs regularly is insane, and I doubt that figure will change more than about 5% if these drugs were legalised. The fact is it's already happening, so you either let it be an illegal practice and pay for the damage or take control of it. The money made by taxing recreational drugs would heavily outweigh the cost on the NHS, it's the same with cigarettes.

So the government should only care about profits and not the well being of people?

And it's not just the NHS cost that will go up. What about the drugged up people that vandalise buildings? Crash cars and damage roads? And if drugs do become regulated, who is going to do that for free? There's a lot more to think about than simply NHS costs.

And do you have any source for thinking that the amount of drug users will only go up by 5%?

I think if you look at numbers of how many people use drugs and compare it to how many people drink alcohol (and perhaps how many people have been a regular smoker), the numbers are vastly difference, more than 5%.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I hardly think it will make a difference. The amount of people who already take drugs regularly is insane, and I doubt that figure will change more than about 5% if these drugs were legalised. The fact is it's already happening, so you either let it be an illegal practice and pay for the damage or take control of it. The money made by taxing recreational drugs would heavily outweigh the cost on the NHS, it's the same with cigarettes.

It isn't just NHS costs though, it's the fact that you'll end up with many people sitting around having destroyed their brains, speech and thinking power to the level of a dummy - not only do they then rely on state healthcare - but also their welfare (income, housing etc) from cradle to grave.

[Andeeh]

The Goverment won't do anything for a while I feel, they repeatedly ignore experts advice on the impact of these drugs and whether they should be reclassified, hell even America are ahead of us legalizing marijuana in Colarado and Washington under State law as well as hundreds of medical cannabis dispensaries across many states in the US.

[AgnesIO]

The Goverment won't do anything for a while I feel, they repeatedly ignore experts advice on the impact of these drugs and whether they should be reclassified, hell even America are ahead of us legalizing marijuana in Colarado and Washington under State law as well as hundreds of medical cannabis dispensaries across many states in the US.

"Even America"? Don't see why this is so incredible.

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The argument that it would bring money in from taxes is flawed. I'm sure legalising every weapon in the world would help bring in taxes if they were allowed to be sold to any Tom, **** or Harry. Should we go ahead and allow people to purchase AK47's?

[FlyingJesus]

There is a huge difference between a substance whose main purpose is for individual gratification on a temporary basis and an item whose only purpose is bringing death. Likewise there is a huge difference between drug users and drug abusers, which people somehow don't seem to realise