Confine addicts?

[OldWiseGuy]

Several Dem candidates have suggested involuntary confinement for drug addicts, insisting that addiction is a disease and not a crime. I agree and believe that the sooner we provide facilities and staff the better. However, others object to the confinement part and opt for outpatient treatment, which of course would be a colossal and expensive failure.

The greatest benefit of long-term hospitalization is it's affect on the drug trade itself as,

Hard-core addicts are the biggest users of drugs.

They are provided drugs by drug gangs.

These drug gangs are the primary distribution link for the cartels.

Therefore the weakest link in the drug trade is the addicts. Remove them and the whole drug enterprise is weakened.

Hard-core addicts are also responsible for all sorts of crimes, from petty theft to murder, often needing hundreds of dollars per day to satisfy their drug habit. Removing one addict from the street for a year deprives the drug trade of $30-$60,000 in revenue, according to some sources.

As enforcement costs decline more money can be used for rehabilitation.

Thoughts?

 

[Ahermit]

If my supplier was confined I would go to another supplier.
There will always be suppliers as long as drugs are available to be supplied.

The OP is about upsetting the supply of drugs. This has always been a temporary inconvenience for suppliers. Prohibition does not work.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

If my supplier was confined I would go to another supplier.
There will always be suppliers as long as drugs are available to be supplied.

The OP is about upsetting the supply of drugs. This has always been a temporary inconvenience for suppliers. Prohibition does not work.

The OP is about upsetting the market for drugs. If there are no customers it doesn't matter how many suppliers there are. The whole drug enterprise hangs on those addicts. Remove them and the whole thing collapses.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

We need to help our cops as well by solving some of these problems. The problems outlined may account for a lot of police misconduct.

Police and Addiction

 

[Ahermit]

The OP is about upsetting the market for drugs. If there are no customers it doesn't matter how many suppliers there are. The whole drug enterprise hangs on those addicts. Remove them and the whole thing collapses.

You are implying to confine all addicts.

If this happened overnight, so to speak, America would fall into total chaos.
10% of Americans are addicts. That is to say a confinement of about 20 million people. Let alone what will happen to family members of the addict, who are not addicts; which implies about 50% of Americans will also be effected by the confinement.

I agree that the problem is having addicts, but most people live a lost life, a life without truth, a life based on deception. In this case, the deception is that you will feel okay by using drugs.

Current drug problems will take a long time to turn around. It may be already too late to save any large nation with 10% or higher population of addicts, in time to make a difference. American education system is also degrading, with an increase in illiteracy, gullibility, poor choice making, etc. The problem spreads out like roots of a tree with bad fruit.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

You are implying to confine all addicts.

If this happened overnight, so to speak, America would fall into total chaos.
10% of Americans are addicts. That is to say a confinement of about 20 million people. Let alone what will happen to family members of the addict, who are not addicts; which implies about 50% of Americans will also be effected by the confinement.

I agree that the problem is having addicts, but most people live a lost life, a life without truth, a life based on deception. In this case, the deception is that you will feel okay by using drugs.

Current drug problems will take a long time to turn around. It may be already too late to save any large nation with 10% or higher population of addicts, in time to make a difference. American education system is also degrading, with an increase in illiteracy, gullibility, poor choice making, etc. The problem spreads out like roots of a tree with bad fruit.

We confine the addicts as we find them. Removing addicts won't be any more chaotic than addicts exploding onto the scene, as in the opioid epidemic. Confining addicts will give families affected by them needed relief, and would be less traumatic than imprisoning family members who commit crimes.

If we are going to insist that addiction is a disease we must sequester the diseased persons, for their own good and for ours.

Anyway the important thing to remember is that it is easier to catch a drug user than it is a drug dealer. The user is the weak link in the whole drug enterprise. This fact needs to come into sharp focus and be exploited.

 

[Desk trauma]

Thoughts?

Drugs are easily assessable in all US maximum security prisons, the facilities where drug users are confined would have the same issue.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Drugs are easily assessable in all US maximum security prisons, the facilities where drug users are confined would have the same issue.

Of course that issue would have to be addressed as well.

 

[Desk trauma]

Of course that issue would have to be addressed as well.

How?

 

[Ahermit]

Most addicts are not seen. Their addiction has not yet progressed into illegal activities other than taking the drug. They work, support their family. Both mothers and fathers are addicts at home. Confined them and the children have no parents, unless you confine innocent ones as well.

There is a lot more involved than just hardcore addicts running amok in society.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Most addicts are not seen. Their addiction has not yet progressed into illegal activities other than taking the drug. They work, support their family. Both mothers and fathers are addicts at home. Confined them and the children have no parents, unless you confine innocent ones as well.

There is a lot more involved than just hardcore addicts running amok in society.

Children lose their parents to the criminal justice system every day for a variety of crimes. Hardcore addicts should be the first target as they provide the largest market for drugs.

The main purpose of the program would be to attack the drug trade, not just to salvage the lives of the addicts. This is a global problem that requires extreme measures, and there will be collateral damage. "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

 

[OldWiseGuy]

How?

Keep the security people away from the residents unless needed. Medical staff is unlikely to provide drugs. Patients that do get illicit drugs from the outside would be easily discovered. It would take a clinic-wide conspiracy to successfully provide those drugs. Why would professional medical personnel risk their jobs and careers for a few illicit dollars?

 

[Desk trauma]

Medical staff is unlikely to provide drugs.

People do not become incorruptible by being in the medical field.

Patients that do get illicit drugs from the outside would be easily discovered.

I know, works a charm in the rest of the prison system.

It would take a clinic-wide conspiracy to successfully provide those drugs

Again, drugs are readily available in maximum security prisons. How are these proposed facilities going to be locked down to a higher degree than that? Especially with the security personnel kept well away from the inmates?

Why would professional medical personnel risk their jobs and careers for a few illicit dollars?

The exact same reasons that prison guards smuggle in contraband to the inmates in the prison system.

 

[Desk trauma]

his is a global problem that requires extreme measures, and there will be collateral damage. "You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs."

The current drug war is worse than the problem it's seeking to address, cranking it up to 11 will only compound the issue.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

People do not become incorruptible by being in the medical field.



I know, works a charm in the rest of the prison system.



Again, drugs are readily available in maximum security prisons. How are these proposed facilities going to be locked down to a higher degree than that? Especially with the security personnel kept well away from the inmates?


The exact same reasons that prison guards smuggle in contraband to the inmates in the prison system.

I think we could make it work.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The current drug war is worse than the problem it's seeking to address, cranking it up to 11 will only compound the issue.

The current war on drugs is a failure. It's time to try something new.

 

[Desk trauma]

The current war on drugs is a failure. It's time to try something new.

Like taking the trade back from the criminals and ending this farce.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Like taking the trade back from the criminals and ending this farce.

Not sure I understand what you mean.

 

[Desk trauma]

I think we could make it work.

Because...reasons?

 

[Desk trauma]

Not sure I understand what you mean.

Legalize and regulate just as we did with alcohol at the end of prohibition.