Drugs: The Legalization Debate

[reed11b]

That's interesting because most of the literature that I have read states that one drink a day is beneficial and is, in fact, suggested. I'm having trouble making the jump from one drink a day is beneficial to two is abuse. Both of my parents were alcoholics. I would have loved for them to only have had one or two drinks a day. I'm not sure that just having x number of drinks per day is as useful a definition of abuse as a need to have those drinks.
SFC W

First off, let me apologize for my tone. On reading what I typed, I can see where I could be interpreted as being rude. My point on the "clinical" definition of abuse has little to do with my personal feelings on what is healthy or unhealthy, but an example to caution you on buying to much into the current definitions of drug abuse. Can a person drink 1 or 2 drinks a day and be OK? Yep. They could probably to a "hit" or two of hard drugs a day and still function too. Drugs ARE bad for people, no doubt, but the language of some of these posts seem to be based on assumptions and misinformation. Drugs have been demonized beyond recognition to justify the on-going "war on drugs" despite the cost to society as mentioned above. Over a Billion a year to incarcerate marijuana users? There are greater needs for that money. Crime for drugs is based on cost of drugs. Cost of drugs is based on supply and demand (and risk). De-criminalizing drugs (different then legalizing) has a potential to pay big dividends. But don't just take my word for it, talk to police officers and correctional officers. Most of Ken's kids seem to have gravitated LE or correctional work, perhaps he will weigh in on this.
Reed

[Uboat509]

First off, let me apologize for my tone. On reading what I typed, I can see where I could be interpreted as being rude.

No Problem.

Can a person drink 1 or 2 drinks a day and be OK? Yep. They could probably to a "hit" or two of hard drugs a day and still function too.

This is the crux of my issue with all this right here. I'm not sure that that statement is true. Perhaps the problem is that when I think of hard drugs I automatically think of Crack, Meth and Heroin. With those drugs there is no safe dose. They are incredibly addictive and incredibly destructive, whereas other drugs that are considered hard drugs such as X are less so.

SFC W