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dwpineal
Psychedelic Artist



Registered: 07/20/06
Posts: 4,667
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War on Drugs a success
#14605063 - 06/13/11 08:54 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/5887882-417/war-on-drugs-a-success.html
War on Drugs a success
Jesse Jackson’s recent column “on a failed war on drugs” demands a rebuttal based on science and the facts. Rev. Jackson, to his credit, has preached against using drugs, but his conclusion that the drug control effort has been wasted is dead wrong.
In fact, in 1978, 25 million Americans used an illegal drug once a month, when our population was 280 million. In 2009, there were 21 million illegal drug users, a decrease of 20 percent. Since when is a 20 percent decrease a failure?
Ninety-two percent of Americans do not use illegal drugs. Drugs are not as available as they were 40 years ago, and fewer people are dying of heroin overdose deaths.
I know because from 1976 to 1981, I was administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In 1976, we had more than 500,000 heroin addicts and over 2,000 heroin overdose deaths. This has decreased significantly; currently there are 200,000 heroin users, less than half the number of 35 years ago and half the heroin overdose deaths.
Our prisons are overcrowded; not because casual users of marijuana are in prison. Less than 1 percent of all inmates in state prisons are there because of the use or possession of marijuana. They are in prison because of other charges, some involving drugs but for sale or trafficking. They are also there because we do not have enough drug courts, which have recidivism rates of 16 percent compared to 45 percent for offenders not in those programs. They are in prison because we have a probation system that is ineffective and because we tolerate a high crime rate and have more gun dealers than gas stations.
Drugs are addictive, cause impairment with work, learning, co-ordination, short-term memory, and long-term health. Legalize cocaine and crack, which cause rapid heart rate, arrhythmia and three overdose deaths a day? Legalize marijuana, which contain 468 different chemicals and 60 percent more cancer-causing agents than a cigarette and is particularly harmful for brain development in adolescents? Drugged driver fatalities are three times higher in states with medical marijuana.
The effort to control drugs is not solely a law enforcement responsibility. It requires greater efforts by parents, more resources in prevention and treatment and effective diversion programs, which Rev. Jackson recognizes. Chicago’s St. Patricks High School has implemented a mandatory random testing program for all students, not just athletes. The result is higher graduation rates, better attendance, higher college admissions and fewer disciplinary problems than other comparable schools.
Not all efforts involve taxpayer money. The private sector has driven down drug use in the workplace dramatically, not by avoiding the issue but with clear drug abuse policies, education, drug testing and employee assistance programs. Productivity rates have risen significantly.
The federal government has invested time and money and lives in fighting drug abuse, but the social costs for treatment, lost productivity, accidents and crime are 10 times higher. In fact, this year’s federal drug enforcement budget is the same as the cost of one Aegis Cruiser for the Navy. Drug abuse is a public health problem, but removing criminal sanctions will open the floodgates of use and abuse. Use of illegal drugs is lower by 20 percent from 30 years ago. We need to do more in prevention and treatment, including having Rev. Jackson preach about the dangers of drug abuse without giving up on our commitment to prevent it.
Peter Bensinger was administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrationfrom 1976-1981 and director of the Illinois Department of Corrections from 1970-1973.
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HardTrippin
The Ambivalent


Registered: 11/05/09
Posts: 1,303
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: dwpineal]
#14605078 - 06/13/11 08:57 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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These stats seem kinda fishy to me
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xFrockx


Registered: 09/17/06
Posts: 10,455
Loc: Northeast
Last seen: 12 days, 18 hours
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: HardTrippin] 3
#14605095 - 06/13/11 09:04 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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"Ninety-two percent of Americans do not use illegal drugs. "
False.
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Remix
grammer natze


Registered: 08/05/10
Posts: 4,171
Last seen: 1 year, 5 months
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: xFrockx]
#14605171 - 06/13/11 09:31 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
Not all efforts involve taxpayer money. The private sector has driven down drug use in the workplace dramatically, not by avoiding the issue but with clear drug abuse policies, education, drug testing and employee assistance programs.
Which has, in turn, left many illicit drug users unemployed, thus still wasting tax payer money by making it so that people are more likely to commit crimes and go to prison or try and collect unemployment.
Nice try but the drug war is not a success so long as the drug lords are still making money.
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Edited by Remix (06/13/11 09:33 AM)
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slagMUFFIN
Spiney ribbed Mooslet

Registered: 03/27/11
Posts: 167
Last seen: 11 years, 1 month
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: Remix]
#14605201 - 06/13/11 09:40 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Its a take on numbers.
A piece of writing that presents unexplained statistics that seem to reinforce there WOD ideals. The difference in heroin use could be explained by a different variable, such as shifting drug popularity.
Quote:
Drug abuse is a public health problem, but removing criminal sanctions will open the floodgates of use and abuse
Different drug policy such as that of Portugal have disproved such statements.
This article is nothing but government rhetoric to counter rising discontent.
-------------------- enveloping stuff and fucking shitup with perixomes. I will lysis the shit outta yew!
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shroomy snowman
Stranger

Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 93
Last seen: 11 years, 9 months
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: slagMUFFIN]
#14605253 - 06/13/11 09:50 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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"60 percent more cancer-causing agents than a cigarette"
Also false
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lasdR
nostalgic sci-fi


Registered: 08/09/10
Posts: 802
Loc: In your mind
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a success for the drug dealers it has been indeed. *Cough* CIA *cough****
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Darklight203
Same Shit



Registered: 08/14/10
Posts: 1,394
Loc: Nome, Alaska
Last seen: 3 months, 5 days
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: lasdR]
#14605414 - 06/13/11 10:32 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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This guy can take his rebuttle and shove it in his ass. Wish I could employ a better argument, but that was my first impression.
-------------------- In ancient times, when demons roamed with man, They hunted, loved and lost, hand in hand, As time went on, the difference between them faded. You couldn't tell anymore, demons and man were related, and some would say the same, but who would like to claim? In time, Gods had even forgot, Demons, too, once love had sought. In times recent I remember, Once I was a man, In my heart I had an ember, I'll relate the best I can but it was snuffed, one distant December. And yet here I stand, no flesh, no bones, no seed or semen, All that's left is this Demon.
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TheShroomanizer
Stranger-Danger


Registered: 06/12/09
Posts: 1,571
Loc: The Swamp
Last seen: 9 months, 2 days
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Mr. Peter Bensinger, keep your hands in your own pockets.
-------------------- Trading Prints -Nature gave us one tongue and two ears so we could listen twice as much as we speak-
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Le_Canard
The Duk Abides


Registered: 05/16/03
Posts: 94,392
Loc: Earthfarm 1
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: xFrockx]
#14605737 - 06/13/11 11:37 AM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
xFrockx said: "Ninety-two percent of Americans do not use illegal drugs. "
False.
Yeah. I mean, if someone from the DEA asked you if you used drugs, would you say that you did?
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sunshine
Sin18DwireWuTang


Registered: 04/03/04
Posts: 43,592
Loc: higher plane of sex
Last seen: 5 years, 1 day
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: dwpineal]
#14605943 - 06/13/11 12:18 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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I read in High Times that fifty percent of Americans guzzle alcohol. Now that's a war on drugs!
-------------------- One Love True Indeed. Have Good Trips. Mike/sunshine's mom.
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mushiefeet
Soggy Sock's Rainy Day's



Registered: 01/18/11
Posts: 558
Loc: Washington State
Last seen: 12 days, 7 hours
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: sunshine]
#14606271 - 06/13/11 01:30 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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This article is fail of course someone had to make something like this because of the failed war on drugs one. People just cant handle the truth I'd say the failed war on drugs is correct I mean this article seems like its full of random bs trying to do anything to counter out the last one lol.
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Joolz


Registered: 09/19/10
Posts: 3,614
Last seen: 11 years, 2 months
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: mushiefeet] 3
#14606404 - 06/13/11 01:54 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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The US has 5% of the world's population and eats something like 2/3rds of the world's drugs. We're a bunch of drug addicts who somehow keeps electing people who hate drugs.
-------------------- Prohibition didn't work for God; Eve ate the fruit.
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5-HT2A
Registered: 01/30/10 
Posts: 1,794
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: mushiefeet]
#14606499 - 06/13/11 02:07 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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I almost feel sorry for them, repeating the same old lies again and again while desperately trying to find a public relations guy (aka assfucking the public coach) to whip up some more effective ones as the public has largely caught onto their little game.
Everything he said was either Grade A Bullshit, a manipulation of data, or a simple lie. Nothing more, nothing less. Spend an hour googling the facts and this becomes clear very fast.
Fuck you and your 2 year old kids in the ass DEA! Give you something existent to complain about eh?
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Lord_McLovin
mad scientist on shrooms



Registered: 04/09/11
Posts: 3,071
Loc: infinite dimensional void
Last seen: 6 years, 1 month
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: 5-HT2A]
#14606900 - 06/13/11 03:15 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Yeah, the drug war is a total success. Have a look at mexico - there are so many people sheering and laughing and bathing in huge tubs filled with flowers. They would have a lot more worries, if the members of their criminal organizations were out of work suddenly. They would have a lot more worries, if their children were not being shot by some member of a drug cartel. American politians don't give a shit about other people and countries, once they have to choose between their fundamentalist christian ideology and .
Quote:
Just take a LEAP
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wutthe4k
Sativa Cyborg


Registered: 06/26/08
Posts: 140
Loc: Third stone from the sun
Last seen: 12 years, 4 months
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: dwpineal]
#14607604 - 06/13/11 05:32 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
dwpineal said: Legalize marijuana, which contain 468 different chemicals and 60 percent more cancer-causing agents than a cigarette and is particularly harmful for brain development in adolescents?
I'm so sick of hearing this stupid shit. There is no correlation between the amount of chemicals in a substance and its toxicity. Caffeine contains more chemicals than Strychnine. For those of you who don't know, Strychnine is highly toxic and is also known as rat poison.
-------------------- a glimpse of the divine...
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gabbaganchi
version 4.3



Registered: 03/17/10
Posts: 590
Loc: Great Plains
Last seen: 10 years, 11 months
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: wutthe4k]
#14607936 - 06/13/11 06:31 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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tibberous
Stranger

Registered: 12/26/04
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: dwpineal] 1
#14607964 - 06/13/11 06:36 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Quote:
dwpineal said: Since when is a 20 percent decrease a failure?
Boob job?
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shopdropper
Professional Psychonaut


Registered: 03/13/06
Posts: 1,623
Loc: Sailing the sea of cheese
Last seen: 6 months, 25 days
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Re: War on Drugs a success [Re: tibberous]
#14608520 - 06/13/11 08:05 PM (12 years, 7 months ago) |
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Caffeine is a single chemical there boss.
-------------------- DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME: no guarantees can be made about the accuracy of the information herein. The information dicussed in these posts is purely hypothetical, and for intelectual purposes only. Any similarity between internet chat and real life is pure coincidence.
Edited by shopdropper (06/13/11 08:08 PM)
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wutthe4k
Sativa Cyborg


Registered: 06/26/08
Posts: 140
Loc: Third stone from the sun
Last seen: 12 years, 4 months
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Oops, did I say caffeine? I meant coffee. Got my facts off a little. Allow me to correct myself and back up my statement. Coffee contains 1,500 chemicals. Rat poison contains 30 chemicals. Hence, it doesn't matter how many chemicals are in a substance.
Also, Strychnine is just one of the chemicals in rat poison. My mistake.
-------------------- a glimpse of the divine...
Edited by wutthe4k (06/13/11 08:43 PM)
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