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You can't compare drugs and alcohol consumption to killing babies. I think it's fair not to judge anyone as long as their decisions don't hurt anyone else. I personally engage in recreational drugs, but I don't drive under the influence or let them interfere with what's really important in my life. As long as you're being smart about it, I don't see how it's that big of a deal. The ones who do end up hurting people (driving drunk or abusing loved ones, for example) deserve to be behind bars.</p>
<p>Alex
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<p>Exactly. You can't compare them -- that was my entire point. Drugs hurt people no matter how they're used. Why else would they be illegal. I had no idea this many people were "recreational users."</p>
<p>I'm interested in how you all would rank alcohol, cigs, and pot in terms of their danger level. </p>
<p>Personally, I think pot is equal to alcohol -- I feel that both should be legal. Cigs obviously don't impare your judgement, but it's adictiveness is far worse than pot. Hmm.. Input?</p>
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For all those of you who say we shouldn't judge others based on the choices they make, what if they decide to start killing babies? What about then, it's just another choice they made, right?
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Exactly. You can't compare them -- that was my entire point.
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... you just compared them.</p>
<p>Anyway, my point was that it's not always a horrible thing. Drugs don't necessarily hurt anyone if done in moderation (I'm not talking about harder stuff, I could launch into a tirade about those), and if hurting oneself were illegal I say we ban tattoos as well. </p>
<p>I don't understand why an automatic reaction to a personal decision would be scorn. There's a good reason to have something against those who get to the point where they seriously affect and hurt others, but people who aren't careful about it deserve the trouble they get. </p>
<p>In short, not all users are bad. I've posted a bit on this thread in the past and think I brought up some good points. I don't want to refute the same arguments on the same thread, so I'll leave it there.</p>
Drugs on the other hand, are way different. I do judge those people. Drugs just ruin your life. They are illegal for a reason- because they can cause a great deal of damage to your body. I would never go up to these people and say anything mean, but I do try and avoid them.
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<p>Two posts in a row spouting the same kind of uninformed stupidity... all right:</p>
<p>Alcohol's not a drug, I suppose. Or did they not teach you that in health class yet?</p>
<p>No, the fact is that the vast majority of drugs cause less physical and mental damage than alcohol does. Read that again. If you disagree with it, go do some independent research, because your posts smack of ignorance. The icing on the cake is when you ask why else they would be illegal. Well, interesting question. To answer you, I'll start with some fun facts:</p>
<p>Marijuana was legal during Prohibition. Alcohol was not. Now the situation is reversed. Make sense to you, if the entire rationale for drug bans was physical harm? Didn't think so.</p>
<p>Marijuana has never had a recorded overdose, never had a direct death due to its constituents, and the worst potential health outcome is basically lung cancer - but studies are showing that even lung cancer risks are not elevated from marijuana smoking.</p>
<p>So what's the answer to why it's banned? Harry J. Anslinger. The United States' first drug czar, he more or less singlehandedly convinced an entire nation that marijuana was a dangerous and horrible drug, without ever providing one iota of proof from established medical authorities. His entire campaign was based on fanciful stories of families murdered by their "marijuana-addicted" (though no such thing is technically possible, since marijuana is basically physically non-addictive) sons, white women seduced and raped by black men peddling marijuana to them, and so forth. Racism was also heavily played upon - marijuana was made out to be a special passion of blacks and Hispanics, which aided Anslinger immensely once the idea was fully in the realm of popular belief.</p>
<p>Marijuana's banning lead to a domino effect of banning of all kinds of other substances. Largely, these substances were in wide use before their bans; many for medical purposes. In fact, a curiosity, cocaine continues to be scheduled such that it is thought to possibly have a legitimate medical purpose, while marijuana is said to have none (despite almost every person who has ever used it in adjunct treatment reporting to the contrary).</p>
<p>You, my friends, seriously need to do some research.</p>
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Anyway, my point was that it's not always a horrible thing. Drugs don't necessarily hurt anyone if done in moderation (I'm not talking about harder stuff, I could launch into a tirade about those), and if hurting oneself were illegal I say we ban tattoos as well.
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<p>And what qualifies as the harder stuff? I have more than a few friends who I know use cocaine every once in a while. None of them are bleary-eyed addicts, none of them let it effect them in any way I can discern, and I don't look down on them for it. What do you think I should be doing, scorning them for that choice?</p>
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I dont judge people who drink or smoke, because I feel that even though they may be underage, atleast the activity is legal (once you are of age I mean). Drugs on the other hand, are way different. I do judge those people. Drugs just ruin your life. They are illegal for a reason- because they can cause a great deal of damage to your body. I would never go up to these people and say anything mean, but I do try and avoid them.
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<p>Might want to get some basic information straight and rethink that post. If your reason for why alcohol and cigs are fine but big bad scary drugs like pot are not acceptable is based solely on the detrimental effects to the human body, then you should at the very least acknowledge that alcohol and cigs are bad..</p>
<p>Legal status does not necessarily equate to long term consequences of substance abuse sorry ~_~</p>
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And what qualifies as the harder stuff? I have more than a few friends who I know use cocaine every once in a while. None of them are bleary-eyed addicts, none of them let it effect them in any way I can discern, and I don't look down on them for it. What do you think I should be doing, scorning them for that choice?
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Relax mate, I'm actually with you. ;) I was just pointing out that softer stuff has smaller effects. My friends have done heroin, for example, and some have gotten addicted after one shot. I'm not a big fan of the harder drugs but I've tried them before, and I'm definitely not saying you should scorn your friends because in moderation they can be quite enjoyable. Given my track record on this thread, we're on the same side.</p>
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Why would I not judge people when they do retarded things?
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...then would you judge retarded people? xD xD
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IMO, either do all of it or do none of it.
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They're not the same thing. You can say you like biology, but that doesn't mean you automatically like chem or physics because they're sciences too. Some vices are in certain respects "healthier" than others and just because one likes to drink doesn't mean he's fond of smoking.</p>
<p>Tell me, 1of42, when is a good time to f--- with your body without reason? When is a good time to give yourself lung cancer? Do you think that teenage invincibility is a REAL superpower?</p>
<p>This is my viewpoint:
I have never done (and don't plan to do) any drugs. I also don't drink alcohol or smoke anything.<br>
I have a mutual understanding of other's choices and respect them. As long as it doesn't affect me, I really couldn't care less. If, for example, some drunk/high driver hit me or something, that's when I would start caring. As long as the person is responsible with their habits, they can do whatever they want.</p>
<p>Working in a pharmacy, I see druggies come in for painkillers (and syringes) all day (mostly on medicaid), knowing very well that they will turn around and sell them with a 100% profit margin. This upsets me because I, as a taxpayer, am paying for their little "business". Other than that, I don't mind.</p>
<p>If people bork up their mind on drugs, it will only mean that I will be assured a job higher up than them :-)</p>
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Tell me, 1of42, when is a good time to f--- with your body without reason?
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But you're not f--- with your body unless you do a ridiculous amount, and that's true of any vice. Eat enough double bacon cheeseburgers and you'll end up with high cholesterol and increased chances of heart attack (among other problems), but I doubt one here and there would kill you. And that, like drugs and alcohol, have a reason - they feel good. It's up to that person to control how much they consume and sometimes choices are made for the worse. But you wouldn't go up to that person eating a cheeseburger along with fries and that giant milkshake with the line "You're f--- with your body for no reason."</p>
Just because something is law doesn't mean it makes sense. In my opinion, dangers are highly exaggerated in the US. We have the highest drinking age (why do you think so many kids go buck-wild in college?), and compared to most other countries I've been to (from Canada to western/northern Europe to Southeast Asia), we also have the 'strictest' mentality against drugs. Meaning, there exists a nonsensical air of taboo that makes everyone paranoid about and automatically against them. For example, I lived in Amsterdam where drugs are tolerated and even legalized. I've also been to both London and Berlin, where the drinking age is 16. Were people always high or constantly on murderous rampages? No. In fact, because it's well integrated into their lifestyles, they know very well how to control themselves and are in general very tolerant, laid-back people. </p>
<p>Doing ridiculous amounts of drugs and alcohol is frowned upon no matter where you go, but in moderation it's not worth getting worked up over. Personally, I think it's absurd how people get so uptight about it, which is a phenomenon I usually only see in the US. It actually deludes people who don't engage in drugs and alcohol into thinking they're better than those who do.</p>