10-01-2005, 03:04 AM
This is clearly a national issue and not one for the UN. We decided via our "Issues" what is legal in our nation and what is not. In most Real Life countries it is not illegal to take drugs - it is however illegal to possess, buy or sell them.
I think it is fair that you should be able to do to yourself what ever you like - assuming you don't live in a state where the government has legal possession of you as a citizen.
Governments have a responsibility to protect their citizens - both the drug takers and those who choose not to. This is achieved by progressive drug policies such as rehabilitation and harm minimisation for those not undergoing rehab.
However people have to accept responsibility for their actions. If a person commits a crime whilst under the influence of a recreational drug (or a prescription drug that has been deliberately consumed in a manner contrary to the prescription), they should be incarcerated for that crime or whatever the appropriate penalty for that crime is, just as they would if they killed a person whilst driving under the influence of alcohol.
Article IV is a completely different issue. It is not a public safety issue but a criminal one. The transport and trade of drugs involves high levels of organised crime. I am referring to all drugs not just the illegal ones, even alcohol, tobacco and prescription medications are traded by organised crime to circumvent government taxes to fund anything from illegal weapons manufacture to terrorism. The only way to lessen this would be to make all drugs legal in every nation and have them non-regulated so you could buy them in a supermarket. That way the would be available to everyone at market prices and criminals would no longer be interested in trading them.
Drugs are a very complex issue, don't try to simplify it by putting it into one resolution. If you want international drug reform that every UN member will agree to, break it up into very specific issues and tackle them one at a time. Drugs are not just a human rights issue.
Just remember, although some of us like to indulge in the recreational substance of our choice and should have the right to do so, there are many others out there who choose not to and have a right to go about their lives without it being affected by drugs or by those who take them.
(gets of soapbox)
I think it is fair that you should be able to do to yourself what ever you like - assuming you don't live in a state where the government has legal possession of you as a citizen.
Governments have a responsibility to protect their citizens - both the drug takers and those who choose not to. This is achieved by progressive drug policies such as rehabilitation and harm minimisation for those not undergoing rehab.
However people have to accept responsibility for their actions. If a person commits a crime whilst under the influence of a recreational drug (or a prescription drug that has been deliberately consumed in a manner contrary to the prescription), they should be incarcerated for that crime or whatever the appropriate penalty for that crime is, just as they would if they killed a person whilst driving under the influence of alcohol.
Article IV is a completely different issue. It is not a public safety issue but a criminal one. The transport and trade of drugs involves high levels of organised crime. I am referring to all drugs not just the illegal ones, even alcohol, tobacco and prescription medications are traded by organised crime to circumvent government taxes to fund anything from illegal weapons manufacture to terrorism. The only way to lessen this would be to make all drugs legal in every nation and have them non-regulated so you could buy them in a supermarket. That way the would be available to everyone at market prices and criminals would no longer be interested in trading them.
Drugs are a very complex issue, don't try to simplify it by putting it into one resolution. If you want international drug reform that every UN member will agree to, break it up into very specific issues and tackle them one at a time. Drugs are not just a human rights issue.
Just remember, although some of us like to indulge in the recreational substance of our choice and should have the right to do so, there are many others out there who choose not to and have a right to go about their lives without it being affected by drugs or by those who take them.
(gets of soapbox)