Drugs: A moral decision, a matter of choice, or a national health risk?

[Dystopia]

Which regulation can achieve, while prohibition cannot.

Independently of the origin, a very dangerous substance will most likely kill you, even if the quality is good and it is 100% natural.
[/quote]

I'd like to take a death toll from H and H related this and thats, and then a similar death toll from smoking and drinking and related this and thats. If you had to place money on it, which number do you think will be bigger?

Probably smoking and drinking - But there are far more people smoking and drinking than doing heroin - Because it's not socially acceptable.

-and there are cheaper forms of every expensive drug. I could argue against heavy handed regulations all day long, but -as a compromise...if I have to take heavy handed regulation and state profiteering in order to get rid of prohibitionism and all the nastiness that flows from that - then ok. Sign me up.

The only cheaper form would be to buy less quantity.

You have no way of knowing that you're getting "top quality" drugs. There is no certifying agency or regulations concerning grades or quality. All you know is that you paid more. That's it. That really good weed that fucked you right up "grown without chemicals" just might have been laced with Raid, or fertilized by the grower pissing in buckets.

I agree, but how much can I trust "certifying agencies"? I can trust them as much as I trust tobacco companies and the chemicals they put into my cigs.

-and yet not every store either sells smokes...or sells them for the same price. Taxes are the floor, sure, but I've already signed on to that.

Not over here, there's an universal cig price that varies according to the brand, you don't get to pick your price - Sadly.
[/quote]

Sure, but since we're not talking about "complete liberty" whatever that means to you....I don't know what insight this statement can offer. Did I say that anyone could buy and use H? That you can get cranked up at breakfast before hopping onto the pavement miller at your job? No, and hopefully, no sane person would suggest that.

I'll tell you this - If drug legalization could drastically reduce criminality related to drugs, then I'd sign up - But if the prices do indeed go up and people continue to traffic, I don't see much point. The case for smuggling cigarettes - They are indeed cheaper - If cigarette taxes suddenly fired up and got really high, a lot of people would switch to illegal cigs - Heck even my mother suggested she would buy smuggled cigs if she had the chance.