From: phz@cadence.com (Pete Zakel)
Subject: Re: War on Drugs
Organization: Cadence Design Systems
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 20:36:09 GMT

In article <1992Sep23.150428.10689@tc.cornell.edu> homer@theory.TC.Cornell.EDU (Homer Smith) writes:
>     The rat experiments imply that cocaine is a very dangerous
>drug, that people will do it to exhaustion and physical failure,
>that they can't get enough of it, and that too much just kills.

The rat experiments imply that rats who are in a cage with minimum stimulation
will prefer cocaine over food, drink or sex (sometimes).

I have yet to see experiments with rats in a stimulating, near-natural
environment.  I would be interested in the results.

Also, it would be interesting to use captured wild rats put into a controlled
faux-natural environment since lab rats are specifically bred to be fairly
homogenous.

And don't forget -- human beings are not rats.  Behavioral studies of rats
sometimes have limited application to humans, but note the word limited.

>     Given this scenario, isn't it reasonable therefore that the
>drug should be made illegal or otherwise unavailable to the public
>at large, lest they meet the same fate as the rats?

Exactly how do you make it "unavailable to the public at large" without
eradicating the coca plant?

>     If this drug should be illegal, then how are you going to
>avoid a 'war on drugs' from taking place, because surely endless
>numbers of criminal types will come out of their holes to produce
>the drug anyway for the people that want it.

I disagree with the premise that cocaine should be illegal.  If cocaine
solutions, leaves, etc., were available, only a subset of people would crave
the pure stuff.  And those people tend to have other problems, anyway, that
are just symptomized by the cocaine overuse.

>     The question is, is it really possible to end the war on drugs
>as long as highly desirable and addictive drugs like cocaine abound?

Yes.

>     What would an end to the war on drugs consist of?

Full legalization of all drugs for adults.  Eradication of the "under the
influence" defence for behavior.  Using impairment testers to test for
impairment where it is applicable -- such as for driving.

>     What alternatives to a war on drugs could there be that yet
>protected the rats of society from doing themselves in with
>cocaine and absinthe etc?

Why should we protect those rats?  Adults should be allowed to do whatever
they want as long as it only involves other consenting adults, if it involves
anyone else at all.

>     Should people NOT be protected from drug abuse?

Yep.  They should be educated about drug abuse.  They should be informed about
drug abuse.  They should be helped to quit the drug abuse if they seek help.
But the government should not act _in_loco_parentis_ for people who have
reached the age of majority.

>     What would happen if ALL drugs were legalized, period.

Society would be much better.

>     Short term?  Long Term?

There would be some short term partying.  Long term there would be fewer
deaths and problems because available drugs would be in known dosages, of
known purity, and have appropriate warning labels attached.

>     What measures should be used to determine if a drug should be
>illegal?

Drugs shouldn't be illegal to possess.  Certain drugs, I think, would be
illegal to sell *as* *drugs* because of their danger -- such as PCP,
glue, solvents, etc.

>     Why do some drugs like cocaine and alcohol create a drug war 
>when illegal, and others like LSD and MDA do not?

Drugs don't create drug wars.  Drug prohibition, which is inevitibly followed
by a black market, and active government intrusion into that black market is
what creates a drug war.  Drugs with high popularity are more likely to
cause problems when they are banned.  LSD and MDA have never had high
popularity, whereas alcohol and cocaine do.

-Pete Zakel
 (phz@cadence.com or ..!uunet!cadence!phz)

Don't tell any big lies today.  Small ones can be just as effective.
Newsgroups: alt.drugs