TPTTAA Poll - Safe Injection Center Trial Program

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It's not just about a safe place for the drug users, it's also about reducing the crime and increasing the public health ie fewer used needles in playgrounds for example.

It worked in Kings Cross in Sydney - it's been there for 10 years...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Lean opposed.

I disagree that drug users should "suffer the consequences for bad decisions". I simply think that they should be cured, and not encouraged to damage their health.

That's a very reasonable, but unrealistic view of the problem. Absolutely, have strong treatment programs, including discouraging imprisonment for possession offenses.

It has to do with the realities of drug abuse, not everyone can be cured, some have severe problems - but the important thing is that if they undertake those activities, that they do it in such a way that limits the impacts on themselves and others.

Scroll down to the 'evaluation' section..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_injection_site

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Lean opposed.

I disagree that drug users should "suffer the consequences for bad decisions". I simply think that they should be cured, and not encouraged to damage their health.

That's a very reasonable, but unrealistic view of the problem. Absolutely, have strong treatment programs, including discouraging imprisonment for possession offenses.

It has to do with the realities of drug abuse, not everyone can be cured, some have severe problems - but the important thing is that if they undertake those activities, that they do it in such a way that limits the impacts on themselves and others.

Scroll down to the 'evaluation' section..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_injection_site

In some way, I think safe injection centers can be a temporary solutions for people between "unsafe injections" and detox programs. But I'd feel uneasy with allowing a drugged to permanently shoot himself without trying to stop him. Also, I 100% agree with you that possession for personal consumption shouldn't lead to emprisonment, which is anything but a solution.

The medically supervised rooms DO have information - but you cannot force people to rehab... and you cannot guarantee that that rehab will work... addiction is a horrible, albeit self-induced, disease.

I agree with you that treatment should be the key... however, like I said before, drug abusers inflict great damage, not only on themselves, but also on their community - but we should be realistic and focus also on harm-minimisation

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It's a moral question. Are they "worth it"?

Who is?

The murderers, robbers, and other criminals that are otherwise known as "junkies"

Respectfully, I don't think that's fair at all.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It's a moral question. Are they "worth it"?

Who is?

The murderers, robbers, and other criminals that are otherwise known as "junkies"

Respectfully, I don't think that's fair at all.

I agree, but people like to imagine they are all "innocent" so we have to use terms like junkies, fair or not.

They are not innocent - most willingly commenced the behavior that led to their addiction - band some commit horrible crimes to service that addiction or under the influence of it. But the very fact that they go to such rooms suggests something surely. There is much more to this issue.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

It's a moral question. Are they "worth it"?

Who is?

The murderers, robbers, and other criminals that are otherwise known as "junkies"

Yes, and I am asking -- if the junkies aren't worth some form of societal protection, who is?

I don't know where you heard that most junkies are murderers, but consider this the end of our discussion if you are prone to making such exaggerations.  Your personal vitriol towards drug users is clouding your perception of this very important public health & safety issue.

The kind of people that will kill, my family, friends, and self for money for a hit on whatever their hooken on are certainly not worth "societal protection".

Leif, I read through that thread.  How do you people justify legalizing anabolic steroids?

I just see a bunch of blue-rinsers sitting there on talkback... the OVERWHELMING majority of drug abusers do not commit violent acts against anyone. So using that as a reason to throw them on a scrapheap is bunk IMHO.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Some do, some get into serious trouble with loan-sharks etc

Also, the diseased mind is a sad/scary place - so we should allow them to just die?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Some do, some get into serious trouble with loan-sharks etc

Also, the diseased mind is a sad/scary place - so we should allow them to just die?

Obviously they aren't all violent criminals but they all, with fleetingly few exceptions, either break the law to get their fix or consort with people (like loan sharks) who are breaking the law. 

And that's a rather crude appeal to emotion, though if we are going to worry about the diseased mind, why not devote our resources to alzeimers research or studies to help treat and cure other mental diseases? 

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Snowguy, you point out that the bad decisions these drug addicts made were not necessarily under the influence.  How does providing a safe injection site cut down on those crimes?

Also, we all know that making dangerous drugs "safer" makes them more attractive.  I hope those of you who are advocating Safe Injection Centers realize that such places do not stop the damage the drugs do to the body of the user, making the "term" safe a danegrously misleading adjective.  If some guy is irrational enough to try hard drugs, telling him its safe to do it in this place will only encourage him (or her) to continue doing it.

Another thing, as I'm sure you all know,street drugs are extremely expensive.  I know this is true of heroin addicts and its probably true of meth and crack heads; these druggies are usually forced to become dealers to support their habits.  The most common method to create new customers that are hooked on you is it to get older elementary and middle school aged children alone with you and offer them some weed.  Once thy're high you tell them about this great new candy called ice (or whatever the drug is) and ask them if they want to try.  As you can imagine, it works a lot of the time.  Now imagine if the wanna-be dealer says "hey look, man, you can go try some of this in the "Safe Injection Center", you'll be fine.

This opens up a whole shelf of worm cans.

Ok - since you're decrying our methods... what would you do? that's actually proven to work?