Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

[© tweed]

Vote

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

agree 100%

[Richard]

It depends.  Is there a national health care system that I have to pay for?  Then NO.  NO NO NO.  I'm not paying for all the crap in society and their addictions.  Otherwise, yes.

[MODU]

Disagree 100%, because while you don't think it "hurts" anyone else, your added medical expenses related to your drug use raise our insurance costs.

[dazzleman]

Drug use hurts a lot of people, from the user to those associated with the user, to society as a whole.

Drugs cause poverty, they cause people to lose their jobs, and they cause people to abandon, neglect and abuse their children.

To say that using drugs doesn't hurt anybody is incredibly naive.

I'd agree with the statement if it could ever possibly be true in any real sense, but it can't be, so I disagree.

[afleitch]

I'd agree with the statement if it could ever possibly be true in any real sense, but it can't be, so I disagree.

[Richard]

Disagree 100%, because while you don't think it "hurts" anyone else, your added medical expenses related to your drug use raise our insurance costs.

Bullsh**t.  Or, they have sh**tty actuaries.

[minionofmidas]

Drugs cause poverty, they cause people to lose their jobs, and they cause people to abandon, neglect and abuse their children.

To say that using drugs doesn't hurt anybody is incredibly naive.

While this statement needs to be qualified (and I did vote agree), there is of course a LOT of truth to it.
Addiction does certainly cause people to neglect etc their responsibilities. Hard drugs can cause people to lose their jobs, although this is by no means a given (if your income be large enough, it's quite possible to do a mentally demanding job while being addicted to heroin uncontrolledly, over years though perhaps not for ever.)
Rather than say that drugs cause poverty, it's more accurate to say that drug ban enforcement causes severe deprivation by driving up the prices of drugs.
However, these are - comparatively - minor points.

[MasterJedi]

Drug use hurts a lot of people, from the user to those associated with the user, to society as a whole.

Drugs cause poverty, they cause people to lose their jobs, and they cause people to abandon, neglect and abuse their children.

To say that using drugs doesn't hurt anybody is incredibly naive.

I'd agree with the statement if it could ever possibly be true in any real sense, but it can't be, so I disagree.

^^^^^

[opebo]

Drugs cause poverty,

No, poverty causes drug use.  As always, you have it backwards.

[nclib]

Drug use hurts a lot of people, from the user to those associated with the user, to society as a whole.

Drugs cause poverty, they cause people to lose their jobs, and they cause people to abandon, neglect and abuse their children.

To say that using drugs doesn't hurt anybody is incredibly naive.

I'd agree with the statement if it could ever possibly be true in any real sense, but it can't be, so I disagree.

Yes, using drugs does cause problems. However, drug ban enforcement probably causes more problems (as Lewis mentioned).

That said, I vote agree.

[© tweed]

Now that a large amount of people have taken this poll, I'd like to point something out.

"Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey" ran this poll (along with alot of other questions) in February of 2001.  12% agreed with the statement; 86% disagreed.

[The Constitarian]

Drugs cause poverty,

No, poverty causes drug use.  As always, you have it backwards.

drugs being illegal cause poverty, because it drives up the prices

[Bdub]

I agree with this statement.

[phk]

Agree

[Inverted Things]

Drugs cause poverty,

No, poverty causes drug use.  As always, you have it backwards.

Opebo, I'm afraid that you are quite mistaken. Drugs have long been more a hobby of the rich than a hobby of the poor, largely because the rich can pay for it. Middle class teens are probably the biggest demographic of drug users.

[phk]

Drug-use is actually a direct-result of wealth.

[Speed of Sound]

as long as they dont hurt anyone, sure, why not?

[opebo]

Drugs cause poverty,

No, poverty causes drug use.  As always, you have it backwards.

Opebo, I'm afraid that you are quite mistaken. Drugs have long been more a hobby of the rich than a hobby of the poor, largely because the rich can pay for it. Middle class teens are probably the biggest demographic of drug users.

I think the source of my mistake is that drugs use by the wealthier classes is invisible, as it causes no social problems.  The drugs use that is well known and publicized is that minority of drug users who are poors, and erroneous conclusions are drawn connecting their social problems with their drugs use.