That is a theory. You have no way of knowing if that is true. I find that theory unlikely though. In 1886 when Pemberton started selling cocaine laced drinks, (Coca-Cola) I think that the only reason it didn't result in a massive surge in addiction is because the cocaine got stripped out of the drink shortly thereafter. Why do you suppose they started stripping out the cocaine? (before the government MADE THEM) Wasn't that ingredient their original selling point?
Do *YOU* really believe that society would be okay if cocaine drinks were available?
What part of ‘legalize and REGULATE’ do you not get?
I have said, over and over, that the most effective means of fighting drug abuse is to legalize and regulate. Meaning that heroin addicts are given a 24 hour supply of heroin at government-regulated centers.
I do not, and never have, supported the unlimited access of drugs for everybody.
You treat addicts humanely. (Alcoholics don’t go to prison and lose everything. They go to meetings and hold down jobs and pay taxes. Shockingly, most alcoholics really do these things. It’s called a ‘functional alcoholic’ and it’s really difficult to get these people to realize that they do have a problem. Their lives are fine.) Allow them to seek out a profession, work and pay taxes while they’re dealing with addiction instead of putting a permanent stain on their record that prevents them from honest employment.
You cut off the dealers’ customer base by supplying the addicts in another way.
Legalize marijuana because it’s ridiculous. It’s not as bad as alcohol when it comes to impairment and harm. Let the novelty wear off and then the young people won’t be so mystified by the forbidden. (that’s what happened in the Netherlands. They relaxed the law and their drug use dropped to levels that we can only dream about.)
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/netherlands_v_us#sthash.2BGBVZec.dpbs
If we just legalize everything and say, ‘have fun, people!’ we’ll be creating a problem. But by getting drugs out of the black market, we’ll solve many problems that are caused by the WOD itself.