The Swiss Experiment

By Fester

I have advocated for drug decriminalization for domestic defensive reasons.  I believe that the maintenance of a very large, cash driven and profitable black market in narcotics destabilizes numerous nation states, including our own, decreases legitimacy and increases net disorder. Mexico is currently engaged in multiple narco-insurgencies as smuggling and production cartels are carving out sections of Mexico and creating effectively stateless zones that abut our borders. Reducing the black market cash flows will weaken these cartels as well as weaken the Taliban and other non-state actors that protect opium production.

The basic counter-argument against this policy is that legalization of any sort will produce massive suffering and negative social impacts beyond those that have already been created by the existing arrangements.  These impacts include more addicts, more low level usage, increased violence and increased property crimes and theft.  I'll concede more low level usage, but I think increased violence and theft will decrease as an overt and legal market will often have superior dispute and contract resolution processes than thuggery. 

We'll have an interesting experiment as the Swiss have voted to allow for limited heroin legalization for hardcore addicts who are the individuals who are most likely to engage in socially destructive behaviors as they are the ones most desperate for enough cash to buy the next hit.

Via the BBC

Swiss voters have approved a radical health policy that offers prescription heroin to addicts on a permanent basis. Final results from the national referendum showed 68% of voters supported the plan.

The scheme, allowing addicts to inject the drug under medical supervision at a clinic, began in Zurich 14 years ago before spreading across the country.....

Under the scheme, addicts visit clinics up to twice a day, where they inject the drug under medical supervision. They can also be treated for other medical issues or mental health problems, out correspondent says.

The policy is described as one of last resort - prescribing addicts with the very drug that caused their problems in the first place - but supporters say it works, and Swiss voters appear to have agreed, the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Berne says.

Switzerland will be the first country to include it in government policy.

Supporters say it has had positive results - getting long-term addicts out of Switzerland's once notorious "needle parks" and reducing drug-related crime. Opponents say heroin prescription sends the wrong message to young people and harms the addicts themselves.

Let's be smart and do nothing besides watching and learning for a while.

Comments

[mietwagen]

Sehr gute Seite. Ich habe es zu den Favoriten.