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A comment on I supported legalizing all drugs, then the opioid epidemic happened. Parent comment

Re:I supported legalizing all drugs, then the opioid epidemi... by brilliantcode on Thursday April 20, 2017 @11:29AM (#14157541)
While I agree that prohibition is harmful and creates huge black markets, we are no longer talking about recreational drug but an active public health crisis where people are buying literally poison that will kill them.

I'm not calling for an all out sudden prohibition but to rehabilitate those already addicted while eradicating further supply of fetanyl.

Heroin and fetanyl are two very different beasts. While heroin seems to have a long use life for it's addicts, fetanyl literally kills because of it's extreme potency.

Carfentinil, the elephant tranquilizer is 100x stronger than fetanyl. There's no way we as a society can allow this to flow freely. It's no longer a drug but poison that absolutely kills its users.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:I supported legalizing all drugs, then the opioid epidemi... by reefoctopus on Thursday April 20, 2017 @11:37AM (#14157608)
Most people dying from fentynl aren't buying it on purpose. They're heroin addicts who would gladly choose that if it were legal.

>Carfentinil, the elephant tranquilizer is 100x stronger than fetanyl. There's no way we as a society can allow this to flow freely

I'm glad you understand that potency is the issue, but you're advocating policy that causes potency to increase.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:I supported legalizing all drugs, then the opioid epidemi... by brilliantcode on Thursday April 20, 2017 @12:33PM (#14158211)
> They're heroin addicts who would gladly choose that if it were legal.

It seems more of a preference. Lot of heroin users dislike the fetanyl high and remain heroin users.

> I'm glad you understand that potency is the issue, but you're advocating policy that causes potency to increase.

I disagree. The policy that made sense for mild opiods, namely legalizing and regulation. However, we are dealing with an extremely harmful chemical-a tiny grain size of salt of carfentinil will kill. There's just no way this can be used recreationally and responsibly.

[ Parent | on HN ]