I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem

Re:I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem by hackermailman on Thursday February 18, 2021 @10:43AM (#26181126)

Anybody who thinks this harm reduction strategy works should go visit cities that have employed it for years like Vancouver, Canada where there are legal shooting galleries everywhere, no arrests for personal amounts, and prescribed heroin that thousands of drug addicts have been on for 10 years now and the problem gets worse everyday. There used to just be a contained area of people passed out all over the street now it extends to the rest of the city. There is even a drug takers union that demanded treatment options be removed from drug taking clinics as 'it shamed drug users'.

So if you create an accomodating and encouraging area for taking heroin you will find it surges in population when heroin is freely available and detox discouraged. Everybody points to the European model but they must have done something different than just harm reduction, like proactive policing breaking up open air drug markets and shutting down slums teeming with addicts forcing them into detox.

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Re:I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem by valuearb on Thursday February 18, 2021 @11:51AM (#26182175)

Heroin is still illegal in Vancouver. Only a handful of addicts get free heroin.

And because it’s illegal most addicts have to pay high prices for heroin of unknown potency, and frequent laced with Fentanyl. That directly leads to overdoses and hundreds of deaths, along with street crime to fund expensive habits.

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Re:I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem by hackermailman on Thursday February 18, 2021 @01:03PM (#26183236)

It's been decrim unofficially for personal use for 5 years now, now officially decriminalized https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2020/11/28/vancouver-votes-to-decri...

Every bus stop since March last year in the drug slums also has instructions where to get prescribed opiates. Area only got worse

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Re:I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem by slavik81 on Thursday February 18, 2021 @03:36PM (#26185161)

From your link:

> The Vancouver motion however for the moment has no force in law.

A municipality doesn't have the authority to decriminalize drugs. They're just requesting the Federal government to act. It's not official, though it could eventually be.

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Re:I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem by valuearb on Thursday February 18, 2021 @03:52PM (#26185336)

Decriminalization isn’t legalization. Not only is it still a federal crime to buy and use, but it’s also illegal to sell. And illegal heroin is still cut with a variety of substances leading to more overdoses and deaths.

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Re:I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem by Dma54rhs on Thursday February 18, 2021 @05:59PM (#26187036)

I live in Europe where drugs are legalized. Definetly it doesn't mean anti social behavior is "legalized" what often at least seems the case with Nort American progressive cities. People are treated as adults and are expected to act like ones.

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Re:I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem by randompwd on Saturday February 20, 2021 @06:58AM (#26203501)

Drugs most definitely aren't legalized in Europe.

Also, Europe is a collection of sovereign countries, each of whom has their own drug policies.

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Re:I am a heroin user. I do not have a drug problem by Dma54rhs on Saturday February 20, 2021 @07:23AM (#26203633)

Well obviously I meant I live IN A place in Europe. And yes decriminialized is the correct term but my point still stands.

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