Hell...Russian soldiers used to put shoe polish on bread,put it in a toaster and inhale it. Oh...did we talk about huffers? Glue sniffers? The world is not full of emotionally healthy productive individuals that if simply allowed a healthy clinical medical dose of heroin would serve wonderful full and complete lives.
You remind of the college professors of the 70s and 80s that used to promote drug legalization because they themselves were casual users and felt that if it were all legal people would be able to make responsible choices and our drug problem would go away. And they may have been right...for the casual user.
This line of reasoning sounds eerily similar to the logic of someone who might be labelled an anti-gun nut.
You remind of folks who promote gun legalization because they themselves were responsible gun-owners. They felt that if gun ownership were legal, people would be able to make responsible choices and our gun problem would go away. And they may have been right...for the responsible gun-owner.
Different subjects of course—but similar rationale.
Maybe you have more in common with "anti-gun nuts" than you had previously expected.
The societal parallels between gun use and drug use are not insignificant.
Both potentially dangerous to the user and those around the user.
Both potentially beneficial, useful and fun for the user and those around the user.
Both the subject of strong emotional reactions.
It would not be illogical for someone who was in favor of allowing adults access to one to be in favor of allowing adults access to the other.
Should we prevent people who have certain mental issues from having potentially harmful drugs?
Is it reasonable to allow people who are
not mentally or emotionally impaired to have drugs?
What about guns?
Should we prevent people who have certain mental issues from having guns?
Is it reasonable to allow people who are
not mentally or emotionally impaired to have guns?
Back on the subject of the opioid "epidemic"...
People's health is highly idiosyncratic—there are precisely 2.23½ kajillion variables which could vary from one person to the next.
We already have a system of qualified experts in place to assist us with making health decisions.
I'm all for educating doctors and patients with the facts, strategies to prevent problems, and ways to correct problems which occur.
The opioid "epidemic" directly affects only a minute percentage of the population, so we should be careful about enacting any unnecessary legislation that interferes with Dr.s' ability to make judgements on behalf of their patients.