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Re: safe and much maligned » cmcdougall

Posted by Elizabeth on April 19, 2002, at 14:10:34

In reply to It is safe and much maligned-don't freak out, posted by cmcdougall on April 19, 2002, at 11:41:03

> As a libertarian, I think ALL drugs should be available to ANYONE, WITH appropriate monitoring, counseling, registration, and taxation.

Without arguing over the exact way to go about it, I agree: legalization and regulation is the only rational solution to the drug problem. Apart from moral and Constitutional concerns, what we're doing now, the so-called "war on drugs," simply isn't working. It's costing lives and taxpayer money, taking police power away from fighting real crimes, etc., and it's not making a dent in the demand for drugs in this country. (Are you a libertarian, or a Libertarian, out of curiosity?)

> Heroin is probably the safest, most effective painkiller with the fewest side effects ever known.

What makes you think that -- about the side effects, I mean? It seems like all the strong opioids, like fentanyl (& analogs), Dilaudid, NuMorphan, etc., have similar side effect profiles. I'd guess that fentanyl is a bit better tolerated than the morphinelike ones.

> I have not ever taken heroin (hope I never need to), but all the OBJECTIVE research has shown great promise for safety and effectiveness.

I've never used it either, but pharmaceutical-grade diamorphine is no more dangerous than other powerful opioids. The illegality is what makes it dangerous. Heroin was singled out for criminalization because some people enjoy it a lot, yet the same people would be thrilled to find a big bottle of Dilaudid lying around. A few years ago, flunitrazepam was similarly singled out as a "date rape drug" -- and placed in Schedule I -- despite the fact that all benzos, and other types of sedatives, have similar synergistic CNS depressant effects with alcohol. Indeed, I seem to recall a case where Klonopin was used as a "date rape drug." That had me really worried -- Rohypnol wasn't ever that commonly used, but lots of people really need Klonopin, and if it were banned there wouldn't be anything that would replace it because of its uniquely long duration of action.)

> It is only "opiaphobes" that freak out about heroin, NOT legitimate and honest researchers.

This is an important (IMO) point. There's a lot of intellectual dishonesty involved in attempts to rationalize the drug war.

-elizabeth


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poster:Elizabeth thread:103502
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020416/msgs/103557.html