Societies view of addicts is scum. Unfortunatley this just isn't a realistic view. I think I mentioned before that people forget they are real people who have parent's, who are sons and daughters, and often have children of their own.

Try not to be offended by others posts (not easy sometimes, I can imagine)

i suppose it must be hard for people to understand just how many people are affected when there is an addict in the family and the repurcussions. i see so many young people that i knew as chubby toddlers, happy, carefree, from loving families, now gaunt skeletal and with not much hope and itmakes me want to cry. they have changed beyond recognition, no morals or conscience, being shunned by all,and withoutfail, there isnt a month goes by without hearing one of them is dead, while the known money men, who never soil their hands with the stuff, drive round in their flash cars raking in their rewards right under the noses of the police,its a bad, sad world out there, and i wouldnt wish any parent to go through what we did, happily,my daughter is doing well now and will be drug free soon, as there are organisations that offer help without judgment, our local one is framework and they are invaluable, they have doneso much to change my daughters way of life, she gets so much support for which i will be eternally grateful.

Methadone users who are no longer using herion are by no means scum.. at least they are prepared to stand up and admit they need and want to change..Underage smoking and drinking is illicit use as the drug is being used by someone other than it is meant for... i.e, adults.

Labelling a section of society as scum is never going to work. I know of individuals that deserve that label, amongst others! If methodone/heroin users deserve a label, how about unlucky. As in, one day they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, got offered some gear to try and next thing they knew they were well and truly s*****d.

That's absolutely right Rich, it's now cheaper for the dealers to grow their own rather than risk importing. Because of it being grown in artificial light (and some other factors I can't remember!) it's about 20 times stronger than it used to be, it's the stuff that's regularly referred to as Skunk I think. Totally different to the cannabis of old and has been found to cause a huge increase in schizophrenia in the people that take it.

Apparntely!

I have taken illegal drugs and still do what i think is very sick it when there are 12 -16year olds sat down a park stoned out their heads. There definately need to be more education done in schools about drugs even if it only makes them think about using them more sensibly. Sitting throwing scare storys at kids definately doesnt work it didnt work for me either. I dont think drug users can be classed as scum, if they should be then so should anyone who drinks in my opinion. Drug dealers do find it easier now to grow their own for sure which might be better than importing stuff that could have anything in it.

I do think some drugs should be made legal for medical reasons, if its a cure for someones illness then what is the harm in letting them use it.

the harm these drugs cause far outweighs the benefits,and every drug user can justify their use against others.. i.e. speed user saying "at least im not a p#ss head.. Cocaine user saying "at least im not a dirty bag head".. Drugs are drugs full stop and all mess up the individual, their families, aand have a knock on effect to all of society.. even if its just ur insurance premiums... Every drug user has the choice to look at where they are in their cycle of change and access treatment if they want.... i have lots of respect for those that do.

But there is serious drug taking and just doing it occationally which for me is a get away from the stress of life usually when im out, but have also sat in the house feeling really depressed with the other half. Its like alcahol you get alcahol users and alcaholics. Its the same with drug users. I could stop taking drugs if i chose to same as i could stop drinking alcahol. I already gave up smoking normal fags.

As to the medical side it depends if the effects of the drugs themselves are worse than the effects of what ever illness they are being used for.

I think that is a very good point, and I hadn't thought about it like that.

I think at the end of the day, adults should be abe to choose what they do with their OWN body. If I want to stick corn cobs in my ears and jump up and down, cut my hair off, chop off my left big toe, scribble on my bum, eat some magic mushies and jump off a bridge I should be able to.

The only catch is that it affects other people. Or should I say IF/WHEN it affects other people. And most people will have the arguement that it does. And it a lot of cases it does. But not in ALL cases, and to take away that freedom is wrong. It is a catch 22 situation.

Again to compare it to alcohol, that has just as much effect on society. If not more. The only, ONLY fact it isn't looked at with such disgust as other less legal substances is that is is legal, and of course, TAXABLE.

So to sum up, drugs are mostly bad in the wrong hands, drugs screw up lives, but if a consenting adult wants to take something, it doesn't affect me, their family, the tax payers etc etc etc - who am I to say they can't?

It is like telling people to stop eating junk food. Your bad health costs US millions and billions in hospital fees, but can you imagine if they proposed banning McDonalds? I know this is a silly example, but where do we draw the line at the nanny state?

(I could have kept going and going and going )