The replacement drugs only work with someone inside the system. There are a lot of people outside of or at odds with the system because of how it levies criminality against addicts. And again: criminality that is automatically assumed acts as a positive feedback loop leading to addicts committing legitimate crime.

I’m not familiar with Finnish prisons. I’ve been told that they’re better than US prisons and I definitely believe that much. But still, someone with an issue of addiction shouldn’t be going to prison at all in the first place. That was the main point I was trying to make there.

And I’m not advocating for anything like free drugs. What I’m advocating for is a more psychological approach to handing addiction. Addiction itself is a psychological disease, and it needs to be treated like that. Not like it’s some sort of moral failure: like the system insists upon.

I do not think we will find consensus on this, so this is where I’ll take my leave.

Except it literally is life or death in the case of withdrawal. Those who are addicted things like like heroin, or even have a severe enough addiction to alcohol can die once they’re in a certain part of the withdrawal process.

And just because prison was the rock bottom that some addicts needed to reform doesn’t mean it’s the best option. Honestly prison is one of the worst possible options because it leads to a positive feedback loop of criminality. Addicts are automatically labeled as criminals on arrest and then have to fight against that stigma for the rest of their life. So of course they’d do things like turn back to crime, because their options are automatically limited on arrest.

I won’t sit here and act like I have all of the solutions. I don’t have all of the solutions and I’m just some guy. But so long as addiction is seen as a criminal offense we will fail addicts every single time. We need the large scale social programs Finland has currently along with a strong re-evaluation of how to handle drug related crimes.

Drugs in general are still illegal to possess and use under Finnish law. You need to decriminalize drug use before you can actually tackle it since it’s a health/psychology issue when it comes to the individual.

It’s hard to seek out proper help when you’re worried that you’ll be arrested/fined just for being an addict.

Grocery stores dump hundred of pound of still edible food into the garbage each and every day. And no one is eating less because of thefts from the grocery store. The main reason people are starving right now is because their grocery bill spiked and extra $100-200 for absolutely no reason other than pure greed that they were able to blame on “inflation”.

Your problem isn’t with the addicts, its with the system that is ever antagonistic towards its people. Addicts can be hard people to deal with, but they’re still people. Now obviously if they’re acting violently there’s no excuse for action like that. But if they’re just taking food why should I care?

If people are stealing for drugs then it means that the system in place isn’t meeting their current needs. The problem for a lot of addicts is that they either steal and cheat for drugs or die. Withdrawals literally have the capability to kill addicts. I don’t believe in any circumstance we should be holding money ahead of human lives.

It’s a shame when people are stolen from, but it’s a tragedy when people die. And a system that doesn’t allow an avenue for actual recovery is a failed system.

junkies

What a disgusting dehumanizing term. Drug addiction is a much greater issue that needs more than reactionary remarks and actions to solve. A good number are literally that desperate for money because they’ll literally die from withdrawals without whatever it is they’re addicted to. And so long as they’re being non-violent then I empathize with their struggle.

Again, I don’t at all care about some large corporate store getting stolen from. Actions like banning bags and whatnot mean little in the face of human suffering.

Don’t really care about some corporations losing out on their margins after nickel and diming everyone as high as they possibly can. Especially if the end result is someone or multiple people eating.

I stop reading after that since those are made up words.

Ahh, so you’re a complete fucking moron then. Checks out since you’re defending Andrew “I moved to Romania so I wouldn’t be charged with rape” Tate.