Ireland to 'decriminalise' small amounts of drugs, including heroin, cocaine and cannabis,

[jason73]

Ireland will move towards decriminalising substances including heroin, cocaine and cannabis as part of a “radical cultural shift”, the country's drugs minister has said.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the chief of Ireland’s National Drugs Strategy, told a lecture at the London School of Economics on Monday that drug users will be able to inject in specially designated rooms in Dublin from next year.

The minister said attitudes to drugs needed to move away from shaming addicts to helping them and emphasised there was a difference between legalisation and decriminalisation.

It would remain a crime to profit – from either the sale or distribution of illegal drugs – but drug takers would no longer be criminalised for their addictions.


“I am firmly of the view that there needs to be a cultural shift in how we regard substance misuse if we are to break this cycle and make a serious attempt to tackle drug and alcohol addiction,” said Mr Ó Ríordáin.

However, while Mr O Ríordáin told The Irish Times that there was a “strong consensus that drugs across the board should be decriminalised,” he said it would be for Ireland’s next government to discuss.
Discussing plans to open ‘injection rooms’ Mr Ó Ríordáin said they would be “clinically controlled environments” that would aim to prevent already vulnerable individuals from exposing themselves to further risks.

He added: “Research has shown that the use of supervised injecting centres is associated with self-reported reductions in injecting risk behaviours.”

Following the opening of the Dublin clinic, the minster added he hoped similar rooms in Cork, Glaway and Limerick would also open.

 

[WineDineSixty-Nine]

Ireland will move towards decriminalising substances including heroin, cocaine and cannabis as part of a “radical cultural shift”, the country's drugs minister has said.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the chief of Ireland’s National Drugs Strategy, told a lecture at the London School of Economics on Monday that drug users will be able to inject in specially designated rooms in Dublin from next year.

The minister said attitudes to drugs needed to move away from shaming addicts to helping them and emphasised there was a difference between legalisation and decriminalisation.

It would remain a crime to profit – from either the sale or distribution of illegal drugs – but drug takers would no longer be criminalised for their addictions.


“I am firmly of the view that there needs to be a cultural shift in how we regard substance misuse if we are to break this cycle and make a serious attempt to tackle drug and alcohol addiction,” said Mr Ó Ríordáin.

However, while Mr O Ríordáin told The Irish Times that there was a “strong consensus that drugs across the board should be decriminalised,” he said it would be for Ireland’s next government to discuss.
Discussing plans to open ‘injection rooms’ Mr Ó Ríordáin said they would be “clinically controlled environments” that would aim to prevent already vulnerable individuals from exposing themselves to further risks.

He added: “Research has shown that the use of supervised injecting centres is associated with self-reported reductions in injecting risk behaviours.”

Following the opening of the Dublin clinic, the minster added he hoped similar rooms in Cork, Glaway and Limerick would also open.

Well that's interesting. However I wouldn't want to have a business or residence near one of these safe rooms. While the rooms will be safe there will naturally be heavy traffic of hard drug abusers, who tend to be prone to do whatever necessary to secure more of their chosen vice.

 

[sparkuri]

Good.

 

[Mas Macho]

That policy makes a lot of sense. I don't smoke pot but I think it should be legalized here in the US. Regulate it and tax it like tobacco. Clear out a lot of people from our courts and prison system. It would generate tax dollars and reduce expenses substantially.

 

[HEATH VON DOOM]

That policy makes a lot of sense. I don't smoke pot but I think it should be legalized here in the US. Regulate it and tax it like tobacco. Clear out a lot of people from our courts and prison system. It would generate tax dollars and reduce expenses substantially.

Did you see the part about heroin?

 

[b00ts]

That policy makes a lot of sense. I don't smoke pot but I think it should be legalized here in the US. Regulate it and tax it like tobacco. Clear out a lot of people from our courts and prison system. It would generate tax dollars and reduce expenses substantially.

This is beating a dead horse. 90% of the population has zero issues with weed. There's about 9%, however, that still believe in reefer madness and that the war on drugs is actually doing something. The 1% simply don't want it legalized because of the money generated through keeping it criminalized. These are, of course, random percentages, but you get the idea. A lot of people are simply uneducated on the marijuanas. They think it's all just one plant and people only smoke to get baked. They don't realize there's different strains for different things and most people only smoke about a 1/4 - 1/2 gram in a session. There's times when you smoke more, like it's a Saturday night and you want to binge some Breaking Bad for instance. Heroin and coke were both legal not too long ago as well. I, however, don't feel those should be legal as there is a legitimate risk for OD

 

[Splinty]

Good.

Jails don't help addicts.
Move these people into treatment programs so we can break this cycle and spend less money.

 

[Splinty]

. Heroin and coke were both legal not too long ago as well. I, however, don't feel those should be legal as there is a legitimate risk for OD

There's a serious risk of overdose on alcohol too.

Keeping them illegal maintains the failed drug war and does not reduce use at all.

Decriminalization and moving these people into treatment instead of jail works.

Fix demand with treatment.

 

[Ted Williams' head]

That's awesome. Every country needs to shift their attitudes towards drug addicts. They're not criminals, they simply made a poor choice and are now sick. It's no different than the fat person who eats themselves into heart disease or diabetes (and there are a lot more of those than drug addicts).

Nobody should ever go to jail or be charged for personal use of any narcotic.

 

[Psychotropic Wanderlust]

booking trip to Ireland.

 

[Hired Gun]

I'm really on the fence with this one. I have no issue with weed being legalized but harder drugs I can't see legalizing. Its a massive mess since every government in the world is involved with them as drugs are a commodity that pays for allot of the off the book bs that goes on.

One thing that really burns my ass is you have to come down hard on Dr's who have become legalized drug dealers with the amount of prescription meds being given out. This also means standing up against pharmaceutical companies who care only about the bottom line and not a persons health and the damage it does to their lives.

 

[mysticmac]

Good.

Jails don't help addicts.
Move these people into treatment programs so we can break this cycle and spend less money.

They will probably still end up in jail for theft, etc.

But, yeah, I agree with not locking them up for being users. There are already laws that cover other bad things a lot of them do.

 

[Ted Williams' head]

I'm really on the fence with this one. I have no issue with weed being legalized but harder drugs I can't see legalizing.

I don't think legalizing is the answer, but certainly to decriminalize. We don't want people using hard narcotics, but we also don't want to turn them into criminals, put them in jail and give them a criminal record so they can no longer be productive members of society.

 

[Hired Gun]

I don't think legalizing is the answer, but certainly to decriminalize. We don't want people using hard narcotics, but we also don't want to turn them into criminals, put them in jail and give them a criminal record so they can no longer be productive members of society.

Users or dealers?

 

[Ted Williams' head]

Users or dealers?

Just users, decriminalize possession for personal use. Dealers should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

 

[Zeph]

I don't think legalizing is the answer, but certainly to decriminalize. We don't want people using hard narcotics, but we also don't want to turn them into criminals, put them in jail and give them a criminal record so they can no longer be productive members of society.

Prohibition doesn't work. It just creates a black market controlled by criminals, whom are prepared to use violence to ensure their profits, while driving up the price of the product, forcing addicts to turn to petty crime to pay for their habits. By making it legal regulation can control the quality of the product, which will decrease the amount of ODs, while allowing for taxation which can help pay for any health costs associated with addicts, and also remove massive sections of the prison population saving massive amounts of money to feed and house these people. Not only that but the price of the product will be driven down to the point that addicts need not turn to crime, or at least commit significantly less crime, to pay for their habits. How many cigarette smokers are mugging people to support their habit?

By legalizing the drugs you withdraw the addict from the underground nature of it and can get better access to them to provide treatment programs, or just clean needles, which will save the tax payer significant money in health care costs down the road. As when they turn up at their local hospital with whatever they have contracted from dirty needles, it is the tax payer that will be picking up the bill. Not only this, but the free access to information can let people make clear informed decisions when it comes to use of these drugs.

And these are just some of the national reasons the war on drugs should be ended. Just look at what it has done to South America, and the misery it has caused for whole countries trying to fight against cartels. Prohibition is evil.