BigTrancer
Bluelight Crew
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- Mar 12, 2000
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http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/liac/hot_topic/hottopic/2000/4/2.html
VERY interesting read, imho.
BigTrancer
VERY interesting read, imho.
BigTrancer
History of Drug Law in Australia (AustLII Resources Article)
- Thread starter BigTrancer
- Start date
Fry-d-
Bluelight Crew
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- Oct 21, 1999
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Interesting indeed, you've been busy today BT
Modern drug law represents a shift from people making their own choices about drugs...
Funny really, a hundred years ago people could be sucking on morphine lozenges or use a heroin cough mixture for a sore throat. Today you can't even buy a packet of cold and flu medication without identification.
Leprechaun
Bluelighter
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- Mar 12, 2000
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Sounds like things could slowly be changing. Albeit slowly!
Shift in perception!
Shift in perception!
bluegirl
Bluelighter
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- May 19, 2000
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- 687
interesting read..... so's this
i think one of the major influencing factors of decisions and laws regarding drug use is the increasing medicalisation (or use of the medical model) of society. in fact this applies to all areas of life and not just drug use. if say an organisation or company is "sick" then we look at ways that we can make it "well" again. same goes for criminals, they are viewed as "sick" or in some way not functioning the same as the rest of society and therefore deficient, and thus requiring "medicating" (such as prison etc) in order to "fix them".
the same goes for determining the legal status of drugs. in an increasingly medicalised society drugs are usually viewed of in terms of whether they can help people physically and mentally. in a medicalised society only "experts" are able to determine what is beneficial for society and what is not, thereby reducing the potential for people to make their own choices about drugs (as highlighted by fry-d). that is, by saying only a few people have the authority to determine the legality of certain substances, and who these people are, the government is able to affect incredible control over how certain substances are viewed.
bk
i think one of the major influencing factors of decisions and laws regarding drug use is the increasing medicalisation (or use of the medical model) of society. in fact this applies to all areas of life and not just drug use. if say an organisation or company is "sick" then we look at ways that we can make it "well" again. same goes for criminals, they are viewed as "sick" or in some way not functioning the same as the rest of society and therefore deficient, and thus requiring "medicating" (such as prison etc) in order to "fix them".
the same goes for determining the legal status of drugs. in an increasingly medicalised society drugs are usually viewed of in terms of whether they can help people physically and mentally. in a medicalised society only "experts" are able to determine what is beneficial for society and what is not, thereby reducing the potential for people to make their own choices about drugs (as highlighted by fry-d). that is, by saying only a few people have the authority to determine the legality of certain substances, and who these people are, the government is able to affect incredible control over how certain substances are viewed.
bk
