This is How Europe Takes Drugs

[rickolasnice]

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/everything-you-need-to-know-about-how-europe-takes-drugs-in-2014

And yes.. England takes the cup.

Tell again how prohibition reduces use, raas

 

[spudgun]

Weird how there's such a massive difference between Spain and Portugal - that can't be right.

 

[Ravin Monkeys]

Damn you! I miss that good spanish coke!

 

[mydrugbuddy]

Champions !!

Who were the samples of people asked though, i cannot believe that 30% of the general population uses cocaine nor that 70% of some other countries use cannabis. Is the sample population students at psytrance events or something like that.

 

[Ravin Monkeys]

Due to Portugals liberation of all drugs i've heared there drug use has plummeted massively.

 

[Septonn]

Due to Portugals liberation of all drugs i've heared there drug use has plummeted massively.

Just as with weed in NL. Marijuana use in most European countries is higher than here. It's highest in France, which is interesting as they used to give us the most shit on marijuana legality of all the EU member states.

 

[rickolasnice]

It's percentage of respondents that answered "yay" vs "nay"

Of people that visit vice.com

 

[ponch]

The sample is whoever chose to fill in the online survey IIRC. The results will be skewed somewhat as i imagine its mainly recreational drug users that filled it in.

 

[rickolasnice]

Well it does show some things if you compare the maps with each other..

But as a whole.. no not really.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

Might as well use BL and EADD as a sample pool, the results would probably be about the same, though i dont think 30% of people on EADD are banging on about cocaine. Vice must be a bit posher/richer or the people have better contacts or something (or they are just fucking liars)

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

Regarding the survey it's a simple case of missampling. There's no randomisation in their coice of subjects at all, it's all based on a single survey with freely willing respondants on the internet.

 

[lurching]

Meanwhile, this thread slipped on by:

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/724551-European-Drug-Report-2014

 

[hexagram]

if by 'cocaine' they mean a £40 mix of caffeine, RC's, speed, meph and benzocaine then yeah that sounds about right.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

Meanwhile, this thread slipped on by:

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/724551-European-Drug-Report-2014

Probably because you have to d/l and read an 88 page pdf document, that's a bit more demanding than looking at a map of Europe for 3 seconds.

 

[curious_24]

...though i dont think 30% of people on EADD are banging on about cocaine.

Just the one, although she does seem to be enjoying her mix of caffeine, RCs, worming powder, speed, meph and benzocaine.

 

[Raasyvibe]

Tell again how prohibition reduces use, raas

Sure.

Drug Policy of Portugual
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal#Observations
Reported lifetime use of "all illicit drugs" increased from 7.8% to 12%, lifetime use of cannabis increased from 7.6% to 11.7%, cocaine use more than doubled, from 0.9% to 1.9%, ecstasy nearly doubled from 0.7% to 1.3%, and heroin increased from 0.7% to 1.1%





There ya go.



Gotta be considerably more reliable than an online survey from vice.com

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

Sure.

Drug Policy of Portugual
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal#Observations
Reported lifetime use of "all illicit drugs" increased from 7.8% to 12%, lifetime use of cannabis increased from 7.6% to 11.7%, cocaine use more than doubled, from 0.9% to 1.9%, ecstasy nearly doubled from 0.7% to 1.3%, and heroin increased from 0.7% to 1.1%





There ya go.



Gotta be considerably more reliable than an online survey from vice.com

I wouldn't doubt for a second consumption rates of lots of things would rise, but the damage to society would bar diminished (as all the other studies linked with the Portugese decriminalisation have shown).

 

[lurching]

Sure.

Drug Policy of Portugual
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal#Observations
Reported lifetime use of "all illicit drugs" increased from 7.8% to 12%, lifetime use of cannabis increased from 7.6% to 11.7%, cocaine use more than doubled, from 0.9% to 1.9%, ecstasy nearly doubled from 0.7% to 1.3%, and heroin increased from 0.7% to 1.1%

Gotta be considerably more reliable than an online survey from vice.com

I clicked the reference on the first statement and was linked to the following paper:

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PORTUGUESE
DECRIMINALIZATION OF ILLICIT DRUGS?, 2010
http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/bib/doc/bf/2010_Caitlin_211621_1.pdf

This paper examines the case of Portugal, a nation that decriminalized the use and pos-
session of all illicit drugs on 1 July 2001. Drawing upon independent evaluations and interviews
conducted with 13 key stakeholders in 2007 and 2009, it critically analyses the criminal justice and
health impacts against trends from neighbouring Spain and Italy. It concludes that contrary to
predictions, the Portuguese decriminalization did not lead to major increases in drug use. Indeed,
evidence indicates reductions in problematic use, drug-related harms and criminal justice
overcrowding.

[...]

- small increases in reported illicit drug use amongst adults;

- reduced illicit drug use among problematic drug users and adolescents, at least since 2003;

- reduced burden of drug offenders on the criminal justice system;

- increased uptake of drug treatment;

- reduction in opiate-related deaths and infectious diseases;

Interesting results.

 

[Si Dread]

Reported lifetime use of "all illicit drugs" increased from 7.8% to 12%, lifetime use of cannabis increased from 7.6% to 11.7%, cocaine use more than doubled, from 0.9% to 1.9%, ecstasy nearly doubled from 0.7% to 1.3%, and heroin increased from 0.7% to 1.1%

If those figures are accurate, I'd be well chuffed. Increasing the percentage of drugs users per head of population might decrease the number of drinkers & produce a resultant reduction in violent late night crime. It might also bring the demographic of drugs users nearer to the general populace, (hopefully) increasing the awareness amongst them all that in fact drugs can be used safely & generally are.

Even as many of us call for legalisation or decriminalisation, no-one anywhere is suggesting that using any drug is an entirely risk free endeavor, but we accept huge numbers of activities that are considerably more risky than drugs use & it's time to accept that those who choose to take the "risk" have as much right to do so as a 14 year old who "chooses" to race motor-cycles. If a teenage boy can risk his life & the lives of others at 100mph at Brands Hatch I fail to see why I, a consenting adult, may not smoke marijuana in my own home.

The laws against drugs, particularly weed, psyches & MDMA, doesn't make any sense unless the reason I am not allowed to take these drugs isn't in fact anything to do with my safety or my health...

 

[Raasyvibe]

If those figures are accurate, I'd be well chuffed. Increasing the percentage of drugs users per head of population might decrease the number of drinkers & produce a resultant reduction in violent late night crime. It might also bring the demographic of drugs users nearer to the general populace, (hopefully) increasing the awareness amongst them all that in fact drugs can be used safely & generally are.

I wouldn't doubt for a second consumption rates of lots of things would rise, but the damage to society would bar diminished (as all the other studies linked with the Portugese decriminalisation have shown).

Maybe so? But that's not the point. Ricko asked me how prohibition reduces use:- I answered appropriately. I'm not questioning whether it's right or wrong.

I clicked the reference on the first statement and was linked to the following paper:

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE PORTUGUESE
DECRIMINALIZATION OF ILLICIT DRUGS?, 2010
http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/bib/doc/bf/2010_Caitlin_211621_1.pdf

This paper examines the case of Portugal, a nation that decriminalized the use and pos-
session of all illicit drugs on 1 July 2001. Drawing upon independent evaluations and interviews
conducted with 13 key stakeholders in 2007 and 2009, it critically analyses the criminal justice and
health impacts against trends from neighbouring Spain and Italy. It concludes that contrary to
predictions, the Portuguese decriminalization did not lead to major increases in drug use. Indeed,
evidence indicates reductions in problematic use, drug-related harms and criminal justice
overcrowding.

[...]

- small increases in reported illicit drug use amongst adults;

- reduced illicit drug use among problematic drug users and adolescents, at least since 2003;

- reduced burden of drug offenders on the criminal justice system;

- increased uptake of drug treatment;

- reduction in opiate-related deaths and infectious diseases;

Interesting results.

Yes it says "not lead to major increases", this doesn't mean it didn't increase at all and that's what Ricko asked of me, and I answered appropriately.