UK - Make drug-driving illegal, but prevention is better

[edgarshade]

New Scientist

14:12 16 January 2012 by Duncan Vernon

With reader comments

Setting limits for drug-driving may prove tricky. A total ban, plus anti-drug campaigns for children, looks like the best solution

One of road safety's great success stories has been legislation coupled with appropriate enforcement. There is strong evidence that speed limits and a legal limit on blood alcohol content while driving have saved lives. So the UK government's decision to consider introducing a new offence of driving with an illegal drug in your body is welcome.

Studies based around the idea of early intervention and providing preschool support have found that this approach can reduce the use of drugs in later life. This could be a valuable and cost-effective way of reducing drug driving, especially given the much wider positive effects on health and well-being that early intervention can have.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21359-make-drugdriving-illegal-but-prevention-is-better.html

 

[edgarshade]

Silly article: Convince children not to do drugs at all to reduce road accidents due to drug driving later.

Downright strange reader comments...

Most fundamentally, in order for a human being to be happy, he must interact with the Universe. A process which, in the end, results in learning how the Universe works. In the human becoming SMARTER.

Unless he uses emotion drugs.

And that entire learning process shuts DOWN.

People supporting their families---STOPS. People buying stuff to support their hobbies---STOPS.

Scientific research and the advancement of humankind---STOPS.

Moral growth---STOPS. The human no longer feels unhappy when somebody else feels unhappy. His emotional connection to the rest of the human race has been DESTROYED.

Most fundamentally, interaction with the Universe and the resulting growth of intelligence---STOPS.

It's cheaper, you see. It takes a lot of sweating, grinding effort to get the Universe to give you what you want so you can be happy, and it's SL-O-O-W. But with emotion drugs, happiness is only a toke, a snort, a swallow, or an injection away. So much faster and cheaper.

 

[DexterMeth]

What about driving from lack of sleep because you're on stims?
What about driving from lack of sleep because you're not on stims?
What about driving from zero lack of sleep but you're on stims?
What if you simply have shitty judgement and can't drive well?

 

[edgarshade]

Damn! Reading all that just made me miss my turning 8(

 

[DexterMeth]

Lol. I had to do a double take (and then some) after writing it too. Non-intentional 100% mindfuck.
%)

 

[23536]

disappointed in New Scientist for this. Usually they cut through the bullshit. I know this is an Op-Ed but this:

There is a reasonably simple way to confront these complexities. A new offence of driving with any level of an illegal drug in the body might be the best way of emulating the success of drink-driving laws. It would make it much easier to catch and convict drug drivers – the ultimate deterrent.

is highly dubious. How many innocent people will get punished by per se DUI laws? The author doesn't even mention this.

 

[Biovail]

Silly article: Convince children not to do drugs at all to reduce road accidents due to drug driving later.

Downright strange reader comments...

I have to say, I don't disagree with what he's saying. Everything that drives human beings is based on emotion. Drugs like heroin simulate those emotions and make it unnecessary to pursue anything in life. But this doesn't make banning drugs and persecuting their users like criminals the right solution. And his argument doesn't apply to psychedelics like LSD IMO.

 

[botfly]

So they are going to start doing roadside piss tests now? Or make a gadget that detects drugs in your system? Weed stays in your system for a long time so that could fuck loads of people over for being 'under the influence' even if they haven't smoked for a while.