8 December 2009

Drugs Seized in First Use of Crimes (Controlled Operation) Act

| Tooks
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About mid 2008 there was some pretty lively (and heated) debate on this site regarding the Crimes (Controlled Operations) Act (introduced late 2008). See here and here.

I hadn’t really thought about the issue until I came across this media release, detailing the first time a matter has gone to court using this new legislation.

Those who are for this legislation generally believe it is good that police have extra power to nab more drug dealers, while those against believe it is open to corruption, as has happened in other jurisdictions, and that there will not be adequate supervision of police involved in these operations to prevent corruption.

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punktual said :

Exactly Grail.
The answer is not prohibition, it is decriminilsation and education.

I could easily make arguments for *and* against legalisation using various articles and stats. I personally don’t believe legalisation is the answer.

Careful there Grail, you’re treading far too close to commmon sense there, we can’t have that. 😛

Exactly Grail.
The answer is not prohibition, it is decriminilsation and education.

Just look at portugal as aprime example that legalistion of drugs can have a possitive impact on society.

look at this article from time magazine if you don’t believe me:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

The Cato paper reports that between 2001 and 2006 in Portugal, rates of lifetime use of any illegal drug among seventh through ninth graders fell from 14.1% to 10.6%; drug use in older teens also declined. Lifetime heroin use among 16-to-18-year-olds fell from 2.5% to 1.8% (although there was a slight increase in marijuana use in that age group). New HIV infections in drug users fell by 17% between 1999 and 2003, and deaths related to heroin and similar drugs were cut by more than half.

We could just make the drugs legal, legislate the quality control like we do for food and legal drugs, and use the profits to fund public awareness.

That, or make cigarettes illegal too.

The double-standards of modern society amuse me.

cleo said :

Great! get the drugs off the streets, and dob in anyone who is involved with drugs

Really? Arrest about 1 in 5 people? Do you really understand how many people take recreational drugs? It’s not the seedy underbelly TV and movies make it out o be. Its your neighbour and your co-worker.

Not all drugs are bad and not all drug users are bad.

Alcohol and Nicotine kill far more people and put far more strain on our health system and police force than drugs.

I guess thats not the argument in question but peoples ignorance on the issue irritates me.

Great! get the drugs off the streets, and dob in anyone who is involved with drugs

georgesgenitals7:11 pm 08 Dec 09

There are more problems with drugs than corrupt cops, I’d say, so bring it on.

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