Another harbourside dance festival. Another promising young life lost to that much sought after drug - Ecstacy - which delivers a "high " to it's users. It seems that this quest for a lift in spirits and a feeling of joy and wellbeing is part of the human psyche, but treated very differently by law enforcement.
Even the most law abiding and conservative citizens admit to occasionally drinking too much alcohol at festive occasions. They usually suffer a "hangover "the next morning and probably regret a few social excesses performed, but we indulgently accept that the liquor shops freely sell the booze to all - with restrictions applying to those under eighteen.
An excess of alcohol can certainly kill. Those who recklessly consume a whole bottle of vodka or whiskey face the prospect of their body organs shutting down. In these cases, the "high "delivered by alcohol simply passes the point of no return - and delivers "oblivion "! Fortunately, such deaths are rare.
In contrast, Ecstacy is beyond the control of the law. Wherever it is present it is part of the totally forbidden drug culture - and that is what makes it so attractive to some users. Popping a tiny little pill that delivers a promised "high " can be the ingredient that makes an otherwise dull social event a "memorable rave "! There is also an element of "peer pressure " to conform.
The big danger is the totally unknown contents of this substance. It is probably "cooked " in a drug lab under totally unhygienic conditions by a person with zero pharmaceutical qualifications, using difficult to obtain ingredients - and with varying substitutions delivering unknown end results. The people selling it are after cash profits - and couldn't care less beyond the need to dodge police and grab their money.
This raises the question of whether a quality controlled form of Ecstacy should be a legal substance, sold in a similar manner to alcohol ? This would be subjected to the same tax regime that applies to alcohol and it would completely obliterate the underworld drug trade. There is no profit in contraband when that same product is freely available over the counter in the retail trade.
The big hurdle to a policy change is the immense effort to convince the public that drugs are illegal - and need to be banned. We deplore the gang culture that surrounds the drug trade and the public perception seems to be that getting a "high "by any means is somehow immoral. It is a big step to accept that people have a right to ingest mood altering substances - for the sole purpose of creating pleasure !
This very thought will frighten the politicians into a frenzy. They will be accused of "going soft "on drugs - and the ramifications go way beyond Ecstacy. If that becomes legal, then why not Marijuana - and Heroin - and Cocaine - and perhaps Opium ?
There is no doubt that alcohol delivers many problems. We deplore the drunken behaviour stemming from the nightclubs in Kings Cross, but the vast majority of our citizens use alcohol responsibly. The claim that legalizing drugs will bring about a nation of "druggies " is no more likely than the entire population of Australia going on a drunken rampage because alcohol is legally available in the bottle shops. There will be drug excesses - but on a similar level to present alcohol abuse.
It is worth remembering that we are pouring vast resources into trying to stem the drug trade - and failing miserably. The whole range of drugs are freely available on our streets and the profits are making criminals rich. It is a law of nature that where high demand exists - supply will inevitably follow. Realists will accept that we can never hope to win the drug war.
Whether this nation is ready to accept that drugs are a personal decision that each citizen is free to make - is a moot point. Whether getting "high " on a party night is now as acceptable an activity as opening a bottle of wine or having a few beers remains to be tested. In the rest of the world, the first steps have been taken with the legalizing of Marijuana.
The drug question awaits an answer !
No comments:
Post a Comment