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  1. #1
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    ‘war on drugs’ : World dignitaries call time

    World dignitaries call time on ‘war on drugs’
    JOSEPH ALLCHIN
    3 June 2011


    Members of the Global Commission on Drug Policy (L-R) Richard Branson, former Swiss President Ruth Dreifuss, former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria, former Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Thorvald Stoltenberg and German State Secretary of Health Marion Caspers-Merk hold a news conference in New York June 2, 2011.

    Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is among former and current world leaders who have called for a cessation of the ‘war on drugs’, which they describe in a new report as “futile”.

    The call came from the Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP), founded by former leaders of Latin American producer and transit nations, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil. These, like Burma, have seen the conflict over drugs cost tens of thousands of lives and fund multiple wars, what the report calls the “devastating consequences” of the global prohibition on drugs.

    On release of the report in New York, former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who chairs the GCDP, told a press conference that the call is “not peace instead of war; it’s a more intelligent way to fight … the use of drugs”, adding: “Stop the war on drugs and let’s be more constructive in trying to reduce consumption”.

    The report claims that current drugs policy “has resulted in obvious anomalies like the flawed categorisation of cannabis, coca leaf and MDMA [used to make ecstasy]”.

    But among the most striking supporters of the call is the group’s honorary chair, George P Shultz, who served under former US President Richard Nixon, the man who originated the term “war on drugs”. He joins former Colombian president Cesar Gavira and former Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo, as well as Cardoso, the three founding members of the Commission.

    Under Nixon and successive US regimes, Burma’s government was recipient to military aid to combat the country’s flourishing drugs trade which until the mid-1990s was the world’s leading supplier of heroin until it was surpassed by Afghanistan.

    As a signatory to the report, British billionaire Richard Branson noted: “The war on drugs has increased drug usage, it’s filled our jails, it’s cost millions of taxpayer dollars and it’s fuelled organised crime”.

    There have been numerous calls for a global approach to narcotics policies that take into account the victims in producer nations, Cardoso said. “In Europe it’s easy to treat the question as just a health problem… In Latin America it’s not just a health problem, it’s also a problem of gangs and… violence and the control of local power by drug lords, so it’s more complicated.”

    As a result the report calls on governments to experiment with different models of legal regulation and for governments to cease criminalising drug users who do no harm to others.

    The report further recommends that governments “replace drug policies and strategies driven by ideology and political convenience with fiscally responsible policies and strategies grounded in science, health, security and human rights”.

    Burma is today one of Asia’s leading producers of methamphetamines and the world’s second biggest producer of heroin.

    Despite repeated statements and a pledged commitment from various Burmese and foreign governments, accusations of collusion in the drugs trade by the Burmese have persisted, whilst US intelligence agency, the CIA, was implicated in the drugs trade in northern Burma, according to US historian Al McCoy’s book, ‘The Politics of Heroin in South East Asia’.

    The scale of the problem of Burma’s methamphetamine industry and the failure of regional governments to combat it was highlighted by recent UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) statistics which show a threefold increase in seizures between 2008 and 2009. Jane’s Intelligence magazine further estimates that in some areas of Thailand, which shares a long and porous border with Burma, up to 70 percent of military conscripts test positive for methamphetamine.

    Growing poppies for opium in Burma is said by the UNODC to employ some 800,000 people, mainly in the north of the country.

    dvb.no

  2. #2
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    A stunning admission. Let's hope that it mutates into something sane for a change.
    The drug war has ruined enough lives....even more than DRUGS. Legalize them and tax the profits.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Yes, I can just imagine Virgin Drugs. Might have know he'd be sniffing around. (Excuse the pun).

  4. #4
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    Would probably solve a lot of countries financial problems if they legalised drugs, tax revenue would be huge, people are still going to smoke a joint or snort a line of coke whatever dumb policies governments have so they aswell take a cut.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jools
    Legalize them and tax the profits.
    The only sane option .

  6. #6

    R.I.P.


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    Trouble is if the UK legalises and taxes them they will be more expensive than they are now, tax on cigarettes is probably around 400 percent, then 17.5% vat, even the drug lords aint that greedy

  7. #7
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    slippery slope
    like a smoke myself now and again
    but for some unhappiness and depression are only halted temporally
    and soon one could find oneself in a vicious circle.
    kno people who are at it as soon as they wake-up for fok sake
    not sure we should be celebrating.
    unhappiness , depression, anger come about when you can't get what you want.
    and other shit.
    at the end of the day, people don't like being told what they can do and what they can't do.
    it's insulting.
    they say 'FOK YOU' arsehole.
    so maybe if it's available without the law butting in, there may be less usage.

  8. #8
    Out there...
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    Someone needs to tell the Thai politicians...

    Both the Dem's and Thaksin/Pheu Thai have made a new war on drugs a central manifesto pledge.

    I imagine there will be little to no response here.

  9. #9
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    If there is an answer to this problem....i am not convinced that the legal access to addictive drugs is the answer. We the majority of us have many freedoms...in pursue our happiness and liberty is it necessary that we are granted license to self destruct.

    The ravages of smoking tobacco fills our hospitals and demands ever larger amounts of taxpayer dollars....alcohol reeks havoc on our societies...destroying people and families.

    Policy for community can not be couched in the maximum of...."if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger"....we have as individuals the responsibility of ensuring a wholesome environment and livable conditions for each other.

    Glib throw aways do not suffice....it is of interest to note the membership of this committee ....rich and powerful movers and shakers....Branson and Dreifuss aligned with representatives of supply nations...Cardoso and Gaviria...supported by libertines Stoltenberg and Caspers-Merk .....self interest....judge for your self.

    It is a sad fact of our societies that self-restraint rarely trumps self-destruction...
    we are destined for the grave yard and can not seem to get there fast enough.

    No !...glib throw aways...do not do it for me....any more than the concern of an obviously self-interested group of Goulds praying on the confusion and woes of the World.
    Last edited by baby maker; 05-06-2011 at 04:08 AM.
    i am just the nowhere man...
    living in the nowhere land...
    forever...

  10. #10
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    Legalisation seems to have worked well in Holland.

    I had 3 good years living there and for the first 18 months I smoked almost everyday to the point where I had enough.

    During that time I did not see or hear of many Dutch people smoking. They loved to drink beer but the coffee shops were most of the time occupied by tourists, Morrocans or Turks.

    Of course I met Dutch people who enjoyed a smoke too but they were in the minority.

    In my opinion it definitely helped create a more open minded, free thinking society.

  11. #11
    sabaii sabaii
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    Quote Originally Posted by dirtydog
    Trouble is if the UK legalises and taxes them they will be more expensive than they are now, tax on cigarettes is probably around 400 percent, then 17.5% vat, even the drug lords aint that greedy
    Quote Originally Posted by billy the kid
    at the end of the day, people don't like being told what they can do and what they can't do.
    Prohibition does not work, never worked with alcohol and certainly doesn't with drugs

    Legalisation and education is the way IMO


  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by baby maker View Post

    The ravages of smoking tobacco fills our hospitals and demands ever larger amounts of taxpayer dollars....
    Just for information, in the UK, it is estimated that smoking related illness costs the governemnt some 1.7 to 2.7 billion pounds per year (depending upon which study is used).

    Tax on tobacco in UK brings in 10 billion pounds per year.

    You do the maths.

  13. #13
    sabaii sabaii
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    Quote Originally Posted by nidhogg
    Just for information, in the UK, it is estimated that smoking related illness costs the governemnt some 1.7 to 2.7 billion pounds per year (depending upon which study is used).
    ^ I read 13 billion somewhere last night, but then what about all the premature deaths caused by smoking and all that Pension money ?

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabaii sabaii View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by nidhogg
    Just for information, in the UK, it is estimated that smoking related illness costs the governemnt some 1.7 to 2.7 billion pounds per year (depending upon which study is used).
    ^ I read 13 billion somewhere last night, but then what about all the premature deaths caused by smoking and all that Pension money ?
    Yeah - bloody decent of smokers to die early and save the gov all that pension revenue.

    Smokers are just farking national heros to be honest.

  15. #15
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    According to the Economist, smokers cost the NHS less than non-smokers, because of their compliant habit of dying early. So essentially, the case for astronomically taxing fags 'to pay for the ensuing medical expenses' is a fraud. Better looked upon as a sin tax really.

    Taxing recreational drugs would be an enormous boost to tax revenue, and an enormous blow to organised crime. Not to mention the Taliban, and Karzai's brother (and his CIA pals). The tax revenue could be put to lots of good uses, but education and research would be two that have particular applicability to the drug 'problem'.

    The term 'war on drugs' was coined during Nixon, the term 'war on terror' during Bush jnr. It seems all our government PR snakes need to do is declare a 'war' on something indefinable, and they will be lavished with untold billions of dollars to spend on this perpetually losing 'war' with no accountability. In fact, the worse it goes the more money they ask for- brilliant really. The fictional 'wars' only succeed in making the actual problem or syndrome worse, thus 'justifying' requests for yet more money.

    The war on drugs, like the war on terror, only really exist to sell to a gullible populace the necessity of the 'security state', and it's apparatus and funding. The State as a warm security blanket- so for carte blanche, all they have to do is stoke the primal negative urges of fear and resentment. It's become quite a polished act, but they know even more than 'us' that these wars are not winnable. At least those that are not ideological nutcases. Their glaring failure as policy is so stark that I'm surprised the sheeple have put up with it for so long, without even asking the obvious questions.
    Last edited by sabang; 05-06-2011 at 10:18 AM.

  16. #16
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    When you add up the astranomical costs of waging the war on drugs in the US alone, the government could supply the stuff free to all the junkies; cutting out the dealers and the whole supply chain. The only people who do well out of the war on drugs are the criminal organizations that operated the supply chains. Everybody else is a loser. Drugs are quite cheap to produce, but expensive to the end users because of all the layers of parasites involved in the supply process...and the risks involved. Even adding in all the costs of clinics, re-hab programs and anti drug education programs the country would save billions.
    Legalization has the added benefit of making dope less attractive to young people. Teenagers are not nearly so attracted to things that are legal and controlled...the notoriety is lost and it's just not nearly as cool.

    When you look at the history of prohibition in the US it was similar. Lots of money thrown at "law enforcement" but the mob just paid off the cops and got richer and richer. Solution was to let everybody buy booze freely and legally--and lock up Al Capone and a few other bad guys to prove that society and the good guys had "won".

    Some estimates show that as much as 70%+ of all violent crime in the US is drug related and that does not take into account house break-ins and a whole range of "soft"crimes committed to get money for dope. Mexico has a full scale war going on with over thirty thousand people killed in the past three years. All this caused by drug supply cartels fighting over market share. These cartel bosses are not nice people.

    A big problem now is the chemical shit that people can produce out of cleaning fluids in the kitchen of a trailer for the kids that can't afford the good imported stuff. It's far more addictive and destructive as well as cheap and easily obtainable. Legalization and controlled supply of drugs in general could well shut down that cottage industry too.

    How well has the anti-drug war gone so far? How many tens of billions have been spent? How difficult is it to find illegal drugs....

  17. #17
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    One would've thought them geniuses would've learnt something from the prohibition years. Too much to expect I suppose.

    Alcohol, drugs, prostitution. They've been around for a day or two. Ain't never gonna go away. Will be around even after Rock fades....



    It's like trying to sell the idea of monogamy. Hilarious, if it wasn't so destructive.



    Just say NO


    to moronic politicians and clergy.
    Last edited by FlyFree; 05-06-2011 at 01:48 PM.

  18. #18
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    In a time where even smoking cigarettes is under heavy criticism, and a strong mainly non smoker lobby is getting away with "murder" like flawed second hand smoking lies galore. It's funny that many of those hysterical fanatics are the same people who are for lifting the ban on drugs

    It is of-cause completely ridiculous, we need more legal reality flight drugs, family destroyers, health risks, crime inducing and addiction craving drugs as much as we need the sun to switch of tomorrow, we have the same small groups of old 60 hands coming out saying the same nonsense every now and again, but it is noteworthy that no sane Governments in Power agree to this rubbish.

    Hollands failed drugs policy is again and again brought forward by people, the fact is that Holland has been curbing the free drugs policy steadily over the last years, realizing they had become part of the problem rather than the solution, and just these days are debating to ban non Dutch citizens from buying and enjoying their addiction in Holland -

    "Holland is to bar foreigners from its infamous cannabis-selling coffee shops." - Dutch to ban foreigners from cannabis coffee shops | Mail Online

    Just because something is difficult or have setbacks it does not mean we should give up, right and wrong remains the same, and to make it legal or possible to destroy your brain and life with even more dangerous drugs for State profit is certainly not a Governments job.

    We have problems enough with cigarettes and alcohol we do not need to add more, true some big western countries is failing dismally in combating drugs abuse, but that is much more a domestic social issue than a policing issue, other western countries are doing really good with a combination of policing, education and less poor people who have been left behind to fend for themselves in squalor. So the spectacular failure of some do not need to be taken as the benchmark for the rest of us.

    It's a bit like the Government health care debate, because one huge place is royally fucking up, we don't all need to join that bandwagon.

    Have a nice day , hopefully with all your faculties in working order and not numbed by reality flight in drugs. If you must have a beer it will have left your brain by tomorrow, smoke a joint and your brain will be slowed down for a week or two.


    Of-cause being a sane voice on the hardcore adventurer nonconformist reb. web TD forum is not going to go down to well so

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by larvidchr
    other western countries are doing really good with a combination of policing, education and less poor people who have been left behind to fend for themselves in squalor.
    names ?

  20. #20
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    Drug War Clock | DrugSense

    The U.S. federal government spent over $15 billion dollars in 2010 on the War on Drugs, at a rate of about $500 per second.

    Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy

    State and local governments spent at least another 25 billion dollars.

    Source: Jeffrey A. Miron & Kathrine Waldock: "The Budgetary Impact of Drug Prohibition," 2010.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by larvidchr View Post
    In a time where even smoking cigarettes is under heavy criticism, and a strong mainly non smoker lobby is getting away with "murder" like flawed second hand smoking lies galore. It's funny that many of those hysterical fanatics are the same people who are for lifting the ban on drugs

    It is of-cause completely ridiculous, we need more legal reality flight drugs, family destroyers, health risks, crime inducing and addiction craving drugs as much as we need the sun to switch of tomorrow, we have the same small groups of old 60 hands coming out saying the same nonsense every now and again, but it is noteworthy that no sane Governments in Power agree to this rubbish.

    Hollands failed drugs policy is again and again brought forward by people, the fact is that Holland has been curbing the free drugs policy steadily over the last years, realizing they had become part of the problem rather than the solution, and just these days are debating to ban non Dutch citizens from buying and enjoying their addiction in Holland -

    "Holland is to bar foreigners from its infamous cannabis-selling coffee shops." - Dutch to ban foreigners from cannabis coffee shops | Mail Online

    Just because something is difficult or have setbacks it does not mean we should give up, right and wrong remains the same, and to make it legal or possible to destroy your brain and life with even more dangerous drugs for State profit is certainly not a Governments job.

    We have problems enough with cigarettes and alcohol we do not need to add more, true some big western countries is failing dismally in combating drugs abuse, but that is much more a domestic social issue than a policing issue, other western countries are doing really good with a combination of policing, education and less poor people who have been left behind to fend for themselves in squalor. So the spectacular failure of some do not need to be taken as the benchmark for the rest of us.

    It's a bit like the Government health care debate, because one huge place is royally fucking up, we don't all need to join that bandwagon.

    Have a nice day , hopefully with all your faculties in working order and not numbed by reality flight in drugs. If you must have a beer it will have left your brain by tomorrow, smoke a joint and your brain will be slowed down for a week or two.


    Of-cause being a sane voice on the hardcore adventurer nonconformist reb. web TD forum is not going to go down to well so

    Sorry mate but this is pure

    D
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  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    The tax revenue could be put to lots of good uses, but education and research would be two that have particular applicability to the drug 'problem'.
    Drug taking is never going to stop so it will always be an open ended war, convenient for some, but costly for many. Putting money into education and giving people aspirations has to be the single most effective way of reducing consumption, but it has to be in the interests of governments to offer aspiration to it's citizens.

    The Netherlands drug policy hasn't failed, it's far from perfect though. The problem being that other eu countries hasn't followed it's lead and it has become the hub for distribution. It's obviously not difficult to obtain drugs in Holland but not all Dutch citizens take drugs, far from it, because they are educated, they have aspirations and they are allowed to make choices for themselves.
    Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"

  23. #23
    Mmmm, Bowling......
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    Hey larv, you sound like a cop......

  24. #24
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    Seems like there may be three possible options.
    1. Leagalize drugs. Control the supply and generate revenues which could be used
    to help addicts and educate people better so they don't become addicts.

    2. Implement draconian measures so severe that the demand is reduced to very low
    levels and execute anyone caught trafficking. This worked to some extent in
    Singapore and a few other places but it's extremely controversial and subject
    to all kinds of abuses.

    3. Keep spending/wasting tens of billions on the so called war which is clearly not
    being won...in fact it is clearly being lost.

    If people are going to engage in these vices of smoking, booze, prostitution and drugs; surely it makes more sense overall to bring them into the open and exercise controls over them rather than drive them underground and into the hands of organized crime...which is where drugs have been kept all these years. Those who fight legalization the most are usually trying to maintain some imaginary moral high ground, but there is nothing very moral about what has happned over the years.

  25. #25
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    If a government was to legalise drugs, why does the revenue have to be spent on addicts as people always suggest?? Fok that they choose to take drugs and can suffer the consequences, the state picks up the tab anyway without any revenues currently.

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