|
|
Post by Rudish on Feb 26, 2018 3:42:02 GMT
The opioid epidemic has been the worst drug crisis in U.S. history, hundreds of thousands of people die each year from overdoses of such drugs. The idea of “safe injection” sites is absolutely not a solution. These sites are facilities that provide clean supplies to do the drugs with as well as Naloxone or more commonly called Narcan, as an antidote in case of an overdose. Vox states “While in an ideal world no one would use dangerous and potentially deadly drugs, many people do. So it’s better to give these drug users a space where they can use with some sort of supervision. It’s a harm reduction approach”. Many people see these sites as a way to prevent deaths, and it is, but in my opinion giving users a place to go where they know they won’t overdose is promoting not preventing the use of narcotics. Addicts need treatment and rehab so they can get on a safe path to stop using, not a place to continue doing the drug. Heroin along with other narcotics, LSD, and marijuana are considered Schedule 1 drugs according to the Federal government, making it illegal by any means. Does this mean there should be sites for people to go and safely take LSD? I bet many of you would say no, and the same opinion should apply for safe injection sites as well, especially because the drugs that are done there are much more harmful. Because such drugs are deemed illegal by the Federal government this means that “safe” injection sites are not really safe and can be busted by the DEA at anytime just like medical marijuana distributors can be in states where it’s legal. Cities providing these sites would be overstepping the boundaries set by the Federal government, and people in charge of these facilities as well as users would be at risk for being arrested. Not only are these sites dangerous, and risky they are also costly. Tax payers are not going to want their money supporting people choosing to ruin their lives. If the government were to “ok” these sites like in Canada that would be even more of a cost. The U.S. government has spent nearly 1 trillion dollars on the War on Drugs since 1970, and it has made almost no difference. These sites would be a waste of money and a huge step back for the U.S. since they are essentially promoting illegal drug use.
|
|
|
|
Post by Malinski on Feb 26, 2018 3:50:13 GMT
With the Opioid epidemic going on in the United states, some cities have decided to mimic the Canadians and have put “Safe Injection Sites” into the process of practice. Even though there has been many studies on the sites, because most people look at them as counterproductive, there has been studies showing how these sites can actually be helpful in communities. However, I see no real benefit from having these sites unless you yourself is a user or are really close to a user, because by having safe injection sites, it does not benefit anyone else in the communities unless someone lives in a high-drug-use community. I also agree with the statement that the federal government should be able to come in and shut everything down, because it is going against the federal law, and if the federal law says it is illegal with no sort of health benefits, then why let places like this exist? There is no health benefits from heroin or narcotics usage besides making people “feel good,” so why (for lake of better term) waste the money on these clinics and sites that basically promote people destroying their bodies for no reason? This leads me to my other point, where does the money come from to pay for these sites and all of the items that are used by the users in order to destroy their bodies as well as the Narcan to bring the users back after an overdose, because the one article mentioned government funding, but never specified whether it was federal or state money, and will all sites get government funding or was it just the one? My real question is, not that drug users are bad people, but why is our country worried about the drugs users who put themselves into that position when there are homeless veterans and starving children in our country who honestly can’t help themselves or didn’t purposely get themselves into that predicament.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gray on Feb 26, 2018 3:53:33 GMT
For many years, America has been facing an opioid epidemic that seems to be getting worse.Thousands of people die yearly from theses dangerous drugs. Vox.com stated that there were about 64,000 deaths due to drug overdoses in the US just in the year 2016 alone.The question is, how do we stop this deadly crisis from continuing? Some places have tried to help the situation by opening safe injection sites that would provide clean needles and a safe place for users to shoot up. Canada started this movement and some cities in the US have followed. However, some states will not allow for this because they feel as though is it promoting drug use, but other places strongly push for it which creates conflict which brings us back to our ongoing topic of federalism of states versus federal governments. One man said that he himself has already saved 25 people from overdosing during his time working at one of these sites. However, is this practical? Opioids are considered to be a schedule one drug to the federal government so how is it okay to allow people to openly use opiates in a public facility? The idea is to stop deaths by overdose, but by allowing people to openly use drugs such as heroin, their disease will just be prolonged. Sure, these facilities do have some advantages such as possibly stopping the spread of diseases by providing clean needles which would stop the passing of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C which is great. On the other hand, serious addicts need to shoot up multiple times in a day. The chance that they go to these places every single time is slim. In a way, they are just promoting the use of highly illegal drugs because they have no repercussions. We need to find a way to get people to stop doing these drugs. Possibly by making the laws on things such as possession much more strict. We as a society need to come together to stop this disease. Maybe these safe zones would not be so bad if it were mandatory to go to rehab right after but they do not so therefore, it does not help the problem of stopping addicts but allows them to continue.
|
|
|
|
Post by Davis on Feb 26, 2018 4:16:43 GMT
In a news article by Vox it states, “The idea: While in an ideal world no one would use dangerous and potentially deadly drugs, many people do. So it’s better to give these drug users a space where they can use with some sort of supervision. It’s a harm reduction approach”. Even though adding safe injection sites could potentially promote the use of illegal drugs i think it could in the long run decrease usage of the drugs and the deaths that come with it. In these safe injection sites they offer more than just a safe place to do drugs, they also have counseling that could help users and other ways to deter people from continuing to use the drugs. Therefore if the government backs them they could potentially be a good thing for the drug crisis. I believe that the government has compelling interest to support the safe injection sites. The vox article states, “They found that as many as 76 drug overdose deaths annually could be prevented, compared to the 907 people who died of an overdose in Philadelphia in 2016. And in terms of skin and soft tissue infections alone, the city would save as much as $1.8 million in hospitalization costs each year, according to the review.” Even though that is only Philadelphia those are all good numbers and a lot of money saved. If all the sites across the United States can be productive like that then the government does have compelling interest to back the sites. Even though there is a lot of evidence backing the sites there still can be some drawbacks. One drawback could be that people who don't support the sites may not want their tax dollars going towards anything pertaining to the safe injection sites. Another drawback is that it could lead to as in some people think an easy way for people to start using injectable drugs and get hooked on them.
Has your stance on the topic changed since reading the articles and understanding ways it could potentially be a good idea?
|
|
Michael James Dudich XVI
Guest
|
Post by Michael James Dudich XVI on Feb 26, 2018 4:42:12 GMT
When thinking about America's war on drugs you wouldn't think about opening up safe places in communities where people can safely get there fix. But this is what it has come too. In the endless war on drug countries are now try a different tactical to try and decrease deaths and help those in need. The open up safe places, provide the clean equipment and offer help to anyone that seeks it. This could be a step in the right direction but also a step back. This doesn't necessarily help people, it enables them in a way. If people know that they can get their fix safely without consequence why would they stop, they have no reason too. But on the other hand this decreases death from overdose and from spreading diseases. If people wanted help but didnt know how to get it this would be the way for them to go. But these services would have to come at a coast. I don't think many people would be happy if they knew there taxes were going towards “no life's just trying to get high”. And especially if they aren't forced to go to rehab after. They would definitely need to real enfore people going to rehab if they use these services. When open these safe injection sites the states also have to consider that this goes against federal laws. But they say that there is some sort of loophole in the Controlled Substance Act that would allow cities to do this. In the last few decades numerous policies have been put in place in order to stop the war on drugs. Vox explains that this would go against what they have been trying to do for the last 40-50 years, and that many people are going to be opposed to it. After reading these articles I still can form an opinion. If nothing has worked so far whose saying going a different direction may not help.
Are there any alternatives to this? And can we really every end the war on drugs?
|
|
|
|
Post by Dorrier on Feb 26, 2018 4:59:38 GMT
There is a horrible war on drugs and it's taking the lives of many people everyday. This is a terrible reality and it needs to be solved, but can it be solved? Safe injection sites have been a proposed solution to this crisis, however this is not a good or sensible option. All the safe injection sites would do is give people the impression that it is actually safe by putting the on label "safe" injection sites. It is still extremely dangerous and illegal to inject yourself with illegal drugs. If people get the idea that this is a lot more safe, then that could lead to more people trying it for the first time. It could also bring more drug users into one city. One Vox news article stated that "It's a harm reduction approach." This sounds great but this isn't what we need. We need a firm system that doesn't make it easier to use these illegal drugs. We don't need a reduction on drug use, we need an elimination. Another downside to this the economical effects this is going to have on the states that allow this. It's going to cost quite a bit of money to build and run and who is going to pay for it. The hardworking people's tax dollars are going to be the only way this would be possible. What also happens when people don't get the same high so the get drugs laced with something else. That will happen and people are still going to die from it because they won't go to the sites anymore because those drugs are pure. Professor Kreit said that there is a loophole in the system. The 1970 controlled substance act protects state and local officials who commit drug crimes when undercover. Kreit says that law makes it possible for officials to commit drug related crimes and not get any consequences for it.
Should this loophole be enough reason to change the controlled substance act?
|
|
|
|
Post by wilson on Feb 26, 2018 5:01:02 GMT
Heroin has had a major impact across America over the years and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Stopping the use of a drug such as heroin once an individual is addicted can be extremely difficult so many people think that a solution to the growing of this epidemic is to create a safe haven for the people that abuse it. These spots create a safe environment with clean needles and people who could help them in the case of an overdose. Now we have to ask ourselves the question, by creating these safe spots, do we encourage/support the use of heroin? Most people I believe would answer no to that question so why make these places to help the people who are hooked on it feed their addiction? Would this create a secondary issue in which more people started using? Just like USA today said, “There are no safe injection sites.” We should not encourage the use of heroin because it would not benefit the good of the (majority of) people across America. Another issue with these sites is the funding and costs. How many of these would be put across America and who would have to pay for that? People find ways around everything and this would be no different. There will always be a loophole.
|
|
|
|
Post by Fowler on Feb 26, 2018 12:04:27 GMT
Donaldson response I see what you are saying, and I wish it could be a temporary fix. However, things in this country are never temporary. Still today when buying alcohol people pay the "Johnstons flood" tax which was enacted in 1936 to help the victims of the flood. This is no longer a problem and we still pay the tax. These programs would not go away either. Once they are here, they are here to stay.
|
|
|
|
Post by Fowler on Feb 26, 2018 12:14:30 GMT
@dorrier
The loophole in the controlled substance act should be changed, or fixed even, to align with federal law. Safe injection sites are not the intention of this act, and this should not be able to be used as a loophole. If the states want these sites (not saying they should have them) it should go through the federal system and be implemented by the federal government either way.
|
|
|
|
Post by burnett on Feb 26, 2018 22:49:39 GMT
@cole
Having these sites raises questions, like is it going to help the drug users be able to quit or will it just get worse. Everyone is different and I know that there are some people wanting to get help to be able to quit these drugs and others who do not care. I do not believe injections sites should be “okay” to have even if it’s saving people’s lives. Having these sites does not give them the help they need, it’s only making it easier to take these drugs.
|
|
|
|
Post by burnett on Feb 26, 2018 22:54:49 GMT
@max
I do not personally believe that these sites with expand into different kinds of drugs. Even though those drugs are still very dangerous, opioids are higher in overdoses. I guess you never know what can happen, hoping it does not get that far to make it for all different types of things. Even though overdoses with opioids are getting increasingly high, I still do not think there should be safe injections sites to begin with.
|
|
|
|
Post by @Dudich on Feb 26, 2018 23:47:52 GMT
I really don't think that you would ever be able to end the war on drugs, they have been trying to decrease them for many years and still have not been able to. If they decide to make more safe sites they will increase peoples desires to do drugs and not eliminate them and even if they didn't have the sites people would still be using them just as much. The war I think will never end and it will only keep growing and I feel as if it will only keep getting worse and it will never be able to be resolved. Besides people are to stubborn and hard headed to make a great enough effort to end the war.
|
|
|
|
Post by Madison Lindey on Feb 26, 2018 23:50:49 GMT
Sorry Mastrean I totally screwed up how to do the post, but this was my post, sorry again.
@dudich
I really don't think that you would ever be able to end the war on drugs, they have been trying to decrease them for many years and still have not been able to. If they decide to make more safe sites they will increase peoples desires to do drugs and not eliminate them and even if they didn't have the sites people would still be using them just as much. The war I think will never end and it will only keep growing and I feel as if it will only keep getting worse and it will never be able to be resolved. Besides people are to stubborn and hard headed to make a great enough effort to end the war.
|
|
|
|
Post by Madison Lindey on Feb 26, 2018 23:57:38 GMT
@davis
My stance has not changed about this topic but has only gotten stronger, when looking at the articles and through the class videos I have seen that I really do not want these sites. For one I can see that they have saved lives but if these sites become more popular and more common I don't know how they would be able to supply for all of them and I think it would only increase people desires to do drugs instead of decreasing them. This will only make the problems with drugs worse because this will make it easier for them to do it without consequences, there needs to be something that drives them away from doing drugs and not towards it. Yes there is some good points to having the sites but the negatives outweigh the positives in this situation.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hinchberger on Feb 27, 2018 1:04:23 GMT
@madison Lindey's response to davis:
I agree with her that these injection sites are a bad idea and that they will increase the number of drug users. Because if people know that there is no danger of death if they try these drugs more people would be willing to try them therefore getting them hooked on drugs for possible the remainder of their lives.
|
|
