EBR has over 20 OD deaths this year, close to 300 in 2022

Well in the late 90s and early 2000s pharma and the medical community ran an aggressive campaign for the use of opioids.

This is the result.

Vultures and Bleedas slangin

quote:

---

Legalize drugs; massively reduce overdose deaths.

---

Seattle tried this

quote:

---

Seattle tried this

---

Can't be done at the local, or even state, level. As long as drugs are illegal at any level, including the federal level, you lose all of the benefits of legalization. It's the equivalent of one city legalizing alcohol during Prohibition.

It blows my mind that people look at alcohol prohibition and see all of the externalities, including a staggering rise in organized and violent crime and massive increases in blindness and death due to illicit production techniques, yet somehow think that the over half-century old (yes, not a typo) War on Drugs just needs a bit more tweaking to turn it from an abject disaster into a success.

Can’t completely argue with the Darwin replies, but those numbers are insane. Taking, sniffing or shooting someone these days is straight up Russian Roulette.

quote:

---

Clean pure drugs is the answer. The US had them flowing freely before the war on Drugs. The war on drugs is making it worse...

---

Yep. In my experience, overdoses are caused by one of two situations:

1. A long time user goes clean for a period of time, falls off the wagon, and returns to their previous standard dose without realizing that their tolerance had significantly dropped.

2. The user got adulterated drugs.

Legalization would basically end Scenario 2 overnight, just like the concern of alcohol making you go blind or actively poisoning you hasn't existed in a century.

quote:

---

I'm a small l libertarian, but the way we've approached drug legalization/decriminalization in this country in the last 5 years is criminal. We basically encourage and incentivize people to use with zero consequences. We have zero interest in encouraging people to consume responsibly and they have zero boundaries because the prevailing attitude is that it would be cruel to hold them to account. Until we establish boundaries, there will be no good legalization solution

---

I completely agree with modern pushes towards "legalization" have been absurd, though I imagine for different reasons. Prohibition of alcohol did not work; the only solution was full repeal. Prohibition of drugs has not worked (and is achingly unconstitutional, but that's for a different day); the only solution is full repeal. Half measures will generally do more harm than good.

quote:

---

I fear that the US culture has progressed to a place where we can't harken back to the good ol days of the early 1900's as a reference point. It's just not a reality, at least not in this country

---

I'm not arguing culture; I'm arguing basic facts. If you can buy your heroin from Walmart, it won't have fentanyl in it. Period. Full stop.

Now, for the Social Darwinists of the world, I understand (albeit don't agree with) the position of wanting externalities to be punishing. But for anyone claiming a goal of reducing overdose deaths? Legalization is the only realistic, proven path forward.

That what? Pretty much what on average? 5 or 6 days a month without an OD? Jesus. I wonder how many OD non deaths they have?