Would you confine a drug addict upon a first offense to a drug program and possibly save their life?
it would depend on what you consider a drug. for example, marijuana is not a drug and alcohol is. so would this apply to alcohol? how about tobacco, which is extremely addictive and hurts others directly when smoked in their presence? and if the confinement involved a 12-step program the addict would be going from one addiction to another. there are also all kinds of legal considerations. being an addict is not, in and of itself, against the law. who gets to decide who gets confined, where, when? there is such a thing as illegal confinement.
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I know it's not the topic of your post, but criminalizing an addiction is ridiculous. The U.S. does it because it makes them money in the prison system.
Too many variables here. First, what drug? Second, what law was violated? Possession? Dealing? Third, is there an addiction problem? Some people can even 'chip' heroin and not become physically addicted (although it's a dangerous chance to take). Third, is it a first time offense? or the 13th?
Once those questions are answered, as mentioned below, forced treatment is almost never effective for very long. An individual needs to seek treatment for themself. Pretty much all you can do in the meantime is try to keep them safe from violence or overdose and hope they hit bottom and ask for help. Even then it often takes multiple trips to rehab. Think about how addictive cigarettes are and how much trouble people have quitting. Many drugs are worse.
Offer free de-toxing programmes to the addict and in the meantime chase down and put the Dealers and growers out of the picture permanently that's what should be done to parasites like Dealers, etc.
You think people growing herb should be executed? Contrary to popular belief most crack dealers don't make much money unless they're high on the cartel chain. And growers are doing people a medical service under tremendous duress. They're my heroes. When the law is injust its our responsibility as patriots to overgrow it.
No use to confine anybody to a drug program if you don't treat why they are taking those drugs in the first place. A a person who takes drugs is a person who feels alienated from society and family, and that is a hard one to fix.
This is the finding of the famous 1970s "rat park" experiment. Substance use rates drop to virtually nil, in rats, when individuals have abundant social connection, stimulation, fun, etc. and are free from stress.
It would be a good idea, but there aren't enough drug programs, and they frequently don't work the first time.
Wew could substitute some prisons and the use unused space everywhere.