Shouldn't drug addiction be treated as a medical condition not a crime?

Question

it's only treated as a condition if you go to rehab but if your caught purchasing drugs you are treated as a criminal

I am not talking about commiting a crime on drugs, I'm talking about beign addicted to drugs beign treated a s a crime

Answer 1

Addiction is treated as a medical condition --- and addiction is not considered a crime.

Drug possession and drug use -- those may be crimes -- but those are crimes regardless of whether the person is addicted or not.

The question you seem to be asking is -- should people who are addicted have an affirmative defense (an excuse) that would allow them to violate drug use laws and get medical treatment instead of jail time -- the way an insanity allows a person to get medical treatment instead of jail time.

Personally, I think drug use laws are a waste of everyone's time -- because making it criminal certainly hasn't reduced drug use -- but I also don't think addiction should be an excuse -- because the person almost always had a choice to become addicted to drugs -- and whether the use was initially volutary or always voluntary, either what that's not an excuse.

Answer 2

Yes, drug use is a victimless crime. Now if someone uses drugs and drives and kills someone, then it becomes a real crime. But the same thing can happen while under the influence of alcohol. If alcohol is legal, why not legalize drugs? People can decide for themselves whether or not they want to use them. Legalization means the government can guarantee purity of product so there would probably be fewer deaths from drugs cut with rat poison, etc. The government could also enforce laws just as they do with alcohol and instead of imprisoning drug dealers and users, the former wouldn't even exist anymore and the latter could be offered treatment programs which are much cheaper than imprisonment. And let's not forget that the drugs can be taxed just as alcohol and tobacco are which would create revenue for treatment and education programs.

Answer 3

Drug addiction is not treated as a crime! The possession of illegal drugs (or of legal drugs that are acquired illegally) is a crime and is rightly treated as such!

People choose to use drugs! They can also choose to not use drugs. Some may need some help in making the correct choices (rehab), but the choice has to be made by the individual.

If you choose to use drugs, and become addicted to them, this does not negate your personal responsibility for your actions! Just because you are addicted, you do not have the right to violate the law to possess the drug!

Answer 4

Yes, I agree. Addiction should be treated as a medical condition.

Another thing that bothers me is that I think that if someone is caught with a small amount of substance it shouldn't ruin their background record. Why? Because what would make people change when their record is already hurt? It hurts them worse to be not considered for a job, etc. A second offense should go on their record.

Now if someone had a large amount of drugs (trafficking, selling) that should go on their record the first time.

Answer 5

I would have agreed with this 20 years ago, but education on drug abuse is much more prevalent now. The average child is introduced to the dangers of drugs at an early age in school, along with other sources.

There isn't an addict out there that didn't chose to be one. However, with that said, putting them in jail is not the answer. Rehabilitation and education must be included with the jail time, or the person is sure to offend again. There has to be a balance between punishment and treatment.

Answer 6

People commit crimes as a result of their drug addictions. They steal stuff and fence it, they rob people at gunpoint and steal money from mom's purse and dad's wallet. (Those are the addicts who aren't even old enough to legally drink.) They buy their dope from back street pedalers who are committing the crime of selling the dope after they committed the crime of trafficking it. Chances are, they aren't even in the country legally to begin with, or at least their connections are not.

Then they go out and drive under the influence of intoxicating drugs, which is illegal as hell, not to mention dangerous for all the other motorists on the road. They beat their kids and their spouses because they're either too intoxicated to know what they're doing, or they're jonesing and stressing about where their next high is coming from.

Get the picture? If it gives rise to crime, then "it," itself is a crime. To hell with your "illness" angle.

EDIT: After reading your little "addendum," please see my line above. THAT is my answer to your question, the reason I feel that drug addiction is a crime.

Answer 7

Well, before you use your first drugs you aren't addicted, so you choose to commit a crime. If you later become addicted, treatment should be available, but it does not change the fact that you chose to be a criminal.

Answer 8

Not at all. Using drugs is a conscious choice, regardless of the excuses people come up with.

These substances are illegal and the decision to abuse them falls on the person doing so. This nation needs to relearn the concept of accountability!

TheWarlock

Answer 9

Yes, but the individual needs to take responsibility to get the help they need to treat it, as well as to follow through and commit to remain drug free.

Answer 10

Yes, possession of illegal drugs should be treated as a crime (just like it is now).