# Some thoughts on recent drug cases in the news **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 1, 2001, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-thoughts-on-recent-drug-cases-in-the-news/63983 "2001-05-01T19:56:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2001, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-thoughts-on-recent-drug-cases-in-the-news/63983/21 "2001-05-04T01:24:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Do we do what is advocated for the war on drugs and just give up? OK, you’ve lost Mr. Downey…see ya in a gutter somewhere, and never mind if you break the law again. If the War on Drugs was simply called off, doing drugs would not be illegal. Thus, we would not be saying that we don’t care if he breaks the law. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-thoughts-on-recent-drug-cases-in-the-news/63983/22 "2001-05-04T01:37:30Z")
I saw an update about Niki Taylor’s condition: the damage to her liver probably means that she’ll be partially disabled from now on, and won’t model again, or act. Not that I particularly care, but it makes me wonder: with all the risks he’s taken, isn’t it surprising that Downey hasn’t been injured? Or killed? And as far as that goes, some think that becoming disabled, from an accident that’s a direct result of drug use, will scare someone into getting clean. Not necessarily: it can give the addict access to legal drugs that are equally strong, as well as an excuse to give up entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2001, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-thoughts-on-recent-drug-cases-in-the-news/63983/23 "2001-05-04T15:27:33Z")
**Water** , how much more do you think “Robbie” should be punished? Drug use is illegal, but do you **really** believe that a repeat drug user deserves to be punished more severely than a repeat armed robber or rapist? If you do, I can’t really try to persuade you otherwise, but I personally can’t see the justice in it. But I do think that an addict like Downey should _treated_, and confined if necessary, but not with the goal of punishing him, but of separating him from drugs until he can better resist them. We’ve all heard about the resources being expended by the police, the prisons, and the courts, all to track down mostly nonviolent drug offenders. I’m sure if you looked at the different classes of crime–drugs, murder, assault, etc., you’d find that the amount expended on drug enforcement is right up there near the top, if not actually at it. And drugs were _made_ illegal about a hundred years ago. Before that they were legal. No such thing as drug crime existed. And yet,now, we’ve put drug crimes right up there with the most heinous crimes against which laws have been made. Murder. Rape. Armed robbery. Things that have been illegal since the dawn of history, when people began to live in organized societies. **Rilchiam** I’ve wondered why he hasn’t gotten into more trouble, too. Drug use does carry consequences similar to drinking, in addition to all the legal consequences. If it makes **Water** feel any better, I don’t advocate absolving drug users of those consequences any more than I advocate letting drunk drivers off. **Everyone** Today, on the NPR show _To The Point_ they’re going to talk about Bush’s nominee for the new drug czar. Maybe he’s going to be there, too, I’m not sure. Why don’t we listen in if we can, and come back here and discuss? ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-thoughts-on-recent-drug-cases-in-the-news/63983/24 "2001-05-04T16:01:05Z")
> [@](#): > > an addict like Downey should treated, and confined if necessary, but not with the goal of punishing him, but of separating him from drugs until he can better resist them. I think the key word here is “treated”–we have a deep and persistant belief here in America that psycological disorders are always curable thru “treatment”. I am not sure that is the case. Downy has already had access to cuting edge drug treatment–he dosen’t have to worry about the cost of it, god knows. And it still dosen’t work. I recognize that we have to act as if treatment always works, because the recovering addict needs the confidnence that he can suceed, but I really think thaat some people can’t. For some people, arug addiction seems to be unresponsive to any treatment we know to offer. I have no idea what to do about this, but it goes thru my mind when ever anyone says “treatment, not prison!” “Treatment” is not a magic word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-thoughts-on-recent-drug-cases-in-the-news/63983.md?page=1)