- The main reason opiates are illegal is because of the perception of opiates and the attitude against them not due to the independent reality of what opiate use means.
- Many drugs commonly prescribed by doctors for problems such as sleeping difficulty and anxiety are more addictive and more likely to produce problematic behavior than opiates!
- Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed for anxiety and sleeping problems. Pronounced withdrawal symptoms from benzodiazepines are more severe than opiate withdrawal and can cause seizures and sometimes death- unlike opiate withdrawal.
- Benzodiazepines are known to be highly abused. Stronger benzodiazepines or high doses can strongly impair judgment and cause highly aggressive and suicidal behavior. Benzodiazepines are one of the most common drugs used in suicide attempts.
- The only area where opiates are potentially more dangerous than benzodiazepines is overdose (which can be avoided entirely with educated usage). However benzodiazepines can still cause fatal overdose. In fact many medications are prescribed where the overdose risk is greater than opiates, and the treatment options for overdose are much more limited.
- Why are opiates treated differently? By what criteria are opiates viewed as a drug which should be illegal?
- The vast majority of current problems with heroin are related to the fact the drug is illicit. Due to this, health problems occur because street qualit drugs are bought. Overdoses frequently occur because of the massive variation in purity from one batch to another. Street prices are high, thus people can't afford to maintain their supply when addicted. Some of these people use criminal activity to fund their habit. It is important to note however than opiate addiction does not turn a passive, nonviolent person, into a violent monster.
- Alcohol itself is more problematic than opiates. Using opiates does not cause aggressive behavior. Alcohol use often does. Opiates do not impair alertness and judgment anywhere near the extent that alcohol intoxication does. Alcoholism causes serious damage to the brain, liver and body in general. Pure opiates are benign and non-toxic to the body. Alcohol withdrawal is much more serious than heroin withdrawal and can be fatal. Quite frankly you are most certainly better off being addicted to medical grade opiates than an alcoholic.
- For whatever reason- and such reasons do not in any way need to be just- opiates have become demonized in the minds of the populace and particularly in western culture. Other ideas used to be demonized that are now generally accepted. Homosexuality used to be demonized. Being in a relationships out of wedlock used to be demonized. People with mental illnesses used to be demonized. It wasn't long ago that black people were demonized.
- There is no rational reason why opiates should be illegal. Legalizing opiates would massively reduce the social problems associated with opiate addiction. Opiate usage can be efficiently handled medically, it is handled all the time in chronic pain patients. Overdoses could be massively reduced through education and medical supervision.
- I do not accept the argument that legalizing opiates would result in half the population doing them. It would be best to administer opiates to addicts and people who want to use through medical programs. The overall harm caused by opiates is caused by their illicit status, this harm can be removed by legalizing them. Opiates are nowhere near as bad as they are made out to be.