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From: testa-j%osu-20@OHIO-STATE.ARPA
Newsgroups: mod.politics
Subject: Drug paraphenalia
Message-ID: <12253990168.33.MCGREW@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Tue, 11-Nov-86 01:18:25 EST
Article-I.D.: RED.12253990168.33.MCGREW
Posted: Tue Nov 11 01:18:25 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Nov-86 20:04:00 EST
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Approved: poli-sci@red.rutgers.edu

. . .
[Keith Lynch argues that legalizing drugs and paraphenalia would 
result in less sharing of needles and transmission of AIDS]
. . .

Our moderator responds:

>[ Another left-field analogy.  Isn't this a rather small band-aid for
>a somewhat larger (and different) wound?
>   If there is a market for it, black-market needles should be just
>as available as black-market drugs.  The very same forces you claim
>are making drugs so available (massive market) should be making 
>illegal needles readily available.  I wonder why not?  In any event, 
>I am suspicious of any 'facts' containing the phrases 'it is likely'
>and 'would tend to'.  -CWM]

I have to side with Keith on this point.  If a drug addict has only N
dollars in his/her pocket, he/she is more likely to spend it all on
drugs rather than saving some of it for a nice shiny new needle,
because the drugs give a rush but the needle doesn't.  The effects of
using a dirty needle are a lot less immediate than missing one's next
fix.  Sure, rationally they would consider the consequences and
recognize that such a precaution is desirable.  But i don't think it's
too rational to be taking drugs in the first place, so why should we
expect them to think rationally about needles?

Oops, i see i used "likely" which means you'll probably ignore
this.:-) Would statistical evidence convince you?  (not that i
actually have it...)

                                        ~joe testa~

[ Well, that's the market at work, isn't it?  The value of the product
outweighs the the danger so much that safety devices are judged by the
buyer to be unneccesary - kind of like airbags, eh? :-) If hard drug
users irrational, then it doesn't matter what price, they won't buy
needles, unless needles are free.  Shall we subsidize irrational
people in destroying themselves?  I guess its cheaper than curing
them!  -CWM]
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