LETTER: Banning 'head' shops not answer
Related Articles
Wednesday March 10 2010
Dear Sir, WITH all the recent publicity surrounding head shops and the push to bring in legislation to close those shops I think we need to stop and really consider this move.
People have taken drugs ever since man walked out of Africa. As long as there are people to take drugs, drugs will be taken. Prohibition does not work. It has been tried in the United States and failed.
I firmly believe that as long as people want to take drugs they will continue to do so. Surely it is better that the public pay tax on these substances rather than just letting the business fall into criminal hands.
There is no denying that the drugs business is booming. I think, as a country facing financial armageddon, we need to get every cent of taxes we can. Head shops are an easy target.
Do we really need to nanny people so much that we control what they do? I don't see the point in trying to protect people from themselves. It would be very stupid of me to drink bleech. It would be very stupid of me to eat plant food. If that's what people want to do why are we stopping them? Darwin must be turning in his grave.
People talk about protecting children from these drugs. Surely this is the job of the parents and schools to educate our youth. We try to protect them from alcohol as much as we can but we are all still aware of the huge drinking culture among teens in Drogheda.
The arguments for banning these substances just don't cut it with me.
If you ban a substance tomorrow, as a pharmacist I could change that substance to something completely different and legal again and repackage in about 72 hours. We need to educate people.
Telling an Irishman not to do something almost guarantees he will try it.
We are too conservative in this country and need to address our problems head on and not take the easy way out all the time.
Another problem with banning head shops is that even if there were none in Ireland I could buy fresh new 'legal highs' online without having to even find a head shop.
How are customs going to tell whether or not I want my wormer for my cattle or to ingest myself? Simply banning the head shops is just not an option in my opinion.
Yours,
Jonny,
Drogheda (full name and address with editor).
