The cost of illegal drugs
Polly Toynbee claims in her Guardian column today that the cost of the current prohibition of addictive drugs is £20 million a year, £15 million of it in crime, courts and prisons. She cites the previous government’s Strategy Unit for the figures.
In fact, the Strategy Unit in a 2003 report calculated the costs at £5 billion for harm to health and social functioning, and £19 billion for drug-motivated crime (range £14-20 billion).
So she’s muddled millions and billions. Common error, but if you want to be taken seriously, it's best not to. And her argument for ending prohibition, whatever you think of it, would have been stronger had she used the right figures.
Miss Diagnosed (not verified) wrote,
Mon, 18/10/2010 - 13:11
Please hear me out. This is such a misunderstood issue. The 'junkie scum criminal' is a myth. Weekend Alcohol Bingers cause more property damage, theft & violent behaviours. What is more, The £millions being spent on 6mth clinical drug trials pre marketing, (already known to not better the placebo but! 'i wont tell if yot dont') that cost £millions to market, then call themselves wonder drugs. Have £billions of nhs £ spent on buying them, to then cause further illnesses which is costing £millions of nhs £ to treat. The drugs of nowadays recreational use, were all for 'medicinal purpose' prior to street. The facts of 'any' (brain stimulant) foreign body within the system is clearly not a treatment ever, is the misleading high profit medicinal science scam. At least street use is a choice to be ones own & only self blame. With a Dr who tells you, you need a drug & raises dose when you worsen, to ignore the adverse reacting saying 'its obviously a relapse' & raising dose again,- pauses to readjust- I just had to air that.
Synthia Lopez (not verified) wrote,
Thu, 16/12/2010 - 06:25
Drugs are the most dangerously toxicated and has harmful chemicals. There are many drug advocates and organizations making about drug awareness that I've search at www.dbpdf.com . Youngsters need to be made aware of the risks related because it can easily sedate others.
Synthia Lopez www.dbpdf.com
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