Quote:
Originally Posted by Zakoo
To put on the same scale the side effects of both tabacco/alcohol with those drugs seems ... quite not right to put it pleasantly. 
If you want to live in the fear of being attacked by somebody who didn't have his daily injection or simply took to much, I understand but well ... I think most human don't really want.
Of course the same can apply to alcoohol, but as said before, the scale totally isn't the same, and tabacco, well .... It's one's own life, if people want so badly to reduce their life simply to feel some pleasure, they may do so, but the moment my own safety enters in the equation, it's a no-no from me. |
From what I understand, overdosing was rare prior to the injection drug era. Which started with prohibition, because it sent drug prices through the roof and injection is much more efficient than other consumption methods.
Missing a dose? Far more likely if the drug is expensive (ie. illegal). And there's a decent chance when they do get their fix, that big wad of cash wasn't acquired legally either. Note that several countries have run experiments with just giving heroin addicts their fix... general consensus tends to be that those in such programs are healthier and more productive.
The profit margins are also a good incentive for pushers to recruit more users.
(Also, as a minor critique of the tabacco argument: I know a decent number of smokers who have kids. At that point, it's not just about them anymore.)