not actually asking this to be passed on - just my reply

[tsukikage]

There's this, and there's this:

About 10% of Americans over the age of 12 have done cocaine. Put this in your journal if you're part of the 90% that hasn't.
As of 2004, about 3.1 million (1.4%) of Americans aged 12 and over have at least tried heroin once in their lifetime. Put this in your journal if you're part of the 98.6% that hasn't.
4.7 million Americans have tried methamphetamine. Put this in your journal if you're not one of the 4.7 million.
98% of the teenage population does/has tried pot. If you're part of the 2% that hasn't, copy this in your journal

Comments

[bonoboboy.livejournal.com]

Just out of curiosity ... what are you trying to say with posting this? What are your thoughts on drug use?

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

I suppose I should have made that more clear... *thinks*
I think that drugs should be made legal. It's not my place to decide what others can and cannot do with their own body (fyi, abortion is another issue - one which I haven't made up my mind about). However, I am also against drug use, and I lose a certain amount of respect for a person when I find out that they use drugs more than occasionally - similarly to the way I lose a certain amount of respect for someone when I find out they're in the armed forces or that they're a republican.
I hope that makes some sense... ^_^;

[bonoboboy.livejournal.com]

That totally makes sense. I agree with you that the majority of drugs should be made legal. I think the only reason we have a drug "problem" in the U.S. is because we've stigmatized them so much. No other country has such use rates as we do. We've bred a culture that makes drugs taboo, and as we shoudl all know doing taboo things is what gets a lot of people off.

I'm not opposed to smart recreational drugs use. Several drugs are much safer than alcohol and tobacco (when used properly), such as marijana and nitrous oxide. In fact, nicotine is THE most addictive substance humans use, with no exceptions I am aware of. Drugs are like most things in life - when used responsibly and in moderation, they're just as safe as a night at home playing board games with the family.

Some drugs, when used, can be dangerous to other people, however. These I'm a little less of an advocate for legalization. What the U.S. really needs to do with drugs is regulate them like they do tobacco. That way they're much safer, and the government gets a financial kick-back.

< /soapbox >

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

What drugs can be dangerous to other people? All I can think of is how alcohol can make one abusive, and how I wouldn't want to have someone who's high/drunk behind the wheel... *is curious*

Now, I've decided personally to not even drink alcohol (or at least not beyond a small glass of wine on Christmas and after I turn 21), but reading some of your and others' entries has made me realize that using marijuana recreationally is possible. All of my health classes and D.A.R.E. (Drug Abus Resistance Education) had convinced me otherwise...