Thread by @julianbuchanan

There is no 'world drug problem'

Don't collude with this nonsense

We have a world drug policy problem that has been caused by ideologically driven 'drug' prohibition that has peddled propaganda, misinformation & lies

Expose it
Challenge it

#WeAreAllDrugUsers

There is no logical category of substances the UN or Governments widely call 'drugs'

Their term 'drugs' has no pharmacological or scientific basis whatsoever - it's a social construction rooted in political propaganda

We are all drug users

A drug is a psycho-active substance

Society loves state approved drugs & uses them at almost every cultural event

Oddly state approved drugs are in the main more harmful than the state banned drugs

There is no war on drugs either

There is a war designed to promote & privilege one set of substances and to prohibit, prejudice & punish the use of another set of substances

This system is based on vested interest
julianbuchanan.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/15-…

The vast majority of people who use state approved or state banned drugs do not have an addiction problem

Most are adult users

Adult use of state approved or state banned drugs should not be a matter for the police

-but nor should it be a matter for doctors

Using drugs per se is neither a crime nor a medical problem

The vast majority of deaths in respect of banned drugs are CAUSED by bad drug policies that are rooted in intolerance, abstinence, stigma and drug prohibition propaganda

When policy is rooted in Harm Reduction drug deaths are rare

Prohibition propaganda has seriously undermined & manipulated drug education, drug prevention, drug demand and drug treatment.

It has distorted our understanding of 'drugs', addiction and giving help to people struggling with addiction

Drug addiction can overwhelm and take over life but most of those who struggle with chronic addiction had serious disadvantage, exclusion, abuse &/or pain before drug addiction.

Most ppl drug addiction is the symptom/response to greater underlying issues

julianbuchanan.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/sup…

Prohibitionists ‘treat’ addiction with ‘snake oil’
telling people they have an incurable brain disease that can be contained if they pledge to never take ‘drugs’ again.

Then they become ‘clean’ and forever ‘in recovery’.

Prohibitionists have sent researchers, reformers & govts., on an endless ‘wild goose chase’ to disprove propaganda;

Reefer Madness
Crack Babies
Instantly Addictive P
Flesh Eating Krokodil
Addiction-Brain Disease
Addicted Babies
Opioid Damaged Babies
Gateway ‘Theory’

The UN & Govt. have legitimised discrimination, fear, stigma, exclusion & hostility towards people who use state banned substances.

This has had a huge negative impact on life opportunities and self esteem

It has driven users underground.

slideshare.net/mobile/JulianB…

For most drug users a criminal conviction for a drug defined crime poses a greater risk to their life opportunities to flourish & thrive than drugs evet will

Drug Policy Abuse

Prohibition has exhausted the battlefield in the criminal justice system

The empasis has shifted to enforce Prohibition propaganda via Public Heath & Public Safety.

Drug Testing knows no limits:
schools, colleges, roadside, sewage, homes, workplace

julianbuchanan.wordpress.com/2015/10/10/the…

Don’t buy into the con trick to swap ‘drug’ use as a crime problem for ‘drug’ use as a public health problem.

Using a ‘drug’ is not in and of itself a public health problem nor is it for the most part likely to become one.

But users maybe coerced into public health ‘treatment’

‘Drug’ enforcement has been used to control and exclude the poor, people of color, ethnic minority groups & indigenous people.

The rich & privileged don’t get stopped - but they want Legal Regulation to ensure they can buy clean reliable drugs & be able set up business!

Under their Legal Regulation model possession or supply of unapproved state drugs will remain a civil and/or criminal offence and the poor, BME, people of color & indigenous will continue to be controlled and excluded by law enforcement measures

#ICantBreathe

Prohibition2.0

Drug policy has not been informed by science, evidence or rationale

- it’s been determined by a Prohibition ‘church’ their beliefs, their stories and hunches.

Nothing has changed, it reflects their world view, their vested interest & their ideas of what should be.

What can we learn from 100s of thousands of people injecting adulterated unknown street drugs in Drug Consumption Rooms (Sydney & Vancouver) & there has never been a single OD death?

• Prohibition kills people!
• Harm Reduction saves lives

Prohibition based abstinence 'treatment' insists that if a person has lost control of their use of drug 'A'

They must abstain from taking drug 'A' again - ever!

And they must abstain from all other drugs 'B' - 'Z' too??!

Treatment rooted in hunch & belief rather than science

In 1998 the UN held a special meeting to launch a 10yr global drug strategy:

"A Drug Free World - We Can Do It"

Seriously - a world without drugs?

It's a hideous, outrageous & terrifying idea - who in their right mind could support such an idea??!

Prohibitionists will argue that

"Drugs are dangerous" (while sipping coffee, or enjoying a glass of wine)

Ask them for evidence and they sometimes reply

"The evidence that 'drugs' are dangerous - is that they are illegal"

A closed circular argument!

Harm Reduction is about minimising the damage caused by harmful Prohibitionist Drug Policies

Here are 12 harm reduction policies governments can roll out immediately

They don’t need UN approval or mtgs

Only when agencies & individuals stop seeing ‘treatment’ through the distorted lens of Prohibition can they truly help people in need & make a difference.

Prohibitionists involved in drug prevention, drug control/regulation and drug treatment are dangerous & harmful.

Change will come when people see/realise what the Drug War is about/doing

It's NOT about:
-Protecting people
-A lack of understanding
-Ignorance about science/evidence

We need to rally a bottom-up movement to abolish this devastating, divisive & inhumane regime

The Drug War IS about:

Retaining & wielding power
Protecting privilege & profits
Expanding business & self-interest
Developing new 'drug' control industries
Peddling misinformation, fallacy & lies
Controlling the poor, minority ethnic groups & people of color

Prohibition isn’t just about bad drug laws, it’s peddled:

• Lies about ‘drugs’

• Pseudo science about addiction

• Propaganda for drug prevention

• Dodgy ‘treatment’ that has more in common with a cult

• A civil war in our own communities - against the ‘druggies’

We’ve been brainwashed about drugs here are 70 lies we’ve been fed

julianbuchanan.wordpress.com

The question is not;

'Would you legalise all drugs?'

The question is;

'How can you you possibly defend prohibition?'

Evidenced based answers (that uphold human rights) only please

Prohibition has peddled:

• Lies about nature & impact of ‘drugs’

• Pseudoscience about addiction

• Propaganda for drug prevention

• Dodgy ‘treatment’ that has more in common with a cult

• A civil war in our own communities - against 'drug' users

Easy Solution To End The Drug Wars:

1st. Make all drug possession, cultivation & production for personal use legal.

2nd. Establish a strictly regulated legal market for all drugs.

#EndTheseCrazyWarsASAP

We need to seriously question the flawed prohibition paradigms that we have internalised & adopted;

Wondering why I am passionate about drug law reform? I explain in this interview

Wondering why some people just don't seem to listen to evidence, science and reason when talking about drugs and drug policies

Maybe they're a prohibitionist:

We should stop focusing on drug harm - and instead concentrate our efforts on explicitly reducing drug policy harm

The vast majority of harms are caused by drug policies not drugs - so let's concentrate our efforts there.

It should also be easier to change govt drug policies than trying to change the drug habits of millions and millions of people

We wouldn't allow sexist, racist or homophobic prejudices to shape public policy - it's time we called out, named and shamed the prohibitionist propaganda that shapes our drug policies.

Our policies should be based on science & evidence not this crap:

Touching fentanyl can lead to overdose - is another piece of prohibitionist propaganda to add to the list!

@Allsport_Oracle So @Allsport_Oracle are you happy for young people in NZ to continue to be exposed to these risks:

@Allsport_Oracle Is this what you want???
👆👆👆

You need to take responsibility for the consequences of what you are proposing....