If you've read my last blog, this post may come as a surprise. The notes I had written to help write this edition had mysteriously vanished. Just when I was least expecting to discover them, there they were on the dining table, among the pens, pencils and other stationery that conceals everything from view. But that's beside the point. I am against drugs. I am utterly opposed to decriminalizing and legalizing any sort of substance that is illegal for a good reason. I would never want to take such dangerous substances that would only ruin my life, and of everyone around me. So it was fascinating to find a Panorama documentary exploring how prohibiting 'legal' highs was affecting areas with large drug consumption. What the team uncovered only strengthened my anti-drug opinions.
The basis of the documentary was the team spending 6 months in Newcastle to see how the ban on legal highs was being enforced and whether the prohibition resulted in a change. The North East was the biggest area of drug consumption in the UK, so Newcastle seemed appropriate. Until May 2016, legal highs were, simply, legal. Anybody could go into a newsagent and purchase substances which mimicked the effects of illegal drugs, such as cannabis or cocaine. That seriously worried me, as such substances being so easily available to anybody makes society very vulnerable. Over 640 varieties were globally available, leading to all sorts of harmful effects, having a detrimental effect on the user and society. The situation appeared at breaking point. Addicts constantly on benches in town, receiving many complaints from businesses. Ambulances constantly picking up people who suffered the effects of legal highs. Thankfully, the Government decided to criminalize the selling and usage of legal highs, something I can agree with the Government on! With Britain being the highest legal high market in Western Europe, something had to be done. I find it a shame that such thing as a legal high market should exist, with drug companies making vast quantities of profit from the amounts sold. It was excellent to see the police force taking action where necessary and arrested those caught with the substance or, even worse, selling it to others. This action must continue, especially when some find more deceiving, hidden ways of consuming highs. Where wrong doing has occurred, people involved should be justly punished both as a future deterrent to others, and themselves. The Panorama documentary filmed a police raid of a cannabis farm, with police breaking into the house. I believe this is fine, provided the police have a warrant with strong evidence, as they did. The documentary was fascinating in the sense of meeting real people who had consumed such poisons. Nearly all were negative, saying how they were 'hooked', 'lost everything' and 'death comes to mind regarding legal highs'. I found it helpful that people who had experienced taking drugs, when legal, knew how bad and life destroying they were. It seemed far more effective to have those with life experience taking it revealing its true dangers. Those who support drug legalisation preach that the state shouldn't tell you what you can't smoke in your own home. Well, for these people, I'm sure it all begin in the home. For themselves, their families, the community, job opportunities and public services, it was all consuming and destructive. I believe a report should be undertaken, investigating what makes people decide to take drugs. Of course, everyone has free will and originally chooses to take drugs. But people must think of the wider picture - a mixture of nature and free will. Especially in the North East, a lack of higher education, complete deindustrialization and lack of things going on could all be factors into people thinking they have a poor quality of life and succumbing to drugs. The way to improve that is not to legalise, but to boost the economies and social prospects for those areas. That's what it's very pleasing that Hull is the city of Culture, attracting more tourists to experience what Hull and surrounding areas have to offer, improving both the economy and social factors. As for the first 6 months of the act? Well, ambulance calls regarding drug use were falling and city centres seemed less crowded with addicts. While that's pleasing, I'm sure illegal drug use is ongoing. That's why our police force, now more than ever, must be a [presence, deterring others and protecting communities. (Link to Panorama documentary - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08c7qwc)
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