[troisx]

I know the United States will never do it, but Singapore barely has a drug problem because they execute dealers and have mandatory treatment for users. I'm not advocating the ridiculous policy that the Phillipines has, but Singapore doesn't mess around if they find distribution levels of illegal drugs on you. There also needs to be much stricter control of new prescriptions for opioids, which lead to addiction.

[oxide]

>There also needs to be much stricter control of new prescriptions for opioids

Like the extremely strict controls in place? Like the prosecution of doctors who run pill mills? Like the rescheduling of hydrocodone formulations?

In my local ER there is an entire framed info-poster explaining why you aren't getting your meds refilled at the ER, you won't be getting fentanyl, dilaudid or oxycodone prescribed to you no matter what. ED's work with your primary care doctor and relay info to them. States have implemented pharmacy tech that allows them to track prescriptions state-wide. (a former massive problem)

Hospitals are already doing this. Pharmacies, already doing this. Doctors are terrified of the laymen telling them they know better in the court of law. Pain is being undertreated now more than ever, which is the flipside to the crackdown you don't seem aware of, which has been happening for years now.

There will always be abusers. It's inevitable. The people who really suffer from this kind of over-reach are people like my grandparents who are nearing life's end. People dependent on pain medication for their quality of life. Non-abusers.

Maybe quality of life means nothing to you, but to them it's all they have left keeping them going. It's the only reason they can continue to live through the constant pain, the enduring misery old age and lives of very hard work has wrought upon them.

[wklauss]

Experts have been questioning Singapore numbers for a while now. They are probably not that low and theres plenty of evidence of drug use in the country:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSIN135004

On top of that, how come other countries that have strict drug regulations and intensive prosecution (for example, Thailand) don't show same low rates of consumption?

[rm_-rf_slash]

Singapore is a very small and extremely centralized city-state. America is an enormous country with a long history of decentralized governments. I imagine very few dealers or addicts can slip the net in such a small place, not so much for America, perhaps.

And all of that relies on the assumption that Singapore's way is the best method that we as a culture (and to a greater degree as a species) can hope to accomplish. In my opinion, Singapore's drug policy is lacking in nuance.

[hackuser]

The U.S. tried very harsh punishment to stop drug use, the War on Drugs. It resulted in massive increases in incarceration; millions of innocent lives ruined (along with their families' lives); massive costs to society for law enforcement, prisons, crime and violence; and not much impact on drug use.

[kilroy123]

I've been to Singapore, there is still plenty of drug use there. Those policies aren't exactly 100% stopping drug use.