[mightyham]

It's clear you don't personally know anyone who has been affected by a serious drug addiction. It is devastating not just for them, but their family and everyone that cares about them. It's unbelievable to me anyone could claim that dealing drugs is a victimless crime.

[sneak]

Almost everyone I know has been personally affected by serious drug addiction. Alcohol, opiates, cocaine, marijuana, cigarettes, even gambling if you count such things.

I still support the abolition of all bans and controls on access to drugs.

Destroying one’s own self has no victims, any more than bodybuilding does. If we should be free to build ourselves, we should be free to destroy ourselves.

Please don’t assume anyone who disagrees with your philosophy is naive or lacks empathy.

[mightyham]

I'm not assuming. Your position on this issue simply lacks empathy.

If you've known anyone addicted to the list of things you mention, you should know that at some point, they are no longer "free to destroy themselves". They are continuing to destroy themselves out of a chemical or phycological necessity. The people who deal drugs or own casinos are running predatory businesses and it should be illegal, just like other predatory business practices are.

[carlosjobim]

Those kind of drugs are bought by traditional street criminals. Darknet it's mostly about psychedelics and such.

[richwater]

A lack of personal responsibility is tragic, but hardly the fault of Mcdonalds when someone has a heart attack.

[mightyham]

Chemical addiction is not comparable to overeating/lack of exercise. You could theoretically be "addicted" to McDonalds and still live a fairly healthy and balanced life in other respects. It's really not possible to be addicted to heroine and live a balanced lifestyle. Even though drug addicts are largely personally responsible for their actions, that doesn't make it less true that drug dealers are knowingly profiting off of vulnerable individuals and actively encourage them to ruin their lives.

[15155]

How are liquor stores functionally different?