this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2024
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Making it illegal to consume in any place will push them to the fringes. I can't tell you how they see a playground different than a school ground - and I 100% do not want stray needles and syring out people in playgrounds but that is a separate issue- but I do know that giving a person fewer places to feel safe isn't going to benefit them or encourage them to seek help. Prohibition laws only hurt society and those who are the most vulnerable in it.
If we give people a safe space, a safe supply, and unlimited mental health resources then they won't use in playgrounds or bus stops anymore- problem solved with zero imprisonment and zero jail deaths.
This seems to be an argument to forcibly allow drug consumption absolutely anywhere. Schools, pools, restaurants, in the middle of the mall, etc.
This doesn't seem like a reasonable argument to me, there are and there should be limits to where open drug consumption should be considered welcome. The question is why do we now decide to explicitly include children playgrounds in the list of those places, it's entirely illogical.
Then you are twisting it to be something it's not. I don't want people shooting up in playgrounds or bus stops either, but creating laws to make these people into criminals is not how you get there. This is why I support supervised consumption which should come first, then make laws outlawing use in these other areas. They need a place to go first- a place that isn't jail or a coffin.
I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely with you that there should be places for supervised drug consumption, as well as safe supply.
I just don't understand how restricting drug use on playgrounds harms anybody, it's got only positives that I can see. I would even go as far as saying that allowing drug use on playgrounds is harmful to drug users, because it encourages conflict with the public.
I'm not saying it should be allowed, just that it shouldn't be banned until they have proper safe places to go because banning it now would do more harm than good.