> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Doug Pensinger
... > When are we going to wake up and realize that people want to get > high? From the mild stimulus of caffeine, the outwardly > innocuousness of nicotine and the destructiveness of alcohol. From > legal stimulants and depressants to illegal hallucinogens, it seems > like its human nature to want to alter ones mood. Not everyone of > course, but what percent of the population do you think does none of > the above? This has been rumbling around in my head for the last day. The problem with your premise is that illegal drugs stimulate production of endorphins, and so do all sorts of legitimate things, such as exercise, sports, sex, success, love, humor, etc. The statement that "its human nature to want to alter ones mood" is the same to me as, "people want to feel good." Most certainly! > So the war on drugs is an attempt to stamp out human inclination by > force. Why don't we spend the huge amounts of money we now waste > trying to fight our inclinations on figuring out _why_ we want to > get high and either eliminate the urge in a scientific manner or > cater to it in a way that is less disruptive? This becomes very troublesome -- eliminating the urge would mean eliminating the urge to do anything that causes our bodies to produce endorphins. That would make us less than human. Addiction (which actually is a problem, unlike drugs, IMO) isn't about the urge to feel good, which is totally legitimate. Addiction has to do with producing endorphins by satisfying legitimate needs -- exercise, sports, sex, success, love, humor, etc. -- in inappropriate ways. I don't think there's any question that rapists, for example, commit the act in part because the risk and the violence triggers production of lots of adrenaline and other neurochemicals. There's nothing wrong with wanting the satisfaction that comes from triggering that physiological reaction, but the means of doing so is beyond inappropriate. > The wrongness of our approach to this problem seems so blatantly > obvious to me that I have to be suspicious of the real motives > behind drug prohibitions. I sure agree that our approach is generally wrong, but not for the reasons that you're putting forth here. For me, the wrongness has a lot to do with denial of legitimate needs, that is reflected in our unwillingness, as a society to talk openly about a number of things. I'm not sure why that doesn't change, but it seems clear that it delivers a lot of money and power to those who use sex, violence, etc. to attract our attention. Nick _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
