Drug hospitalisations plunged 30% in year after headshops closed

Kermit.de.frog

There is a narrative out there by those who want certain categories of drugs legalised that people wouldn't go mad and self control would avert the worst and prohibition doesn't work etc etc.

This report would appear to raise serious questions about that assertion.

When headshops were at their peak in 2010 so too was drug hospitalisations. The government panicked at the time and had to introduce legislation to shut them down. After headshops were forced to close hospital drug admissions collapsed 26% in the following months and 30% in 2012.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/hospital-drug-admissions-plunged-after-head-shops-were-closed-in-2010-gmk2d0wfm

Certainly food for thought there.

What yeh reckon?

tdf7187

The case for legalisation with appropriate regulation remains valid. Headshops were an unregulated free for all.

TheChizler

Kind of makes sense, if you one by one keep making specific compounds that cause a high illegal, as was the case in the headshop days IIRC, the manufacturers will keep moving to the next, more dangerous, compound to stay one step ahead.

Kermit.de.frog

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

There is a narrative out there by those who want certain categories of drugs legalised that people wouldn't go mad and self control would avert the worst and prohibition doesn't work etc etc.

This report would appear to raise serious questions about that assertion.

When headshops were at their peak in 2010 so too was drug hospitalisations. The government panicked at the time and had to introduce legislation to shut them down. After headships were forced to close hospital drug admissions collapsed 26% in the following months and 30% in 2012.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/hospital-drug-admissions-plunged-after-head-shops-were-closed-in-2010-gmk2d0wfm

Certainly food for thought there.

What yeh reckon?

There is a marked difference between having a liberal approach to a handful of drugs and comparing them to what were effectively substances created from mixing random elements and chemicals.

That approach is akin to producing a crack cocaine, heroin type drug that shouldn't be encouraged with usage.

Any drug that's destructive to society shouldn't be legalised, but we should still interfere and disrupt the criminal side to it. Keep it out of communities by making them available for free in a controlled environment.

the_syco

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

When headshops were at their peak in 2010 so too was drug hospitalisations.

Wait, are you saying that drugs which didn't have any Q&A done and were pumped out as quick as possible to get around laws weren't safe? :pac:

Gooey Looey

Headshops didn't sell regulated drugs, it was the perfect opportunity to get some control

Gone Drinking

What has an unregulated free for all got to do with a regulated drug legalisation program?

They were selling Chinese plant food as something that could be consumed. I'm not surprised the hospitalizations dropped.

The whole headshop fiasco has nothing to do with the legalisation of drugs.

MadYaker

Head shops and the decriminalisation or legalisation of certain drugs are separate issues.

What you’ve linked actually goes against the point you’re trying to make here. You shown evidence of drug related hospitalisations decreasing over the last few years while recreational drug use among young people has increased drastically.

Del2005

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

There is a narrative out there by those who want certain categories of drugs legalised that people wouldn't go mad and self control would avert the worst and prohibition doesn't work etc etc.

This report would appear to raise serious questions about that assertion.

When headshops were at their peak in 2010 so too was drug hospitalisations. The government panicked at the time and had to introduce legislation to shut them down. After headshops were forced to close hospital drug admissions collapsed 26% in the following months and 30% in 2012.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/hospital-drug-admissions-plunged-after-head-shops-were-closed-in-2010-gmk2d0wfm

Certainly food for thought there.

What yeh reckon?

The stuff being sold by head shops was made from who knows what and with zero QC. Now it's been added to the drugs being sold on the streets still, it's just cut into the real stuff.

There's still plenty of spice zombies

I wonder what the stats on hospital admissions would be if we banned booze/cigs and allowed weed/mdma.

ceadaoin.

Is there anything vaguely fun that you are not disapproving of?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

There is a narrative out there by those who want certain categories of drugs legalised that people wouldn't go mad and self control would avert the worst and prohibition doesn't work etc etc.

This report would appear to raise serious questions about that assertion.

When headshops were at their peak in 2010 so too was drug hospitalisations. The government panicked at the time and had to introduce legislation to shut them down. After headshops were forced to close hospital drug admissions collapsed 26% in the following months and 30% in 2012.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/hospital-drug-admissions-plunged-after-head-shops-were-closed-in-2010-gmk2d0wfm

Certainly food for thought there.

What yeh reckon?

Your first two paragraphs contradicts each other: we can still get the drugs, so in theory hospitalizations shouldn't have changed.

sydthebeat

All that article says is that head shops sold dangerous crap which Irish legislation was typically too far behind in catching.

Drug hospitalisations dropped when the dangerous products were made illegal.

The same common drugs of cannabis, amphets, coke etc, which were illegal before and are still illegal now, were still being sold and consumed during that period and have continued to be.

suicide_circus

How about the people who dont want to take drugs, dont take drugs.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

suicide_circus wrote: »

How about the people who dont want to take drugs, dont take drugs.

Everyone takes drugs. Legal, prescribed or otherwise - eveyone.

suicide_circus

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Everyone takes drugs. Legal, prescribed or otherwise - eveyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0OVpyvey4U

MadYaker

suicide_circus wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0OVpyvey4U

Pintman Paddy Losty

gilberto_eire wrote: »

There is a marked difference between having a liberal approach to a handful of drugs and comparing them to what were effectively substances created from mixing random elements and chemicals.

That approach is akin to producing a crack cocaine, heroin type drug that shouldn't be encouraged with usage.

Any drug that's destructive to society shouldn't be legalised, but we should still interfere and disrupt the criminal side to it. Keep it out of communities by making them available for free in a controlled environment.

Weed is destructive to society. It turns people in to lazy zombies. It's also a gateway drug to harder drugs like heroin.

I don't want to live in a world where people can get access to ganja legally. Imagine you call an ambulance to come to pick you up and the driver is blazed off his head on jazz fags, takes a detour to McDonalds because he has the munchies. No thanks!

weldoninhio

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

There is a narrative out there by those who want certain categories of drugs legalised that people wouldn't go mad and self control would avert the worst and prohibition doesn't work etc etc.

This report would appear to raise serious questions about that assertion.

When headshops were at their peak in 2010 so too was drug hospitalisations. The government panicked at the time and had to introduce legislation to shut them down. After headshops were forced to close hospital drug admissions collapsed 26% in the following months and 30% in 2012.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/hospital-drug-admissions-plunged-after-head-shops-were-closed-in-2010-gmk2d0wfm

Certainly food for thought there.

What yeh reckon?

You are comparing safe, regulated drugs being made legal and available, with unregulated "plant food" and "bath salts" being available.

paw patrol

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

There is a narrative out there by those who want certain categories of drugs legalised that people wouldn't go mad and self control would avert the worst and prohibition doesn't work etc etc.

?

headshop gear was terrible stuff
The normal recreational illegal drugs even class A are much benign than what was sold. It's not an apt comparison to make in comparing the two types of products.

In fact I personally know 3 people who developed addiction issues on headshop stuff after years of no issues with cocaine and E.

Also if something is new then it will be popular. Headshop weren't open long enough for the initial buzz to wear off - you can't say we saw long term effects of those products/shops.

All drugs should be legalised , made in proper sterile environments with proper known ingredients and dosages.

weldoninhio

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Weed is destructive to society. It turns people in to lazy zombies. It's also a gateway drug to harder drugs like heroin.

I don't want to live in a world where people can get access to ganja legally. Imagine you call an ambulance to come to pick you up and the driver is blazed off his head on jazz fags, takes a detour to McDonalds because he has the munchies. No thanks!

You live in this world Paddy. Holland, Portugal, most US states, and many other places in this world all legally allow people to smoke "ganga".

paw patrol

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Weed is destructive to society. It turns people in to lazy zombies. It's also a gateway drug to harder drugs like heroin.

I don't want to live in a world where people can get access to ganja legally. Imagine you call an ambulance to come to pick you up and the driver is blazed off his head on jazz fags, takes a detour to McDonalds because he has the munchies. No thanks!

dunno who I think posts worse drivel you or johnny flash:rolleyes:

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Weed is destructive to society. It turns people in to lazy zombies. It's also a gateway drug to harder drugs like heroin.

I don't want to live in a world where people can get access to ganja legally. Imagine you call an ambulance to come to pick you up and the driver is blazed off his head on jazz fags, takes a detour to McDonalds because he has the munchies. No thanks!

Yes! Or where a Teaoiseacht arrives for a photo shoot with a pint of alcohol in his hand! No thanks!

suicide_circus

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Weed is destructive to society. It turns people in to lazy zombies. It's also a gateway drug to harder drugs like heroin.

I don't want to live in a world where people can get access to ganja legally. Imagine you call an ambulance to come to pick you up and the driver is blazed off his head on jazz fags, takes a detour to McDonalds because he has the munchies. No thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpyQD-XMrIU

randd1

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

There is a narrative out there by those who want certain categories of drugs legalised that people wouldn't go mad and self control would avert the worst and prohibition doesn't work etc etc.

This report would appear to raise serious questions about that assertion.

When headshops were at their peak in 2010 so too was drug hospitalisations. The government panicked at the time and had to introduce legislation to shut them down. After headshops were forced to close hospital drug admissions collapsed 26% in the following months and 30% in 2012.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/hospital-drug-admissions-plunged-after-head-shops-were-closed-in-2010-gmk2d0wfm

Certainly food for thought there.

What yeh reckon?

The increased drug use wouldn't be linked in any way to the crippling depression that the country was surrounded with due to the collapse of the economy which affected just about everyone negatively?

randd1

Pintman Paddy Losty wrote: »

Weed is destructive to society. It turns people in to lazy zombies. It's also a gateway drug to harder drugs like heroin.

I don't want to live in a world where people can get access to ganja legally. Imagine you call an ambulance to come to pick you up and the driver is blazed off his head on jazz fags, takes a detour to McDonalds because he has the munchies. No thanks!

Most normal people rarely call an ambulance if they need it, they just go to the hospital or caredoc themselves and not treat the ambulance like a taxi.

And in the scenario you paint above, you won't care, the smell of the jazz fags would have you buzzing and you'd be screaming for a double cheeseburger from the super saver menu.

Ash.J.Williams

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

There is a narrative out there by those who want certain categories of drugs legalised that people wouldn't go mad and self control would avert the worst and prohibition doesn't work etc etc.

This report would appear to raise serious questions about that assertion.

When headshops were at their peak in 2010 so too was drug hospitalisations. The government panicked at the time and had to introduce legislation to shut them down. After headshops were forced to close hospital drug admissions collapsed 26% in the following months and 30% in 2012.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/hospital-drug-admissions-plunged-after-head-shops-were-closed-in-2010-gmk2d0wfm

Certainly food for thought there.

What yeh reckon?

head shops sold synthetic drugs not the good stuff

marieholmfan

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Everyone takes drugs. Legal, prescribed or otherwise - eveyone.

What about Mormons?

SEPT 23 1989

the filth that was sold in those shops deserved to be banned

kids will always take chances so keep the stuff regulated and clean

give them some chance

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

marieholmfan wrote: »

What about Mormons?

They go to hospitals when they get injured or sick, don't they?