The Chinese experience proves that countries do not have to tolerate drug use; the United States is currently under siege from a disastrous campaign to prove the opposite.
While I don't disagree with a lot of what you're saying, and sparing the moral argument of the 'right' of the otherwise perfectly societally contributing man or woman to enjoy a J on their front porch (which obviously doesn't hurt anybody), I'm curious what you are actually proposing. We've tried the drug war. I would not personally qualify it as a success, but that's me. Are you saying the status quo, or the 1990's status quo of that drug war would be preferable to what we have currently? I'd love to hear more specifics as to why it would work now but didn't then.
Also, and not to sound like too much of a right-winger, but I think the amount of societal/cultural rot in this country is almost impossible to quantify but also explains a lot of recent negative happenings. For example, guns (including 'assault weapons') have been around for a long time but the idea of people going on mass murdering killing sprees where most of the victims are more or less strangers is a relatively recent phenomenon and I don't see how rationally one can point the finger solely at guns as the cause for this increase. Similarly, I don't think increases in overdoses is solely related to recent legislative moves to relax the drug war. We're living in a more and more broken society and I think these are unfortunately some of the fall out from that.
So true. I'd add the influence of technology on very young people, whether it's social media or "gaming" without parental knowledge, supervision, or basic rules. Maybe this is a function of 1 and 2.
I think in particular it relates to #2. We have never been more "connected", yet less connected in the history of humanity. The ironic result is a feeling of isolation.
You can not substitute a million virtual "connections" to fill the void that one personal connection can.
We did not evolve that way. We have lost our connection to our nature and to nature itself. Many are displaced, as if they were lost boats, on a vast sea that have lost hope in finding shore.
I would expect more of this until we literally touch grass and our fellow man/woman.
Let’s not forget proper nutrition. We’re over fed and undernourished and I believe that people wouldn’t have such a need to check out if we were feeling better as human beings. People just want to escape from reality which is hard right now and in the pursuit of happiness which according to our Bill of Rights is indeed a right, we should be allowed to do so. This in turn might lead us to ask the question, why are people so unhappy while the rest of us responsible adults can have a little fun once in awhile and with the proper regulation which is a huge ask in our corrupt system, we’d get clean product that we could trust wouldn’t kill us. It’s not going away regardless so why don’t we try something different, get to the root cause.
Interesting response, Steve. I agree. Its not that what Alex is saying isn't true, it is what is the solution? Similar to many other current debates floating around with sides . My best guess would be that Alex is advocating that we at least try to make drug use illegal and unpopular, even if if it doesn't stop it it will at least reduce it. If we go "full China" on it, the victory would surely be Pyrrhic...we might win the war, but lose our soul.
The mass murder issue is related I think. A metastatic psychological decay foisted upon young men in our society since the late 1970's but 1st outward sign was Columbine shooting in 1999. Couple the throwing of the white flag on the resistance to drug use, then the rise of prescription pharmaceuticals being given at earlier and earlier ages to our children, then the isolation by social media...capped by the political and Covid hysteria in 2020.
Who is doing the shooting of innocent men, women, and children? Mostly delusional young males on drugs fed a steady diet of hate mongering and divisive political rhetoric.
Stop legalizing it. It will only spread and become more ubiquitous - visited my sister in Brooklyn a few weeks ago and I'm not making this up or exaggerating at all - the smell of cannabis is everywhere - no cigarette smoke anymore, cannabis, cannabis, cannabis. How can that possibly be seen as a positive step in the right direction?
Alex says he would forcibly outlaw drugs because "The externalities of use and especially addiction are too severe."
Is he aware of the full meaning of individual liberty, which includes not only the freedom to do anything that does not violate the rights of others, but also the responsibility to answer for any harm you have done? So if I get drunk or high and then drive over a pedestrian, I cannot claim I am innocent because I was temporarily incapacitated. When I make the choice to consume the drug, I accept responsibility for any actions that result from that decision. Making individuals responsible for their actions, and unable to rely on the forced charity of others for rehabilitation, would eliminate nearly all
I struggle with this as I know several people that have alcohol addictions, some who have beaten it and some who have not. I do know that everyone is aware of the dangers of both drugs and alcohol and at some point, made the decision to start. It's like the person who tries heroin for the first time - EVERYONE knows that heroin has ruined millions of lives, yet there was that first time they made the choice to do it. I have a lot less sympathy for those that use hard drugs.
Jim Brown's example with the drunk or high driver is the perfect case of the "too severe" outcome. I have zero sympathy for dealers, even low level ones. Happy to hook their "friends" so they can get what they want. Jail time for all dealers.
Why do we always blame the dealers. That is like blaming a big company for not paying enough taxes. the company is hopefully following the tax laws promulgated by our congress. The dealers are not the Mr. Big in the equation. Root out Mr. Big and inflict appropriate punishment.
But the problem is that too many today have not been forced to be responsible for their actions. We constantly hear how it is "society's" fault. "Idindo nuttin."
And the low level dealers, just like Mr Big, need to take responsibility for their actions. To entice your "friends" to use drugs (people you grew up with, played ball with, went to school with) to enable your own habit and potentially to destroy their lives is contemptible.
This didn't work with terrorism and it won't work with drugs and distribution. There are too few penalties and too much reward for stepping up and becoming the next "head" of the drug snake. We need to put a stake in the heart of the dealers and deter the next generation. In counter terrorism and drug dealing we are "mowing the grass."
Yes but making individuals solely responsible would be as radical as shooting traffickers in the head. We would have to stop paying for care of drug uses. If they couldn’t pay themselves then not even emergency care. Equally important would be severe penalties and punishment for damaged caused. This society has not the guts. Politicians think the druggies are a voting block or at least not a treat.
Your choice to get high caused some one’s death. That person is dead and nothing you do will being the little girl’s dad back to life. You taking responsibility and going to jail or paying compensation won’t fix it. So, the only option to protect every one is to outlaw drugs.
I have been to China probably 50 times and I have an office there. I can tell you all that EVERY school child spends A YEAR studying the Opium Wars, and it is why the Chinese people are encouraged at every opportunity to cheat, rob, steal, manipulate "the West" as payback. My employees all openly discuss it. It's exactly why they are so happy to lie to America and Europe - there is no tolerance for dishonesty among Chinese citizens, but it's a badge of honor to stick it to us! I cannot be emphatic enough about this phenomenon.
Wonder what the studies reveal. I thought I understood the export/import issues of trade in opium - grown in India for use in China, until the Chinese started growing their own. Modern viewpoints about Chinese trade issues often have a modern slant that can differ from viewpoints earlier. I did find a useful discussion https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/whmngx/how_bad_was_opium_addiction_that_it_led_to_chinas/ where EnclavedMicrostate has many interesting comments.
Might be interesting to see what the Chinese are told about the "war" and use of opium.
1. Thank you for using your platform for this issue! So important and so true.
2. “ You might call that karma for the Opium War. Or you might wonder if karma is another word for revenge.”
One of the big differences between our leaders and their leaders is that their leaders actually have historical memory. I bet most congressmen couldn’t even tell you what the Opium War was. China is getting revenge on us and our population is so poorly educated it doesn’t even understand what the revenge is for!
3. Speaking of the poorly educated and drug use, y’all might like this on the need for doctors to read some Oscar Wilde instead of turning the entire country into a bunch of drugged up Dorian Grays:
Sounds eerily similar to what the CCP is doing with drug chemical supplies at the border past 3.5 years. 98% of fentanyl chemicals come form CHINA. Same thing the Brits did with China to destroy them historically speaking. Add digital fentanyl to the mix (TIKTOCK etc) and all the injected commie ways of promoting division in America (WOKE agenda-TRANS) and voila. Tearing down a country without firing a single bullet
It is not compassionate to decriminalize narcotics. Removing legal and social stigmas associated with their use greatly increases their availability and abuse. Many more people end up living on the sidewalk with needles in their arms until they die lying in their own excrement. I saw this experiment run in real time in Portland, Oregon which was a beautiful safe city until the Democrat politicians "decriminalized" hard drugs and set up homeless encampments where human beings were turned into half naked savages living and needlessly dying on the street. This is not compassion or even noble adherence to principles of autonomy. It is cold blooded murder and those who advocate for it are either moronic or demonic.
Consequences which many in the pain management profession knew, and told Congress exactly what would happen.
In 2014 there were approximately 20,000 opiod related over dose deaths.
In 2023 there will be more than 100,000 opiod related deaths. This massive increase is a direct result of government policy. Instead of focusing on the real issue of addiction, they chose to cut off the supply of clean, legitimate pain medication. Punishing those who had a legitimate need, and cutting off the supply to millions of addicts. The results were predicted. Nobody listened.
In 2014 the Obama Administration proposed new laws, which re-classified hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxycycotin (among others) as schedule 1 drugs. Put them in the same category as Heroin and Cocaine. The new laws restricted physicians ability to write Rx, implemented dystopian surveillance tools on physicians, made it difficult for pharmacists to dispense the drugs, even with legit Rx. Many states implemented even tougher rules, barring out of state prescriptions, forcing waiting periods, and generally treating those trying to fill prescriptions as criminals. And of course insurance companies were only to happy to stop covering these prescriptions, even when they were totally legit. And manufacturers had new restrictions on how much they could produce and distribute in the US.
The result was exactly what was intended. An approximate 40% reduction in the number of pills sold with legitimate prescriptions.
But, Congress and the FDA and Obama were warned during the hearing on the changes what would occur. They were told that where there is demand, supply will fill the void. And the explosion of fentanyl and the cartels that get it into the US is a direct result of changes made in 2014. In addition, the drug companies simply moved their manufacturing offshore, and the stuff comes back in to the US and is sold on the black market for enormous sums. And much of it is adulterated. And it kills.
None of this had to happen. The govt chose the worst possible solution. Which I guess is no surprise because that is what they always do.
For me Personally I have seen hundreds of overdose cases and deaths. I have held babies in my Palm of my hand born from both Parents syringe dependent and smoke cigarettes and abuse alcohol as well. These babies are on life support some for several months. I have seen adults come into the Emergency department high on drugs like George Floyd and destroy the entire emergency department and staff. I have seen many Patients who have had more than one near death experience and bring them back to life. Drugs do more than rot teeth they can turn a 30 year old into looking like a 90 year old looking like a dried up baseball glove. I too have had a death in my family from drug overdose my cousins only son she is a Dentist and her brother my cousin was a Police chief for more than 20 years. I know people who financed there home to get help for a love one because of insurance wouldn't cover anything. I know people who was in a Program for 10 years and die from a overdose. The same people pushing these mRNA shots are legalization of marijuana cannabis these same people fund Planned Parenthood we are dealing with Evil and evil can be Mail or female no joke. Trying to educate some it's best they stay innocent Elizabeth!
You could extend your argument about user benefits vs society bears the costs beyond drugs to other issues. Diet is a big one. People enjoy eating carby junk food and we all pay for it through the cost of medical care. Should food manufacture and distribution be controlled similar to drugs? I certainly agree that subsidies and food propaganda be eliminated, but beyond let's stick with personal responsibility.
I'm a libertarian leaning conservative because libertarianism (usually) works. But not so well with mind altering drugs. Because libertarianism requires rational agency--and these substances are exquisitely designed to produce the opposite citizen.
There is no such thing as a "safe, regulated supply" of drugs, as demonstrated by states that have legalized drugs either by affirmative legalization or by failure to enforce drug laws. The closest we've been to "safe, regulated supply" is pharmaceuticals and look where that got us. The black market always offers something the regulated market doesn't, and lack of deterrence only encourages use. We see the mental and physical decay on a stunning and demoralizing scale in footage of San Francisco and other cities. As Charles Bowden would say, some of the dead are still breathing.
Because they want impaired, malleable, and hedonistic people who can't and don't ask questions. Think of the pro-lockdown crowd that thought it was fine that the liquor stores were "essential" and open for business but their workplaces were closed.
While I don't disagree with a lot of what you're saying, and sparing the moral argument of the 'right' of the otherwise perfectly societally contributing man or woman to enjoy a J on their front porch (which obviously doesn't hurt anybody), I'm curious what you are actually proposing. We've tried the drug war. I would not personally qualify it as a success, but that's me. Are you saying the status quo, or the 1990's status quo of that drug war would be preferable to what we have currently? I'd love to hear more specifics as to why it would work now but didn't then.
Also, and not to sound like too much of a right-winger, but I think the amount of societal/cultural rot in this country is almost impossible to quantify but also explains a lot of recent negative happenings. For example, guns (including 'assault weapons') have been around for a long time but the idea of people going on mass murdering killing sprees where most of the victims are more or less strangers is a relatively recent phenomenon and I don't see how rationally one can point the finger solely at guns as the cause for this increase. Similarly, I don't think increases in overdoses is solely related to recent legislative moves to relax the drug war. We're living in a more and more broken society and I think these are unfortunately some of the fall out from that.
Well said. It is my opinion what we are seeing, in terms of cultural/societal rot, is sequela of two things:
1. Lack of fatherly influence (either through deadbeats, divorce or disengaged fathers)
2. Social atomization
So true. I'd add the influence of technology on very young people, whether it's social media or "gaming" without parental knowledge, supervision, or basic rules. Maybe this is a function of 1 and 2.
Yes!
I think in particular it relates to #2. We have never been more "connected", yet less connected in the history of humanity. The ironic result is a feeling of isolation.
You can not substitute a million virtual "connections" to fill the void that one personal connection can.
We did not evolve that way. We have lost our connection to our nature and to nature itself. Many are displaced, as if they were lost boats, on a vast sea that have lost hope in finding shore.
I would expect more of this until we literally touch grass and our fellow man/woman.
Let’s not forget proper nutrition. We’re over fed and undernourished and I believe that people wouldn’t have such a need to check out if we were feeling better as human beings. People just want to escape from reality which is hard right now and in the pursuit of happiness which according to our Bill of Rights is indeed a right, we should be allowed to do so. This in turn might lead us to ask the question, why are people so unhappy while the rest of us responsible adults can have a little fun once in awhile and with the proper regulation which is a huge ask in our corrupt system, we’d get clean product that we could trust wouldn’t kill us. It’s not going away regardless so why don’t we try something different, get to the root cause.
Good point. I would also add that getting sunlight in your eyes and exercising are equally as important.
Interesting response, Steve. I agree. Its not that what Alex is saying isn't true, it is what is the solution? Similar to many other current debates floating around with sides . My best guess would be that Alex is advocating that we at least try to make drug use illegal and unpopular, even if if it doesn't stop it it will at least reduce it. If we go "full China" on it, the victory would surely be Pyrrhic...we might win the war, but lose our soul.
The mass murder issue is related I think. A metastatic psychological decay foisted upon young men in our society since the late 1970's but 1st outward sign was Columbine shooting in 1999. Couple the throwing of the white flag on the resistance to drug use, then the rise of prescription pharmaceuticals being given at earlier and earlier ages to our children, then the isolation by social media...capped by the political and Covid hysteria in 2020.
Who is doing the shooting of innocent men, women, and children? Mostly delusional young males on drugs fed a steady diet of hate mongering and divisive political rhetoric.
My 2cents anyway.
Stop legalizing it. It will only spread and become more ubiquitous - visited my sister in Brooklyn a few weeks ago and I'm not making this up or exaggerating at all - the smell of cannabis is everywhere - no cigarette smoke anymore, cannabis, cannabis, cannabis. How can that possibly be seen as a positive step in the right direction?
My favorite is smelling pot wafting from cars of people driving to work and/or drop off their kids at school.
Alex says he would forcibly outlaw drugs because "The externalities of use and especially addiction are too severe."
Is he aware of the full meaning of individual liberty, which includes not only the freedom to do anything that does not violate the rights of others, but also the responsibility to answer for any harm you have done? So if I get drunk or high and then drive over a pedestrian, I cannot claim I am innocent because I was temporarily incapacitated. When I make the choice to consume the drug, I accept responsibility for any actions that result from that decision. Making individuals responsible for their actions, and unable to rely on the forced charity of others for rehabilitation, would eliminate nearly all
so-called "externalities."
The question is whether someone who is addicted has the capacity to make that choice. The answer is no. J
I struggle with this as I know several people that have alcohol addictions, some who have beaten it and some who have not. I do know that everyone is aware of the dangers of both drugs and alcohol and at some point, made the decision to start. It's like the person who tries heroin for the first time - EVERYONE knows that heroin has ruined millions of lives, yet there was that first time they made the choice to do it. I have a lot less sympathy for those that use hard drugs.
Jim Brown's example with the drunk or high driver is the perfect case of the "too severe" outcome. I have zero sympathy for dealers, even low level ones. Happy to hook their "friends" so they can get what they want. Jail time for all dealers.
Why do we always blame the dealers. That is like blaming a big company for not paying enough taxes. the company is hopefully following the tax laws promulgated by our congress. The dealers are not the Mr. Big in the equation. Root out Mr. Big and inflict appropriate punishment.
But the problem is that too many today have not been forced to be responsible for their actions. We constantly hear how it is "society's" fault. "Idindo nuttin."
And the low level dealers, just like Mr Big, need to take responsibility for their actions. To entice your "friends" to use drugs (people you grew up with, played ball with, went to school with) to enable your own habit and potentially to destroy their lives is contemptible.
Cut off the head of the snake and the snake dies.
This didn't work with terrorism and it won't work with drugs and distribution. There are too few penalties and too much reward for stepping up and becoming the next "head" of the drug snake. We need to put a stake in the heart of the dealers and deter the next generation. In counter terrorism and drug dealing we are "mowing the grass."
Yes but making individuals solely responsible would be as radical as shooting traffickers in the head. We would have to stop paying for care of drug uses. If they couldn’t pay themselves then not even emergency care. Equally important would be severe penalties and punishment for damaged caused. This society has not the guts. Politicians think the druggies are a voting block or at least not a treat.
Your choice to get high caused some one’s death. That person is dead and nothing you do will being the little girl’s dad back to life. You taking responsibility and going to jail or paying compensation won’t fix it. So, the only option to protect every one is to outlaw drugs.
I have been to China probably 50 times and I have an office there. I can tell you all that EVERY school child spends A YEAR studying the Opium Wars, and it is why the Chinese people are encouraged at every opportunity to cheat, rob, steal, manipulate "the West" as payback. My employees all openly discuss it. It's exactly why they are so happy to lie to America and Europe - there is no tolerance for dishonesty among Chinese citizens, but it's a badge of honor to stick it to us! I cannot be emphatic enough about this phenomenon.
Also, I think I'm good with immediate execution for fentenyl distribution.
Wonder what the studies reveal. I thought I understood the export/import issues of trade in opium - grown in India for use in China, until the Chinese started growing their own. Modern viewpoints about Chinese trade issues often have a modern slant that can differ from viewpoints earlier. I did find a useful discussion https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/whmngx/how_bad_was_opium_addiction_that_it_led_to_chinas/ where EnclavedMicrostate has many interesting comments.
Might be interesting to see what the Chinese are told about the "war" and use of opium.
Mao needed thousands of bullets over decades to get the same results as we could with ONE.
Shoot the next person, dead on sight, who tries to illegally enter our country.
How's that for a deterrent?
Solution is quite simple.
1. Thank you for using your platform for this issue! So important and so true.
2. “ You might call that karma for the Opium War. Or you might wonder if karma is another word for revenge.”
One of the big differences between our leaders and their leaders is that their leaders actually have historical memory. I bet most congressmen couldn’t even tell you what the Opium War was. China is getting revenge on us and our population is so poorly educated it doesn’t even understand what the revenge is for!
3. Speaking of the poorly educated and drug use, y’all might like this on the need for doctors to read some Oscar Wilde instead of turning the entire country into a bunch of drugged up Dorian Grays:
https://gaty.substack.com/p/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-is-not
Sounds eerily similar to what the CCP is doing with drug chemical supplies at the border past 3.5 years. 98% of fentanyl chemicals come form CHINA. Same thing the Brits did with China to destroy them historically speaking. Add digital fentanyl to the mix (TIKTOCK etc) and all the injected commie ways of promoting division in America (WOKE agenda-TRANS) and voila. Tearing down a country without firing a single bullet
It is not compassionate to decriminalize narcotics. Removing legal and social stigmas associated with their use greatly increases their availability and abuse. Many more people end up living on the sidewalk with needles in their arms until they die lying in their own excrement. I saw this experiment run in real time in Portland, Oregon which was a beautiful safe city until the Democrat politicians "decriminalized" hard drugs and set up homeless encampments where human beings were turned into half naked savages living and needlessly dying on the street. This is not compassion or even noble adherence to principles of autonomy. It is cold blooded murder and those who advocate for it are either moronic or demonic.
The Law of Unintended Consequences.
Consequences which many in the pain management profession knew, and told Congress exactly what would happen.
In 2014 there were approximately 20,000 opiod related over dose deaths.
In 2023 there will be more than 100,000 opiod related deaths. This massive increase is a direct result of government policy. Instead of focusing on the real issue of addiction, they chose to cut off the supply of clean, legitimate pain medication. Punishing those who had a legitimate need, and cutting off the supply to millions of addicts. The results were predicted. Nobody listened.
In 2014 the Obama Administration proposed new laws, which re-classified hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxycycotin (among others) as schedule 1 drugs. Put them in the same category as Heroin and Cocaine. The new laws restricted physicians ability to write Rx, implemented dystopian surveillance tools on physicians, made it difficult for pharmacists to dispense the drugs, even with legit Rx. Many states implemented even tougher rules, barring out of state prescriptions, forcing waiting periods, and generally treating those trying to fill prescriptions as criminals. And of course insurance companies were only to happy to stop covering these prescriptions, even when they were totally legit. And manufacturers had new restrictions on how much they could produce and distribute in the US.
The result was exactly what was intended. An approximate 40% reduction in the number of pills sold with legitimate prescriptions.
But, Congress and the FDA and Obama were warned during the hearing on the changes what would occur. They were told that where there is demand, supply will fill the void. And the explosion of fentanyl and the cartels that get it into the US is a direct result of changes made in 2014. In addition, the drug companies simply moved their manufacturing offshore, and the stuff comes back in to the US and is sold on the black market for enormous sums. And much of it is adulterated. And it kills.
None of this had to happen. The govt chose the worst possible solution. Which I guess is no surprise because that is what they always do.
For me Personally I have seen hundreds of overdose cases and deaths. I have held babies in my Palm of my hand born from both Parents syringe dependent and smoke cigarettes and abuse alcohol as well. These babies are on life support some for several months. I have seen adults come into the Emergency department high on drugs like George Floyd and destroy the entire emergency department and staff. I have seen many Patients who have had more than one near death experience and bring them back to life. Drugs do more than rot teeth they can turn a 30 year old into looking like a 90 year old looking like a dried up baseball glove. I too have had a death in my family from drug overdose my cousins only son she is a Dentist and her brother my cousin was a Police chief for more than 20 years. I know people who financed there home to get help for a love one because of insurance wouldn't cover anything. I know people who was in a Program for 10 years and die from a overdose. The same people pushing these mRNA shots are legalization of marijuana cannabis these same people fund Planned Parenthood we are dealing with Evil and evil can be Mail or female no joke. Trying to educate some it's best they stay innocent Elizabeth!
You could extend your argument about user benefits vs society bears the costs beyond drugs to other issues. Diet is a big one. People enjoy eating carby junk food and we all pay for it through the cost of medical care. Should food manufacture and distribution be controlled similar to drugs? I certainly agree that subsidies and food propaganda be eliminated, but beyond let's stick with personal responsibility.
The heart of the problem ....
1. China obviously knows it’s own history
2. We don’t .
Its.
Embarrassed
What? China is the template? No thanks.
Thanks Alex. Relied on your ruthless reporting skills to write this op-ed which was published in a marijuana Republican's district here in Texas.
https://sanangelolive.com/news/live-thought/2023-05-08/republicans-should-be-party-mental-health-not-marijuana
I'm a libertarian leaning conservative because libertarianism (usually) works. But not so well with mind altering drugs. Because libertarianism requires rational agency--and these substances are exquisitely designed to produce the opposite citizen.
There is no such thing as a "safe, regulated supply" of drugs, as demonstrated by states that have legalized drugs either by affirmative legalization or by failure to enforce drug laws. The closest we've been to "safe, regulated supply" is pharmaceuticals and look where that got us. The black market always offers something the regulated market doesn't, and lack of deterrence only encourages use. We see the mental and physical decay on a stunning and demoralizing scale in footage of San Francisco and other cities. As Charles Bowden would say, some of the dead are still breathing.
So why do democrats want more drug addicts? What’s going on?
Because they want impaired, malleable, and hedonistic people who can't and don't ask questions. Think of the pro-lockdown crowd that thought it was fine that the liquor stores were "essential" and open for business but their workplaces were closed.
I must have missed the part in the constitution that gave the feds the power to say what I can, cannot, or shall ingest/inject.
That said, fully support the 10th amendment being used by states/localities to strongly regulate the most damaging substances like opiates.