Re: Welfare Solution #389

[Lucky Green <shamrock@netcom.com>]

At 03:47 AM 8/29/97 +0200, Alex Le Heux wrote:
>Most of them do not like the situation they're in. Try _really_ 
>talking to some of them. The problem is that by the time they're 
>outcasts from society, the only thing left in life that'll take away 
>the pain (physical pain as well, from withdrawel) is the drug. Make 
>these people feel part of society again, and they suddenly gain a lot 
>of strength. Enough strength in many cases to enable them to give up 
>the drugs or at least lower their consumption to a level where they 
>can actually function again.

I must agree with Alex on this one. Why a person became addicted is
irrelevant. They are addicted and the question for the rest of us must
become "how can we minimize the impact their addiction has on us". It has
been shown that people usually grow out of Heroin addiction after time. The
non-black market cost of their addiction is probably less than a dollar per
day. The cost they impose on society when having to support their habit
through the black market is much higher. Even without involving government,
it would be trivial to raise the funds from donations to keep all addicts
supplied with their drugs until such time that they are capable to give up
the drugs entirely.

BTW, I just found out that William S. Burroughs died. No, he didn't grow
out of it an remained an Heroin addict until his death of old age. He must
have been well into his 80's. And he was no burden on society. The
royalties from his  works could have fed even the most severe addiction.

His writings influenced me in a big way during my youth. [This may be
off-topic, but if there is any list on which people might care about the
death a revolutionary like Burroughs, it is Cypherpunks].


--Lucky Green <shamrock@netcom.com>
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