Philip Seymour Hoffman or summert...

[NickFitz]

As far as I am concerned, heroin addicts don't deserve the attention, since they are a waste of society's resources.

I think you'll find that Oscar-winning Hollywood actors are frequently rather wealthy, whether or not they have a drug habit. I'm sure we would have heard about it if he was in the habit of knocking off car radios and nicking TVs from old people's homes. But all he seems to be known for is appearing in films which made lots of money, which sounds more like a contribution to society than a waste of its resources.

[darmstadt]

Who really cares?

As far as I am concerned, heroin addicts don't deserve the attention, since they are a waste of society's resources. Another casualty to Afghan Taliban.

Like Tim Buckley, Janis Joplin, Tim Hardin, River Phoenix, Jennifer Lyn Jackson, Frankie Lymon, Alice Magdalen Sarah Ormsby Gore, Walid al-Taha, William Burroughs, etc. just to name a few. What about alcoholics who are surely more of a burden on society?

[doodab]

I think you'll find that Oscar-winning Hollywood actors are frequently rather wealthy, whether or not they have a drug habit. I'm sure we would have heard about it if he was in the habit of knocking off car radios and nicking TVs from old people's homes. But all he seems to be known for is appearing in films which made lots of money, which sounds more like a contribution to society than a waste of its resources.

Oddly enough, society uses a chunk of it's resources to provide quite a few people with opiates just as strong or stronger than heroin, as well as the stuff itself, which is commonly used for pain relief albeit under a different name (diamorphine I think)

[Scruff]

Oddly enough, society uses a chunk of it's resources to provide quite a few people with opiates just as strong or stronger than heroin, as well as the stuff itself, which is commonly used for pain relief albeit under a different name (diamorphine I think)

I don't have an issue with Diamorphine, I have an issue with Smack. I have lost a friend to it, and have seen a number of relatives and other friends have their lives destroyed by it.

As for the comments about the wealthy making contributions to society, as addicts - ultimately, they pay the price. Society picks up the tab...Its not just the financial cost, but the emotional costs that go with it.

Alcohol certainly costs society a lot more than smack, but at least there is a Duty received by the Exchequer!

[TheBigD]

Who really cares?

As far as I am concerned, heroin addicts don't deserve the attention, since they are a waste of society's resources. Another casualty to Afghan Taliban.

Boogie Nights
Punch Drunk Love
Moneyball
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Big Lebowski
Capote
The Master

...to name but a few.

I don't know how much attention he got for being a drug addict, I suspect he was a more well known due to the majority of the films he starred in/directed enjoying success (critical or box office)...

[NickFitz]

I don't have an issue with Diamorphine, I have an issue with Smack. I have lost a friend to it, and have seen a number of relatives and other friends have their lives destroyed by it.

As for the comments about the wealthy making contributions to society, as addicts - ultimately, they pay the price. Society picks up the tab...Its not just the financial cost, but the emotional costs that go with it.

Alcohol certainly costs society a lot more than smack, but at least there is a Duty received by the Exchequer!

So the obvious solution is to legalise smack. After all, it's fairly harmless in itself (much less physically harmful than alcohol): it's universally agreed that the harmful effects seen are a result of its illegality, not of the physiological actions of the drug, and if it was legal it could be taxed.

[doodab]

I don't have an issue with Diamorphine, I have an issue with Smack. I have lost a friend to it, and have seen a number of relatives and other friends have their lives destroyed by it.

But it's the same stuff. That's the point.

Lots of people are pumped full of strong opiates all the time and don't go off the rails or kill themselves. The drugs don't automatically "destroy lives", to most people they make a huge positive difference. I for one would be unable to function without them. Does that make me a "waste of societies resources"?

[doodab]

So the obvious solution is to legalise smack. After all, it's fairly harmless in itself (much less physically harmful than alcohol): it's universally agreed that the harmful effects seen are a result of its illegality, not of the physiological actions of the drug, and if it was legal it could be taxed.

The main harmful side effect in my experience is constipation, which is literally a PITA. I'm sure if I tripled up on fentanyl patches and knocked back a whole bottle of morphine solution I'd be in for a rough ride though.

[shaunbhoy]

Alcohol certainly costs society a lot more than smack, but at least there is a Duty received by the Exchequer!

Oh well that makes it perfectly acceptable then.

[Unix]

First remember him in Scent of a woman, he had a small part but stood out.

All natural drugs should be legalised, anything that grows naturally should be legal. The government could clear the deficit from the tax if they legalised and regulated drugs simultaneously winning the drug war and saving thousands of lives. Ban alcohol.