QUOTE (isamu @ Sep 6 2002, 08:44 AM)

Well thats a good question, why do people do drugs when the side effects can be so bad? Well a possibility is that people genuinely want to feel good. People want to do things that relieve stess, pain, and make them feel relaxed. Think about why people exercise, why the run, lift weights, etc. When people exercise their bodies become filled with endorphins and other chemicals that create a natural high, or so to speak. It makes them feel good and thats why they do it over and over again. Even things like skydiving, rock climbing, snowboarding, or driving your seven through some twisties at high speeds are things that people seek out because it makes their bodies feel good. When people do drugs, it does make them feel good, otherwise they wouldn't do it. Alcohol and pot have different effects on different people but for the most part they make people feel relaxed and enable them to loosen their inhibitions a bit. Obviously people can drink too much and become sick, or worse alcoholics, or people can become so addicted to drugs that their lives are shitholes. But people drink alcohol and do drugs for a reason, and that is because it makes them feel good. Think about it in evolutionary terms, i.e. that our predecessors did things that made them feel good which helped them survive and reproduce. "Feeling good" is part of being healthy, and those that did not feel good (who were depressed, sick, etc) had a harder time reproducing. This trait carried on, right up until today. Whether its through physical activity or a foreign substance, many people seek to alter their bodies so that they feel genuinely good. Even if feeling good only lasts a short time, people will sacrifice the headaches and hangovers for that good feeling. If anybody actually read this far read it again and think about what I just said, and why the war on drugs would be so difficult? Just a theory anyways, cheers!





I guess my next point is if you need that to make yourself feel good then you've got some serious issues. Granted I don't mind taking a drink once in awhile but I'm not going to loose control of myself or put myself into a situation where I may well do something I'm not totally aware of. If you feel good due to an external substance, it's not a real feeling. It puts you in a situation where you are depedant on something else, it makes you a slave.



Or as someone said "Alcohol enhances your personality" Yeah but what if you're an *******?



Evolution is bunk.



The war on drugs is actually pretty simple: Make the price of doing them so much greater then the pleasure or reward and the problem goes away in short order. Society has lost sight of that in most crime and punishment unfortunately. Give anyone on them a free out and treatment and no one can say you're not being fair.



Think of it: how many people would deal drugs if they knew they'd be executed for doing so and in short order, none of this 5, 10 year drag it out crap.