Experts divorced from reality!

Kia Ora,

I can't believe what I just heard on the radio. A so called expert on drug use, though I got the impression they were an academic, stated that the hits by police & customs on drugs have resulted in a rise in price. It is what they said next that floored me. The rise in price will result in less addicts & more looking to enter rehab.

That may happen in the long run but what is going to happen is a rise in crime & in particular violent crime as people become desperate to get their fix.

Having known an ex drug addict or two, they made the point that when the price went up they just increased their criminal activities. One was a burglar during his time as a drug addict(Heroin, Cocaine, marijuana), another hit vehicles to repay his drug dealers for his free marijuana.
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Other areas that will see an increase is fraud by employees who are addicts & an increase in prostituition.

Fraud will impact on businesses to the extent in the current economic climate probably send one or two to the wall. As if the economic climate isn't causing a big enough rise in crime on its own.

Prostituition is of course now legal in New Zealand, but that doesn't mean it is something that is good for the mental well being for the participants. Many of those in the industry start to pay for their drug or alcohol addiction & others get into drugs or alcohol to cope mentally with having to be a prostitute due to financial pressures. So it becomes a vicious cycle.
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It seems that on every subject we rush to the 'experts' who have to generally have an academic qualification but no real world experience.

When in the Netherlands in the mid 80's the locals told us that they got upset everytime the police had a crack down on drugs. It always resulted in a rise in crime.

Although I think for the long term good for the country of course there needs to be a crack down on all drug use.

As I said in the long term it may have the effect they were talking about. Short term it means a lot more work for the NZ Security Industry & the NZ Police.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz