GOP to twentysomethings: No sex for you

[kurto]

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I think your use of the word "propaganda" regarding tobacco usage is a poor one.

[/ QUOTE ] I think you're taking it wrong. Propaganda is often thought of as having to be dishonest or wrong when it really is just the spreading of information to change ideas/instuations/etc. In other words, propaganda can be entirely accurate.

In the case of Tobacco, I agree with the propaganda. I'm just not certain how effective it is.

I do think there is an inherent mistrust of such govt. propaganda. I think the anti-pot propaganda is filled with misinformation and has been for quite a long time.

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Obviously, one of the major differences between government directed campaigns against tobacco usage and drug usage is that drug usage is generally speaking handled as a criminal activity. How much this deters the usage of drugs is hard to say.


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I agree that it is hard to measure. Most drugs have been illegal for quite a few decades but I believe there's been a pretty consistant and large body of users.

I think the governments problem with anti-drug (and I'm referring to pot since that's what most of them seem to address) have little credibility because of the way they've addressed it. Most people who have tried pot or seen casual users realize that its not really much different then someone being drunk. If you watch early anti-drug movies (Reefer Madness) you can see that they portrayed people smoking a joint and becoming homicidal maniacs. I think its hard for this to be effective when people see how different reality is from what is portrayed. Smoking, on the other hand, I think people 'get' and believe that Lung Cancer is a real danger.

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Another thing that is implied in many posts IMO is that using pot is a lot different than using other drugs like cocaine, meth, herion, etc. I agree with this notion and I'm fairly certain that the bogus way that the government seems to equate pot usage to the usage of drugs like cocaine and meth erodes support for government efforts to curb drug usage.

[/ QUOTE ] Yep. We're saying the same thing here. The govt's approach loses a lot of credibility.

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thought it was ridiculous that I had to become a criminal by finding pot for her to get her through the ordeal. I don't know if you can imagine what it was like for a relatively straight laced middle age man to go looking for pot on the streets but believe me it was not a pleasant experience.

[/ QUOTE ] As I get older I've used it less. And as I've gotten older I've become more clueless about how to find it so I don't bother. Though my wife and I recently went to Amsterdam. There attitude towards pot was refreshing.

It was very amusing to sit at a coffeeshop and see what appeared to be a middle aged man and his father come in, order coffee and a joint and have a relaxing good time.