ARMAGH arrests in Donegal drugs swoop

[Candyman]

Two charged over Donegal drugs seizure
Wednesday, 22 August 2007 23:00

A father and son have been charged in connection with a seizure of €500,000 worth of drugs in Falcarragh, Co Donegal, on Monday.

Kieran Smyth Sr and Kieran Smyth Jr, with an address at Old Grange, Desert Lane, Co Armagh, were charged at a special sitting of Carrick-on-Shannon court this evening.

Both men were charged with two offences, the unlawful possession of drugs and possession of drugs for sale or supply at Béal an Átha, Falcarragh.
The 47-year-old father and his 24-year-old son were both remanded in custody to appear again in court in Donegal town tomorrow afternoon at 3pm.

[Uladh]

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug, cannabis is not.

Is cocaine addictive? i know several people who dabble with cocaine but they might have it twice this weekend then once next month, then maybe not again for 6 months.

[stephenite]

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug, cannabis is not.

Is cocaine addictive? i know several people who dabble with cocaine but they might have it twice this weekend then once next month, then maybe not again for 6 months.

Are you seriously tring to say you're not aware that cocaine is addictive? You've never heard of people checking into a rehab centre for cocaine addiction ? 

As far as I'm aware the symptoms for cocaine addiction are very subtle, but I've know one or two addicts in my time and it ain't fun. Coincidentally they started out using the drug in a similair manner to your friends.

[nifan]

Isn't it the crime generated by the banning of these substances that is their biggest effect on society.

For cannabis, yes id probably agree twith you, for other drugs not so.
My previous example of crack for example, a highly addictive drug. Look at the effect this drug had on many major american cities - particularly new york. The major problem wasnt just organized crime it was street level crime by addicts. If crack had have been legal this still would have been the case.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Cocaine is a highly addictive drug, cannabis is not.

Is cocaine addictive? i know several people who dabble with cocaine but they might have it twice this weekend then once next month, then maybe not again for 6 months.

Dependency on cocaine grows with regular usage, using it occasionally (once every couple of months) would not lead to addiction.
The problem is that people can't just do it every couple of months, it becomes every month then every weekend then....

BTW only ever trieed it once years ago, but knew a fella whose weekend wasn't complete without it, was spending hundreds a week on it - another problem with drugs!

[Uladh]

The lads i know have been taking cocaine in this manner for more than 10 years.

i'm no authority on this stuff obviously, but my experiences with my mates led me to the conclusion that it wasn't addictive in the heroin sense.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Not as addictive as heroin, but the derivative Crack is addictive from just one use!

[Donagh]

From what I know cocaine isn't addictive in the same way that heroin addicts physically 'need' it all the time but when it starts to wear off there is a great desire to have more to retain the 'high'. The high financial cost of fulfilling the 'desire' is probably enough for most people to know when enough is enough.

[Hardy]

Isn't it the crime generated by the banning of these substances that is their biggest effect on society.

For cannabis, yes id probably agree twith you, for other drugs not so.
My previous example of crack for example, a highly addictive drug. Look at the effect this drug had on many major american cities - particularly new york. The major problem wasnt just organized crime it was street level crime by addicts. If crack had have been legal this still would have been the case.

I mean my argument to apply to all substances. I can't see that criminalising the use of dangerous drugs reduces their effects on society. All known evidence points to the opposite conclusion. For instance, since you mention crack, are you saying that if the (licensed) sale and possession of crack weren't crimes, the effects on society would be worse?

I'd suggest that

(1) the effects on the user would be similar, i.e. devastating (though maybe less so, as he's less likely to be ingesting strychnine or whatever, along with his crack, if his supplier is a pharmacist, rather than a criminal).

(2) the effects on society would be much less severe, as
- we wouldn't be creating a business for criminals
- we wouldn't be creating occasions of crime on the streets
- we wouldn't be creating opportunities for criminals to turn addicts into pushers
- we would be reducing the incentives for addicts to turn to petty crime
- we would be increasing the likelihood of addicts seeking help, as they wouldn't first have to criminalise themselves to do so.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Another problem with legalising things is that the price always goes up (taxes etc..) this will still lead to criminals still selling the products on the black market - fake booze, cheap fags etc...

[Uladh]

Another problem with legalising things is that the price always goes up (taxes etc..) this will still lead to criminals still selling the products on the black market - fake booze, cheap fags etc...

Is there such a thing as fake booze?

surely drink is on a scale of drinkability from poitin to mcardles and the price should then reflect this?

honey poitin ain't the nicest but its still drink!

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Another problem with legalising things is that the price always goes up (taxes etc..) this will still lead to criminals still selling the products on the black market - fake booze, cheap fags etc...

Is there such a thing as fake booze?

surely drink is on a scale of drinkability from poitin to mcardles and the price should then reflect this?

honey poitin ain't the nicest but its still drink!

Yes. Seemingly you can get it at Nutts corner and Jonesboro markets.

[nifan]

Id be interested in that research hardy

As i say i can see it holding for the likes of cannabis, but ultra addictive substances like crack it doesnt matter if its legal or illegal, the effect it produces in addicts will lead to crime when used by a large amount of people.

Anyone else here read freakonomics?

[Smokin Joe]

Two charged over Donegal drugs seizure
Wednesday, 22 August 2007 23:00

A father and son have been charged in connection with a seizure of €500,000 worth of drugs in Falcarragh, Co Donegal, on Monday.

Kieran Smyth Sr and Kieran Smyth Jr, with an address at Old Grange, Desert Lane, Co Armagh, were charged at a special sitting of Carrick-on-Shannon court this evening.

Both men were charged with two offences, the unlawful possession of drugs and possession of drugs for sale or supply at Béal an Átha, Falcarragh.
The 47-year-old father and his 24-year-old son were both remanded in custody to appear again in court in Donegal town tomorrow afternoon at 3pm.

Would Kieran Sr be better known as Kit?

[Tyrones own]

  It can be dressed up to meet either argument, i personally have no time for the stuff
but to say its not addictive and has no effect on the body beggars belief.
I've worked and been in the company of those who take it regularly and such a bunch of
f**king dead heads they are, it no doubt has an effect on the brain, take a drive up into the Berkeley
hills or places like it and see what the effects of the 60's flower power bullshit did to those idiots.
Good enough for those two fools getting caught with it, Armagh town will a better place for it!