re: #62 Dark_Falcon

In Reply:

1. Saying people “have a right to decide to take dangerous drugs at any time” is actually quite wrong, unless followed by the words ‘so long as doing such does not endanger others’. Some drugs, such as PCP and crystal meth, can be prohibited independent of any moral concerns because they cause their users to become dangerous in and of themselves. By the same token, while I favor marijuana legalization, public safety requires that one not drive while high from pot; Anyone who does drive while high puts others at risk and thus should be charged with DUI.

Ok

2. If a person willfully decides to take a stupid risk and gets himself/herself hurt badly, they should not have the right to burden others with the cost of clearing up their mess. Thus, a health insurance company should be free to demand an additional premium from someone using a hard drug, much as it would from a smoker.

The cost of medical treatment for people who’ve hurt themselves is no doubt less than the societal cost of NOT treating people who’ve hurt themselves.

I would also say that denying people their freedom is itself a kind of cost, one so many magnitudes greater than the petty thing you’re worrying about that yours shouldn’t come into the main argument at all.

And it is THIS petty: conservatives just want to express their hatred of sinners, the unworthy, and often enough, of the poor. Your attitude is about a display of authority and disapproval. And this “cost” red herring is just a convenient hook to hang that harmful attitude on.