Russell Brand Talks About Addiction: Does Criminalizing Drugs Prevent Use?

by SodaHead Celebs Posted 2012/04/26 13:00:00

Related Topics: Russell brand, Drugs, Law, Addiction, Bridge, Marijuana, London, Committee, Image, Addict

882 votes
Read all 590 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Yes	149 votes	17%
	No	733 votes	83%

Actor and comedian Russell Brand once had a formidable reputation as a drug addict. He once said, "My natural state is slumped on a couch, on smack, with a bridge of saliva between my knees and my chin." Those days are behind him, and he's more interested in helping other addicts get away from substances, but he's not convinced they should be illegal.

Brand told a parliamentary committee in London on Tuesday, "I'm not a legal expert. I'm saying that, to a drug addict, the legal aspect is irrelevant. If you need to get drugs, you will. The criminal and legal status, I think, sends the wrong message. Being arrested isn't a lesson, it’s just an administrative blip." Do you agree with Russell Brand on this one?

+18

Add a comment above

rspell 2012/04/26 17:29:40

No

+16
Did prohibition prevent drinking?
>> See Replies

More polls by SodaHead Celebs

Zak Smith 2012/04/26 18:48:19

No

+1
It just creates black markets, violence, over crowded pisons, over booked courts, and over worked cops. Proactive education and Reactive treatment are the only ways to reduce drug addiction.

reply
Janice 2012/04/26 18:29:35

No

Anyone been watching Boardwalk Empire?

reply
pjbfny 2012/04/26 18:24:21

No

+1
LOL at the people who've said yes. I assume that's why we have no drug problem here in the US--Oh. Wait.

reply
Mike 2012/04/26 18:24:01

No

Obviously no - neither will decriminalizing

reply
caius madison 2012/04/26 18:09:13

No

+2
Russell is a douchebag, but at 70+ years, I'd have to say the drug war is a lost cause. The use of all drugs has never stopped, and most continue to escalate in use.

reply
Pixie·MzAwesome♠ƤĦĂĔŢ♠ 2012/04/26 18:05:39 (edited)

Yes

+3
Absolutly all it being illegal does is put more people in jail. If they are commiting crimes to get their drugs yeah lock them up for those crimes.

This was confusing I meant I agree with him having it be illegal doesn't work...

reply
*Mahogany Goddess of P.H.A.E.T 2012/04/26 18:02:44

No

+5
War on drugs is a waste of time, money and doesn't help.

reply
JDLogan 2012/04/26 17:57:38

No

+1
If it did there would be much less drug use. Illegalization produces the "gateway drug" effect, people want something relatively benign, like marijuana (at least as benign as alcohol) and get exposed to other drugs that are also illegal. Prohibition of alcohol in America led to the same phenomenon, and the "gateway" effect went away when prohibition was repealed.

reply
Chris D 2012/04/26 17:49:47

Yes

+2
I meant - yes I agree with him...drug users don't care about the legality of it - the fact that it's illegal makes it more cool and seductive...

reply
Michaelene 2012/04/26 17:32:04

Yes

+1
Most people are law abiding, respectable and responsible.
Shame, humiliation, and a criminal record do deter people from using drugs.
Drug addicts are just like other criminals, the law is irrelevant.

Do I believe addicts need help? Abolutely. Some will win and some will lose their battle with addiction.

reply
pjbfny to Michaelene 2012/04/26 18:27:54

+1
You really have no clue... They aren't "just like other criminals". And no, "Shame, humiliation, and a criminal record" are NOT deterrents, generally speaking. Just as death penalty isn't a deterrent to murder (it's not), criminalising drugs don't deter addicts and users.

reply
Michaelene to pjbfny 2012/04/26 18:35:55

You agree with me the law is not a deterrent to those who think the law is irrelevant.
Thankfully there are more people NOT addicted to drugs.

Drugged up is no way to go through life.

reply
rspell 2012/04/26 17:29:40

No

+16
Did prohibition prevent drinking?

reply
Chris D to rspell 2012/04/26 17:50:28

+14
no, but it did create organized crime

reply
rspell to Chris D 2012/04/26 17:56:33

+14
That's right, as did the current prohibition.

reply
nightowl to rspell 2012/04/27 18:15:23

Prohibition does not/did not create organized crime. The Black Hand existed before prohibition. As long as there are laws, there will be gangsters cheating them to make a profit. Gangsters don't just deal in the drug trade...there's racketeering, extortion, prostitution, gambling, planned bankruptcy...the list is long and drug unrelated.

reply
Chris D to nightowl 2012/04/30 19:45:37

The point is that people we seek what they want and need - if you make drinking illegal - people will still drink (and they will do whatever they need to get it)...you can't regulate human desire...

reply
Fievel to rspell 2012/04/27 19:19:37

So right you are, and Laws haven't stopped supply and demand either.
Prohibition never worked with Alcohol, I don't know why they seem to think it's gonna work with drugs.

See One Of My Favorite Documentaries.

Grass: The History Of Marijuana [Full Documentary]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?...

reply
meg 2012/04/26 17:23:33

No

+2
No, if there's a will there's a way.

reply
HarleyCharley 2012/04/26 17:16:45

No

+1
No, but it keeps people out of jail who dont belong there.

reply
Debbie 2012/04/26 17:06:50

No

+2
It just makes criminals wealthy.

reply
runningintriangles 2012/04/26 16:58:42

No

+1
Obviously not, just look around.

reply
BritPunk 2012/04/26 16:51:24

No

+6
I think the prohibition of alcohol proved that pretty conclusively.
Btw, Russell, I'm a big fan of your shows, but please put a shirt on, it's a Parliamentary Committee, not Saturday afternoon down the pub :-(

reply
⚜3rd Street Boss⚜ 2012/04/26 16:18:33

No

+1
Just makes the drug more expensive and makes more arrests

reply
The Mosher 2012/04/26 16:15:48

No

+3
The War on Drugs has been a waste of money and a complete failure

reply
Arse-Whole 2012/04/26 16:05:34

No

+3
I don't know any drug dealers and I could make one call and have an 8th of good weed in 2 hours. It's impossible to criminalize something that grows naturally. Problem is, how do you say sorry and compensate the several million people in jail who are pardoned once it's legalized.

I'm talking about pot of course. Nothing you chemically alter.

reply
The Lib... to Arse-Whole 2012/04/26 19:07:40

I agree, I put pot in a totally different league, pot for the most part has benefits, I see no benefits in Coke, Meth, Heroine, etc, let Russell branch wallow in is own self pity and regret, its up to him how he wants to proceed.

reply
hobo 2012/04/26 15:51:04 (edited)

No

Shooting drug addicts would end drug addiction and put a serious crimp in the illegal drug business.

Legalizing drugs will enable addicts to kill themselves at an affordable price; just don't require health insurance companies to paid for drugs for the addicted.

reply
caius m... to hobo 2012/04/26 18:15:49

+1
Most of your post is dribble, however, in China they do shoot drug dealers.

reply
The Lib... to caius m... 2012/04/26 19:09:12

I don't agree with shooting Drug addicts, however, I do agree that society should not have to pay for their bad behavior, they have a choice, live or die or just use pot.

reply
caius m... to The Lib... 2012/05/11 01:51:50

They don't shoot just some lowly addict, they release em', follow to the source and light the place up.

reply
Chokmah 2012/04/26 15:50:19

No

+1
Drugs are already illegal, and use is rampant. Why don't we criminalize illegal acts? That aught to stop them.. right?

reply
FatherLiberty 2012/04/26 15:47:03

No

Criminalizing drugs increases drug use. That is obvious. The main promoters of the war on drugs knew this very well; it was the entire purpose of the war on drugs from the start.

reply
Kigan 2012/04/26 15:42:34

No

+2
Reduce? Yes.

Prevent? No.

reply
Willski 2012/04/26 15:07:07

No

+2
Not completely. Reduces it significantly though. For a bad example, look at the rate of drug addiction compared to alcoholism.

reply
pjbfny to Willski 2012/04/26 18:31:45

+2
" look at the rate of drug addiction compared to alcoholism."

Apples and oranges. Try comparing drug use/addiction between The Netherlands and the US.

reply
Willski to pjbfny 2012/04/26 20:53:27

then you have massive cultural diffeences, and for future reference, if you wish your argument to retain merit, use a full quote, or maintain the correct context.
I prefaced that with "For a bad example".
Anyway, alcohol is a drug, so with the maintained cultural accuracy, i believe the US Alcoholics to be a better one then Dutch drug users.

reply
Aksana 2012/04/26 14:50:39

No

+1
Nope

reply
BOOGIE-WOOGIE-MUSIC-MAN-ROC... 2012/04/26 14:41:55

Yes

I am not writing an essay on this one... all I will say is, when you are flat on your back,,,, and you have hit rock bottom, then you will have only two choices and these choices are either to look up? Or lay down and die. knowing that addiction is a sickness, my best wishes are, to get well soon.

reply
S* to BOOGIE-... 2012/04/26 16:58:58

+2
so laws prevent this from happening?

reply