“..But setting the bar for approval in that manner would inevitably attract well-merited accusations of hypocrisy.
It would place alcohol, the recreational drug of choice for most adults, on a pedestal.
Party pills and fake cannabis, which are more popular with youth – would not have its advantages even though they caused less harm.
According to the Ministry of Health, it would be a “hard sell” to align the safety tolerance factor for these drugs with alcohol.
That reflects the historic role of alcohol as the drug of choice down through the centuries – and the fact that for much of that time – society has chosen to minimise the damage it causes.
It has never been linked with other drugs.
Under the regime proposed by Mr Dunne there is, however, no rational reason for continuing to do this.
If it is to be fair and reasonable, the safety threshold must encompass all recreational drugs.
Health professionals are right when they suggest that allowing the sale of alcohol while ruling out less damaging legal highs would be farcical.
If anything, this would imply that a stricter safety threshold should be applied to the content of alcohol..”
(cont..)
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Editorial: Apply same rule for drugs and alcohol – Politics – NZ Herald News.
