The view of drug users as "bad people" making "bad choices" is prohibition propaganda. Drug use is a choice that free adults have been able to make for thousands of years. It is only with the advent of modern democracy and communist philosophy that the notion of policing the diets of the free adults of the world, as though they were in a state of perpetual infancy, with the state as parent, came into vogue.

And it would be one thing if such a policy accomplished its stated aims, but it does not. Drug prohibition is a complete and utter failure. It is no longer even an academic question as to whether or not drug prohibition in general accomplishes its stated objectives of reducing drug use and dependency. All they blather on about now is "developing brains," because there is no evidence that drugs are generally harmful to adults. Abuse is by definition harmful, but people abuse all sorts of things: television, religion, ice cream.

The greatest danger associated with cocaine use in Vancouver in 2016 is not "addiction", it is not posed by the drug itself: it is posed by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act which allows the cocaine supply to be tainted with fentanyl.

Buying cocaine is illegal. Doing it is illegal and dangerous. Every time. To be an 'upstanding citizen' is to obey the law, lol. It's the definition. It doesn't matter if you're a doctor or a lawyer, if you're breaking the law and putting a dangerous classified substance in your person that carries the risk of serious injury and/or death every time it is used, then you don't have a case if someone laces it with something toxic. You're stupid and are willing to risk your life for some physical pleasure, that's your problem. You don't get to whine and say, "I thought I was doing one illegal, potentially lethal drug and they put another one in it! That's criminal! They should have more concern for my health than I do!" Nah.
There's a reason drug dealers are breaking the law. Because it's always dangerous and illegal. You buy from them, you take full responsibility for your own health, whether you do it to blow off steam after a court day once in a while, or you are an addict.
If you can't take responsibility for your own health and safety by NOT buying street drugs and putting them in your body just to destress, why the fuck would you think the people selling them would be morally obligated to do so? Especially when we all KNOW how prevalent fentanyl is in illegal street drugs these days, and how many people have died from it in BC alone this year.

Fentanyl is so strong that the amount in a size of a grain of salt can kill you. I don't do drugs and I'm so glad I don't. Scares the crap out of me.

Turns people into assholes but they don't deserve to die.

I don't care any less about drug users in the DTES than drug users who are lawyers or doctors.

You can't do cocaine in Vancouver at this point in time without being really fucking stupid.

Legalize medical cocaine now! Stop the suffering.

Strange comment.

If you're only doing hard drugs from time to time, you are not an addict, but someone engaging in recreational activity. If that's what you're putting your life on the line for, you're stupider than the addicts.

A lot of slimy Yaletown Realtors that do a lot of drugs. Very easy to spot these DB's

what are you gonna do? This shows the caliber of person who gets into the narcotrafficking game. If they were smart sociopaths, they'd be in business. These are the dumb ones. The ones who don't have it all together.

Be careful folks