Can you write more about Singapore? My view is that when drug laws are very harsh, then people will less likely admit to use and dealers will use more precautions. Since drug use is mostly estimated based on surveys and police report you may see the policy effective on paper, but the reality may be far different. It is a natural instinct to use drugs akin to listening to music or having sex for pleasure. If you ban music people will still listen to it, just you wouldn't know.
Singapore is largely homogeneous, is wealthy (for the area) with an average income of $9200 USD, has excellent health care that covers all citizens, is a geographically small nation state, has extremely low unemployment (even now, at 4.38%) and has a small population (5.7 million).
You don't need to do drugs if everything in your life is going well.
I saw this with my best friend during his divorce. We spent a lot of time together, often I'd go see him everyday after he got off work. Some days he'd drink two bottles of wine and a six pack.
Now his divorce has been finalized for several months, he rarely drinks.
Turns out when your life isn't in shambles, you don't need a chemical means to cope.
I don't understand. Are you really saying your friend would have been better off if the police had arrested him? Isn't your entire comment an argument in favor of legalization?
People use drugs when they have to which means criminalization does nothing or makes things worse.
It mostly comes to individual needs, maybe you don't fancy some heroin but you likely have experienced some alcohol, coffee or your body own drug anandamide
