Human beings are social creatures. We go out, we mingle with others, we visit friends, we socialise. We may even reach out to other people to dull the pain of loneliness. We also use substances that change our consciousness. We take caffeine to wake us up and to give us a “hit”. We drink alcohol both for pleasure and to help use socialise with friends. Some of us use cannabis to help us chill or simply because we prefer it to alcohol. In the worst cases we use drugs because we are addicted or to dull the psychological pain caused by severe physical and emotional abuse.
Both socialising and using substances that change our consciousness are needs rather than just wants. We saw this during alcohol prohibition and we’re seeing it now with regards to Covid.
With regards to the War on Drugs, governments point and say, “Yes we know prohibition is very costly but we have no choice. Think of how much worse things would be if we didn’t prohibit those substances.” With regards to Covid, governments point and say, “Yes we know these restrictions are very costly but we have no choice. We are saving lives. Think of how much worse things would be if we didn’t have those restrictions.” In both cases we’re being sold the same lie.
The truth is if the War on Drugs and lockdowns were all to end tomorrow it would make very little difference in terms of harm. This is because in both cases it’s about risk versus reward. Most of us will choose not to use methamphetamine or heroin because the risks aren’t worth the rewards (if there’s one category of drug that you shouldn’t do, it’s opioids, seriously.) Likewise if we’re old we will choose to avoid doing things that increase our risk of getting Covid, even it means self-isolation. Personally I know of people who self-isolated even before the lockdowns simply because of their age and they couldn’t afford to take the risk.
Of course some people will point and say, “Hey, look at how few deaths we’ve had from Covid compared to xyz country which hasn’t had lockdowns.” These people are cherry picking. If you look at it on a wider scale lockdowns have made no difference.
With regards to both the War on Drugs and Covid, the media have been complicit. With regards to drugs, the media focus on problematic users and ignore the majority of users who use while causing no harm, or at most minimal harm, to themselves, and with very little risk to others. With regards to Covid, well, you just have to look at how the media have reported on the recent anti-lockdown demonstrations.
Drug users are demonised as “junkies” and “potheads” even though in most instances drug use causes no harm. Those who break the Covid rules are called “idiots” and “boofheads” and accused of putting others in danger.
Both the War on Drugs and and governments’ response to Covid have involved creating, stoking, and exploiting public fear.
If you think the War on Drugs and the severe restrictions imposed in the name of Covid are not the same thing you’re wrong. Arresting someone one for having a joint and arresting someone for breaking Covid restrictions is exactly the same thing. In both cases the underlining justifications for such a breach of individual choice and freedoms are the same.
But drugs kill and those who use and deal drugs put others at risk of great harm (which by the way is also said about Covid and those who refuse to wear masks). Here’s an analogy. If you look at history there is no doubt that “bad” speech has directly or indirectly caused the deaths of millions of people. But if we allow the State to criminalise “bad” speech we are also allowing it to criminalise “good” speech, and the cost of this is immeasurable.
If the War on Drugs is anything to go by with regard to Covid, things don’t look good. The War on Drugs has been going on for decades yet it is only recently that the cracks have started to show. We gave the government the key when we allowed it to restrict what individuals could put in their bodies. This is the same key that has allowed governments to restrict where people can go and how they can socialise.
However there is a fundamental difference which offers hope. With regard to the War on Drugs the enormous cost and ineffectiveness has been mostly hidden. This isn’t the case with Covid because it’s easy to see the harm lockdowns have caused and continue to cause – spikes in suicides being just one. With regard to their ineffectiveness the proof is easy to find.
Governments rule by the consent of people. The War on Drugs and governments being able to put in place Covid laws that restrict where we go and who we can see would never have happened under a libertarian or a truly conservative government. Whether it’s restricting what we can choose to put in our bodies or choosing where we can go, we should never allow the State to have such power ever again.
Ever.
