Pharmacotherapy And The Future Of The Drug War

[-evil-duerr-]

In this report, the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics (CCLE) examines what we believe could become a significant future threat to cognitive liberty. With funding and other encouragement provided by the U.S. federal government, pharmaceutical companies are developing a new breed of drugs specifically intended to diminish or entirely block the effects of illegal drugs. The aim of these new “pharmacotherapy” drugs is to inhibit at the biochemical level the very ability of a person to experience the psychotropic effects of certain illegal drugs. Section I of this report begins with an overview of these new drugs: how they work, who is designing and marketing them, and how they may benefit those seeking a chemical aid in limiting problem drug use. In Section II we take a careful look at various factors that raise a reasonable concern that these pharmaceuticals will migrate from voluntary use to compulsory use within certain population segments. Section III identifies and discusses a number of constitutional and other legal issues that will arise should use of these drugs be mandated for some people. In Section IV, the final section of this report, we present our recommendations and conclusions.

-Introduction to Pharmacotherapy And The Future Of The Drug War

Click below for the full report.
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/pdf/...apy%202004.pdf



Over the next decade an increasing number of new “pharmacotherapy” medications will become available with the potential to tremendously impact the use and abuse of illegal drugs and the overall direction of national and international drug policy. These pharmacotherapy medications are designed to block or significantly reduce the “highs” elicited by illegal drugs. Used as part of a drug treatment program, pharmacotherapy medications may provide a valuable aid for people seeking a chemical aid in limiting or eliminating problem drug use. However, the tremendously politicized nature of the “drug war,” raises substantial concerns that in addition to those who choose to use such medications, some people will be compelled to use them. In the absence of extraordinary circumstances, governmental action compelling a person to use a pharmacotherapy drug would violate a number of constitutional guarantees and other legal rights protecting people from forced medical treatment. Among the rights potentially implicated by compulsory use of pharmacotherapy drugs are the right to informed consent, the right to bodily integrity and privacy, the protection against cruel and unusual punishment, and the right to freedom of thought. - cognitiveliberty.org http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/issu...cotherapy.html

Click the link to read the full report.
http://www.cognitiveliberty.org/pdf/...apy%202004.pdf

[-evil-duerr-]

anyone check this thing out?
I thought the report was pretty interesting and informative.
Very controversial stuff.

[liquidblue]

Interesting post man.

I have really mixed feeling about this.

From a scientific perspective this is fregan cool! But I question how effective these drugs are. I wonder if they diminish the pleasureable effects of drugs AS WELL AS the addictive parts of the drug. If they kill the addictive parts of the drug I think that this would be awesome for current users of highly addictive substances like stimulants & opiates etc. What I find troubling is the part about the goverenment considering using these drugs on certain sectors of the population. I think that would be a grose violation of human rights. Personaly I think that its a persons right to choose what chemicals enter their own body. Harmful or not I think I have the right to choose what I feel so long as Im not negatively effecting someone else.

Another thing that highly concerns me about these "new" drugs is that im sure that they woudl ahve many of the same problamatic effects that the drugs themselves have as they would be interacting with the same parts fo the nervous system.

Its interesting to note how quickly the FDA is to apporve a legal substance while stating how damaging a illegal substance is. Fenfluramine is a case in point. This appatite supressant was legal for a very very long time when it was known to have nearly, if not compleatly identical neurotoxic effects as MDMA.

anyways cool article. I hope the US gov't doenst get any crazy ideas though.