Americans love their Drugs & Prisons
@ 8:55 pm 
I can’t believe hockey player Jere Karalahti is still in jail on drug charges. I’m not convinced that he’s guilty of anything, and it gets me thinking about drug policy in the Nordics.
What I don’t understand is that professional sports stars, like ones who compete in ice hockey, rugby, football, auto racing, boxing and even ski jumping, can have multiple concussions and other devastating head injuries; yet it’s so natural to think, “It’s OK because those injuries were suffered while playing sports. Carry on fearless warrior!” Nevermind that some of them will no longer be among the sharper pencils in the drawer…not that all of them were to begin with.
Whereas I don’t know anything specific about Jere’s case, when an average Pekka Jääkiekko wants to relax with his buddies and snuffle a few lines of white powder on a Saturday night, many of us are programmed to think, “Oh no, we can’t have THAT!” But sports head injuries are OK.
Of course, I’m being facetious by even remotely suggesting that the normal outcome of playing sports or using drugs results in permanent brain injuries. In either case, the chance is remote. Most sportsmen recover from their injuries, and the vast majority of recreational drug users never have problems in the first place. But why is there such a double standard?
We in Europe can learn from the follies of the United States, which has been using anti-drug propaganda for several decades now to justify its War on Drugs, a sustained effort to fund the prison industry. There are more people in US jails than in Russia and China combined. It’s a real human rights mess. That’s not to say we don’t have our own embarrassing practices here—albeit unrelated to prisons and drugs—but at least we’re not on the verge of needing to colonize the moon to secure more prison real estate.
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Most amazingly, American workers even prostitute themselves by offering bodily fluid samples for their corporate bosses to inspect. And the US sports industry is on the warpath with ridiculous testing regiments of its own for athletes. It’s such an embarrassing and unnecessary procedure for participants. The politically connected drug testing industry doesn’t seem to mind though.
Yet by all observations, these measures aren’t stopping anyone from doing illegal drugs. In fact, Americans love drugs more than ever! The passion spans all socio-economic strata, professions and age groups. It seems to abide well with the American work hard & play hard ethic. The sad part is that, whereas most people’s lives aren’t being harmed by the drugs themselves, they are instead impeded by the prison sentences, interrupted careers and other legal troubles associated with drug policies.
Now, none of this is meant to imply that drugs are wonderful. The above-mentioned powders have addiction rates and cause destructive illnesses just like alcohol; the chances of being afflicted are small but exist nonetheless. But let’s remember, there’s also a chance of suffering debilitating injuries while riding a bicycle—those little Styrofoam helmets might be concrete-resistant, but they’re not concrete-proof—or parachuting, hang gliding or cliff climbing for that matter. Life is full of risk choices.
The biggest danger that I see, aside from the legal troubles, is the possibility of ingesting a mixture containing something found in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. You just never know what some unscrupulous dealer might have used to dilute the product. Maybe he was short on baking flour, but too lazy to run to the store? Out comes the carpet cleanser. The chance of impurity is probably more harmful than the drug itself.
Given this pitfall, and the fact that keeping drugs illegal only raises profits and encourages more sales and usage (it’s probably the biggest business in America), why not follow the Swiss example of providing those with serious drug ‘desires’ a rationed assortment of whatever makes them happiest—after all, isn’t life about being happy? Surely it can’t only be about punishing each other for our differing preferences.
So to really seal our place in history as being part of the enlightened Nordics, let’s take the entire drug market away from greedy criminals and put it where it belongs: The government.
We can begin by opening a sister-monopoly to the famous Alko, Finland’s governmental alcohol pusher. The new enterprise can be named Narko; hence, together they’ll form the Alko-Narko Alliance. The new monopoly can have the same high prices, narrow selection and limited opening hours as its older sibling. Naturally, it will also have government workers who’ll occasionally strike for higher pay. Rest assured, we can even continue to enjoy the long cues before holidays.
And best yet: when the European Commission again censures Finland for its anti-competitive practices, we can defensively retort: “We need Narko to control drug addiction!” But this time, it might actually be an honest statement.
You said it Elvis!
Like legalization is going to make drugs cheaper in Finland!
Pot can be grown in Finland, but where are you going to legally get large quantities of cocaine? (As for importing it, it will have to be direct, lest any third country confiscate it.)
Wow! So many Americans in prison and I don’t know anyone behind bars.
Oh, keep in mind that about 20+% of ‘Americans’ in prison are actually illegal aliens.
Don’t do drugs = Stay out of jail.
Comment by Fred Fry — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 10:44 pm
Again do we need these types of posts here? We’ve had enough with Hank’s generalisations haven’t we?
Inform me, educate me, enlighten me but please don’t expect me to appreciate these silly generalisations.
It’s a dead end. It’s not really funny and it doesn’t have any beauty to it. Again the ‘us’ in this nation are compared to the ‘them’ in that nation. It doesn’t matter if it’s Hank or Kristian writing these articles - they are equally irrelevant to my experience here in this place today. And they serve only to inflame.
Comment by Andy Campbell — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 10:56 pm
Andy,
can we assume that drug and prison policy isn’t important to you?
I’m not a drug user myself, but I do find the issue quite important. In fact, I see busting drug users and dealers as one of the greatest mistakes of our lifetimes. A total waste of energy—energy that could be spent on far more positive things. Just think of all the people it’s hurt.
But hmmmm… You’ve complained about your experiences here on FFT before. This type of critique isn’t uncharacteristic of you. Aren’t you having a fun time in Finland? High prices and taxes finally getting to you?
Comment by Kristian — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 11:05 pm
Andy, this is part of the culture of Finland for Thought.
This one got me laughing - “Narko”.
I was just thinking the other day. The government could probably bring the impending Alko strikes to a sudden halt by quickly privatizing Alko and opening up the market for competition and also avoid any losses in tax revenue from sales of drink that many people buy for the Christmas season.
(Even while suggesting that Alko be privatized, I do recommend that people not get drunk - it is unhealthy, unsafe, and can lead to all sorts of compromising situations, such as driving drunk and other risk taking.)
Comment by sirkuspelle — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 11:05 pm
Fred Fry: “where are you going to legally get large quantities of cocaine?”
I sense a new business challenge for Fred Fry International LOL!
Fred Fry: “keep in mind that about 20+% of ‘Americans’ in prison are actually illegal aliens.”
Yes, not real people :-/
Actually, they say over half of inmates in America are there for drug related offenses. It’s over a million people.
Comment by Kristian — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
What really dumbfounds me here in Finland, is how Finns always find a way to justify everything imposed on them by the government.
The goverment’s monopoly on alcohol is justified as aiding to keep the level of alcoholism down. Doesn’t seem that way to me, judging from the large number of drunks on the streets of Finland daily!
Most definitely, the selection at Alkos leaves a lot to be desired.Then to add insult to injury, the drinks are sold at absorbitantly high prices !
Finns should realize that with more competition, prices would definitely decrease.This monoploy like situation affects other areas as well. The selection of chocolates here in Finland is also quite limited ; most chocolate is from Fazer and Panda. The same goes for yogurts too ; there Valio reigns supreme! No yoplait or other internationally known brands.
I honestly feel that the grocery selection in Finland is very limited. The Finns will object to that observation, but that is because they know nothing else. But if you are used to entering a supermarket and getting unlimited choice there, then you realize that supermarkets in Finland do offer a limited selection.
I do not mean to sound negative all the time. TRUTH IS THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FINLAND!The breads here are extraordinarily good, likewise the fresh berries and mushrooms. But ,like every other country, there are other areas which need improvement.
Comment by wonderfully different — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
wonderfully different, do you really think it is only government policy we should blame for all this deprivation of foreign products?
Would you say all this has _anything_ to do with the fact that this is a small market both geographically and conceptually far from, even, central Europe?
Reality check: how diverse is the product selection in Iceland? What about the prices?
Comment by Drakon — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 11:38 pm
http://svenska.yle.fi/nyheter/sok.php?id=114157
What is more, despite all these people locked in USA’s prisons (8 times more than in the 1970s!!), there is no evidence all these long prison sentences have any effect on decreasing crime. They should wage more on rehabilitating prisoners in prison and offering support after they are out so that they are less likely to commit crimes again.
Comment by JG — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 11:45 pm
Iceland is a high tax welfare state just like Finland. So could we expect it to be any different?
They probably have cartels and government monopolies too. Restricted free market. No chance for competition.
Comment by Kristian — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 11:46 pm
Kristian,
WTO: TRADE POLICY REVIEWS: FIRST PRESS RELEASE, SECRETARIAT AND GOVERNMENT SUMMARIES
Iceland: January 2000
A liberal trade regime as well as structural reforms, disciplined macroeconomic policies, and a favourable environment have contributed in Iceland to increased investment and trade, low unemployment and strong growth. A new WTO report on the trade policies of Iceland states that Iceland is a prime example of the benefits of international specialization, having achieved high living standards through the deft exploitation of its fish and energy resources, while meeting many of its domestic needs via imports.
Comment by Drakon — Sat, Nov 24th, 2007 @ 11:53 pm
I’m interested in the Karalahti story. I´m also interested in prison and drug policy - but you haven’t told me anything about those things.
I’d like to know why and how Karalahti got caught up in this drugs situation. I’d like to know about how motorcycle gangs got him involved and how it is that they control the drug trade here and in Sweden. I’d like to know how pervasive these gangs are and also about how a sportsman who is well off got himself and his family into this mess. There are lots of things that I would like to know about this case. Also what he says in his defense and so on.
Perhaps you think I am being too serious and should be more light-hearted but I want to learn about current events and discuss them too.
Are we talking here about state run monopolies or is it about prison policy or are you just trying to write a funny article? What’s the actual theme of the article? I mean obviously Americans on the whole don’t love drugs and their prisons.
Comment by Andy Campbell — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 12:01 am
Point taken about Finland’s remoteness contributing to the limiitation of products.
Don’t think it wise to compare your country to another where you claim the problem is even more pronounced ( Iceland). Truth is that we can always find another worst off than ourselves. But for that one worst off than us, there are a million better off!
Comment by wonderfully different — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 12:02 am
Gee
Smell test anyone?
This one sure stinks “more people in US jails than in Russia and China combined.”
Kristian is sure digging his hole here.
Comment by winter “Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 4:58 am
Hey winter, speaking of digging holes… Have you ever heard of SuperMax prisons?
Most of them are buried deep underground.
Comment by Kristian — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 6:18 am
Andy Campell: “I’d like to know why and how Karalahti got caught up in this drugs situation.”
Me too. But I didn’t feel that it’s my place to delve into his personal affairs or to speculate. But I do believe there’s something wrong with the system. IMO, he shouldn’t be in jail.
Andy Campell: “I’d like to know about how motorcycle gangs got him involved and how it is that they control the drug trade here and in Sweden.”
I don’t know any specifics about that either. But anytime you make drugs illegal, you create enormous profit margins. So if “gangs” are actually involved, then should we be surprised?
Andy Campbell: “Are we talking here about state run monopolies or is it about prison policy or are you just trying to write a funny article?”
That’s for you to decide. In any case, you must concede that the Elvis clip was hilarious. A real classic, eh?
Andy Campbell: “What’s the actual theme of the article? I mean obviously Americans on the whole don’t love drugs and their prisons.”
No?
Comment by Kristian — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 6:38 am
Just to be clear, Jere Karalahti is in jail in Finland for drug charges, not the US. That should say something about what he was up to, seeing that they are so willing to hold him and freeze his assets.
Considering legalization, look at the fuss over a couple of beggars in downtown Helsinki. Now imagine downtown also having to host drug addicts as well.
“why not follow the Swiss example of providing those with serious drug ‘desires’ a rationed assortment of whatever makes them happiestâ€â€after all, isn’t life about being happy?”
- Most people have to work for retirement. Why give these people a shortcut? One problem with rationing is what happens when the person wants more? Same with methadone maintenance; people take the methadone in addition to drugs. This is also a completely different issue from legalization, the theory being that legalization makes it cheap. Why now give it away? While were at it, why not offer people free alcohol and cigarettes too?
Legalization has not done much good in Canada. There are a number of foolish Canadians facing serious jailtime in the US for being caught with duffel bags full of pot. Now legalization would have cut back on the potential for this crime, but those doing the drug trafficking know that the price premium comes with the possibility of jailtime. (At any rate, this experiment failed to some degree, as the rules are being rolled back)
Now, if all these people in jail in the US are harmless, why not just offer them sanctuary? If you ask my opinion, your not going to want many of them.
Comment by Fred Fry — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 7:14 am
What is the issue here? If Mr. Karalahti weren’t a remotely successful hockey player, who would give a second thought to this piece of news? The fact is, if they got approval for extending his incarceration, they pretty much got foolproof evidence of felony drug offense(s).
Comment by aet75 — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 7:38 am
“Legalization has not done much good in Canada. There are a number of foolish Canadians facing serious jailtime in the US for being caught with duffel bags full of pot. Now legalization would have cut back on the potential for this crime, but those doing the drug trafficking know that the price premium comes with the possibility of jailtime. (At any rate, this experiment failed to some degree, as the rules are being rolled back)”
Now is this failure of the experiment due to inherent flaws or US pressure? I could name a few Canadian pro-legalization activists who could face life imprisonment in the US despite never breaking a law in the Commonwealth. And ridiculously enough, the DEA are pressing for extradition, while real drug traffickers are buying their fare from US-backed chieftains in Afghanistan. What a fucking exercise in futility.
Comment by aet75 — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 7:53 am
What I’ve heard of the Karalahti case, he is arrested in relation to a larger drug smuggling case. Hence the “silence” as its an ongoing investigation.
Comment by Hank W. — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 8:11 am
Everyone knows (because almost everyone has tried it) that marijuana is entirely benign if used in moderation.
There is absolutely no chance of overdosing on it, unlike alcohol.
You cannot become physically addicted to it, unlike alcohol.
When was the last time you heard of someone killing someone while they were stoned? Again, unlike alcohol.
And a bonus is that it makes really bad movies much, much better.
I would guess that if Finland were to decriminalize growing pot the alcohol problem in this country would eventually level out. Because while sure, you can still drink a few beers after you smoke up, but you are only able to drink a little bit. And, Finns are really good at growing it (just like their forefathers who distilled pontikka in the woods), so they’re going to do it anyway.
Or let’s start building SuperMax facilities around the country for all the stoners? Is that what you would like, Fred Fry? Incidentally, while I was reading the wiki on SuperMax, CNN reported that the prison is not “underground,” as Kristian purported. But they are cruel and unusual, wouldn’t you think?
Comment by Dave the Revelator — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/09/13/supermax.btsc/index.html
Comment by Dave the Revelator — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
Fred Fry: “Now imagine downtown also having to host drug addicts as well.”
They are already there.
Fred Fry: “- Most people have to work for retirement. Why give these people a shortcut?”
I don’t think living in homeless shelters qualifies as early retirement. Of course, functioning addicts live in inexpensive flats and even have jobs. Supporting them somewhat is not a big expense compared to the cost of prisons and futile law enforcement.
Fred Fry: “One problem with rationing is what happens when the person wants more?”
Then, you increase the ration.
Fred Fry: “Same with methadone maintenance; people take the methadone in addition to drugs.”
Do you think they still take the same amount of heroin as before, or have they replaced part of their normal intake with methadone?
Fred Fry: “This is also a completely different issue from legalization, the theory being that legalization makes it cheap. Why now give it away?”
Yes, I agree that it should be given away to addicts without incomes. But most importantly, it should be officially sold and regulated for quality assurance.
Fred Fry: “ While were at it, why not offer people free alcohol and cigarettes too?”
Alcohol is cheap enough so the average street bum can pay for it with his tiny welfare allotment, so he doesn’t need to steal or commit crime to get it.
But generally, I’m in favor of making beer and wine even cheaper—large jugs of wine for 2.50-euro like in Germany, beer for 25-cent. I don’t think we should be subsidizing Alko-priced purchases for bums.
I don’t know anything about cigarette prices.
Fred Fry: “Legalization has not done much good in Canada. [...] in the US for being caught with duffel bags full of pot.”
You’re judging Canadian policy based on some smuggling into the United States???
I suppose if it were legal in the US, then those “foolish Canadians” wouldn’t be having problems and even you could call the policy a success
Fortunately, many US states are also moving toward legalization, so maybe this won’t be such a problem in the future. I just wish it would happen faster.
Generally though, you can’t base policy successes on political climates. There will always be a back-and-forth sway. Fluctuating sentiments and outside pressures are inevitable. It’s the unfortunate reality.
Go to Geneva and you’ll occasionally see a heroin addict. but you won’t see anything that resembles the ghettos and barrios of the United States. The crime is nowhere near US levels (few killings because there’s no profit in drugs).
Comment by Kristian — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 1:58 pm
“I don’t know anything about cigarette prices.” - Kristian
I was in the grocery store checkout and noticed the tobacco automat machine, and prices here must be among the lowest in Europe, I mean discounting the Baltics and Eastern European countries where tobacco and other goods are still well below European prices.
4 euros a pack of 20 cigs?? I mean, candy is more expensive if you look at the amount of time it takes to smoke / eat same amount of product.
I wonder indeed sometimes how much the tobacco industry is affecting Finnish legislation.
Comment by Dave the Revelator — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
Dave:
“Everyone knows (because almost everyone has tried it) that marijuana is entirely benign if used in moderation.”
So is heroin. The moderation part is the hard one.
“You cannot become physically addicted to it, unlike alcohol.”
Actually it was fairly recently discovered that THC is a mild μ-opioid agonist. Cessation of use results in withdrawal symptoms that are qualitatively similar to opioid withdrawal.
http://www.cannabis.net/opioids/mu-opioid.html
“When was the last time you heard of someone killing someone while they were stoned?”
A few years ago a kid killed a girl in his class, it was similar to the Eveliina Lappalainen case in that it had no motive to speak of. According to some reports he’d smoked weed before the act. Not that it amounts to much, IMHO. A psycho is a psycho is a psycho.
“I wonder indeed sometimes how much the tobacco industry is affecting Finnish legislation.”
It’s not often that we hear complaints about low taxes in Finland on this blog. But granted, you’re screwed financially if you quit smoking and acquire a nicotine gum habit instead.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
“Or let’s start building SuperMax facilities around the country for all the stoners? Is that what you would like, Fred Fry?”
- I don’t think Finland needs them, other than perhaps one. Finns tend to self-destruct more so than Americans, taking care of the problem themselves. As for the bike gangs, does anyone honestly think that they will stop committing crimes if drugs were legalized. They will just move on to something else. Haven’t you ever seen one of those supermax programs. They interview the inmates. I don’t remember ever seeing any wirery kids there.
“Go to Geneva and you’ll occasionally see a heroin addict. but you won’t see anything that resembles the ghettos and barrios of the United States. The crime is nowhere near US levels (few killings because there’s no profit in drugs).”
- I have been there twice for one-week trips to the ILO. I thought the city was dirty and you could see people out on the streets. There is a huge difference between Geneva and Zurich, but even Zurich has problems, having one of the highest AIDS rate in Europe, thanks partly to drug use.
“I don’t think living in homeless shelters qualifies as early retirement. Of course, functioning addicts live in inexpensive flats and even have jobs. Supporting them somewhat is not a big expense compared to the cost of prisons and futile law enforcement.”
- The issue here is taking money from working people and giving it to others. This people were not always addicts, they became them. Why lower the threshold and turn the state into a drug dealer?
“Yes, I agree that it should be given away to addicts without incomes. But most importantly, it should be officially sold and regulated for quality assurance.”
- Why don’t they have income? How about giving them a job and paying them in drug maintenance? How hard is it to walk around the city picking up trash? Cleaning up graffiti? This will free up those who do it now to do other things, or give them more responsibility in supervising these others.
“They are already there.”
- Where?
Wow Kristian, I think we found an issue we disagree about. I do have to admit that I am curious to see if legalization works, just like I wanted to see Quebec secede from Canada, just to see how that would work.
Alcohol in Finland should be available in larger bottles. What ever happened to the one liter beer and lonkero bottles?
Comment by Fred Fry — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 4:25 pm
“You said it Elvis!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q00dnOJmxY&feature=related
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Sun, Nov 25th, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
Fred Fry: “does anyone honestly think that they will stop committing crimes if drugs were legalized.”
Gangs will switch to other crimes. However no crime is as profitable as drugs, and none have the violence rates associated with drugs.
Fred Fry: “The issue here is taking money from working people and giving it to others.”
Isn’t that what you do with prisons? How much does it cost, $35K- to $40K- year to incarcerate someone?
Giving them a basic subsistence on the outside might cost $5K or less; with less hard crime in society; less broken families; less time spent evading the law. More time for positive things. And more $$$ in the Fred Fry International vacation fund.
Fred Fry: “Why don’t they have income? How hard is it to walk around the city picking up trash? Cleaning up graffiti?”
Of course. Providing low-level jobs for them is a great idea. I think they do that in Holland. Unfortunately, some are the walking dead; not much hope for them. The good news is that they die rather quickly, so you won’t have to pay forever. And as an added benefit, they serve as good deterrents for potential new users.
By the way, if you don’t believe the Kristian perspective, then maybe the Christian one is better?
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/thenetherlands/weeklyfeature/homelessnessr_dam.html
Comment by Kristian — Mon, Nov 26th, 2007 @ 12:28 am
“And more $$$ in the Fred Fry International vacation fund.”
- Sorry, but forgive me if I have no faith in either Finland or the US saving money and somehow showering it back onto the taxpayers.
Prisons should not be seen in terms of their cost. They provide a needed function. Maybe too many are in jail in the US, but surely too few are in jail in Europe.
These people tok the drugs the first time to get themselves addicted. How about attacking the cause. If Europeans are so smart, why is it they risk dealing with criminals and jailtime, for what?
With legalization, are you going to let the police, medical, and other high-level job employees take this stuff as well?
Comment by Fred Fry — Mon, Nov 26th, 2007 @ 3:55 am
Hank made a comment that “the Karalahti case, he is arrested in relation to a larger drug smuggling case. Hence the “silence†as its an ongoing investigation!”..
The “rumours” as to what “the larger picture” might be are bouncing about the Pubs and especailly those close to the Ice Hockey world.
His contacts with the infamous “Bandidoes” has been mentioned more than once.
They are experts at the disposal of illegaly obtained proceeds of monies obtained from drug sales.
This possibility being one of the items for investigation.
It is called a “laundry” service…Turning black money white by converting it into “property”.
Police might well ask..”now just where did you get the cash from to buy that mökki and why was it sold before you even used it?”
The fees for using this “laundry” are very high and the price for Miss-using it are even higher.
Missusing = saying “I want out!”.
Sorry mate contact is for Life…do you want to end it!?
Several posters on this board are way out of their depth when it comes to pontificating on the workings of the drug trade.
Comment by karhu — Mon, Nov 26th, 2007 @ 9:54 am
Americans just like to put all people in jail. Its no real solution. Worst drug problems are in the US.
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Nov 26th, 2007 @ 8:55 pm
Lest we not forget that Jere the Doper was dropped like he was hot by the L.A. Kings and thrown out of the states for HEROIN and heavy drinking…. That’s why he was is in Helsinki playing for HIFK and screwed that gig up too! Oulu took him and… the story is getting..no got old a longtime ago!
The guy is a loser..give another more deserving Hockey player a chance
Comment by Billy Bouy — Tue, Nov 27th, 2007 @ 5:10 am
“Most amazingly, American workers even prostitute themselves by offering bodily fluid samples for their corporate bosses to inspect.”
Kristian, I hate to break this to you but not only did I have to pee into a cup for my Finnish employer, they took a blood sample for an AIDS test without even telling me…I just happened to notice because I used to do reasearch with human tissues and got tested fairly regularly and knew what the colour code was for.
From what I understand, they also tested for alcohol abuse. And this was a quasi-governmental employer.
Comment by hfb — Wed, Nov 28th, 2007 @ 2:23 am
“I was in the grocery store checkout and noticed the tobacco automat machine, and prices here must be among the lowest in Europe…”
Just go hang around the Alexander Theatre on Bulevardi and watch all the folks buying cartons of smokes for 10 euro from the Russian ladies. Right in plain view of the Maistratti no less.
Comment by hfb — Wed, Nov 28th, 2007 @ 2:27 am
@29; also the “rumour” is - according to the ilta-rags - that Karalahti has a lot of debts in collection.
Comment by Hank W. — Wed, Nov 28th, 2007 @ 9:35 am
Fred:
“Prisons should not be seen in terms of their cost. They provide a needed function.”
Uh-huh. And welfare doesn’t?
“Maybe too many are in jail in the US, but surely too few are in jail in Europe.”
Interesting view. So according to you there is some optimal share of the population who should be in prison. Crime prevention has nothing to do with it?
“With legalization, are you going to let the police, medical, and other high-level job employees take this stuff as well?”
They are allowed to drink alcohol, with employer-determined limits in some cases, i.e. you must not drink for n hours before your shift starts. I can’t see why this would be so impossible to implement for previously illegal drugs.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Wed, Nov 28th, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
“With legalization, are you going to let the police, medical, and other high-level job employees take this stuff as well?â€Â
Who says the ones who would “take this stuff” aren’t already doing so?
Comment by Dave the Davelator — Sun, Dec 2nd, 2007 @ 11:07 am
I agree that banning mild drugs and allowing alcohol or cigarettes doesn’t make sense. All are bad for your health and you can’t work any better when you are drunken than when you are stoned. So there’s two options: Ban them all or allow mild drugs.
Comment by Lutz — Thu, Dec 6th, 2007 @ 1:41 pm