Barb, as I said, it is not clear whether there is causality or mere correlation, but that is part of the risk- assessment. If there is a reasonable case to be made for causality, yes, it makes sense to penalize the 10th person...
I wasn't representing your views about Prohibition. I mentioned that you bring it up whenever we discuss "vice crimes", and then said why I thought that it is a false analogy. It is true that I do not have much practical experience with the matter, but it is simply true that cocaine and heroin, for example, are not made in the kitchen. I have no idea what this sentence means:"The red herring about the number of users of the particular substance is the tyranny of the majority at its finest." Alcohol, in any case, is more destructive in terms of absolute numbers, but less so in terms of the percentage of users who cause problems. In any case, the arguments about the futility of the Prohibition of alcohol were multiple.... |
