04-14-2014, 05:47 PM
For suppliers of heroin and other products that are illegal, they're responsible for breaking the laws against production/distribution/selling, etc... They're to blame for any legal consequences they might face as a result.
For consumers of heroin and other illegal products (which haven't been cut or laced), they know that they're purchasing a product with negative health impacts. They take the risk and it's their responsibility.
Same with alcohol, cigarettes, junk food, etc -- the negative health impacts are well known; it's each individual's personal responsibility to control their consumption.
When a supplier illegally fails to disclose ingredients or follow regulations and secretly knowingly renders a product toxic, then I think the supplier should be held responsible and is to blame for the negative impacts on its consumers -- the supplier is liable.
There are many cases where suppliers/companies knowingly broke laws and disregarded regulations in the process of putting profits over people's lives. Every time civil suit litigants and criminal prosecutors succeed in getting astronomical judgements against them or putting the decision-makers and their accomplices behind bars, I smile and hope that means that other suppliers/companies will be deterred from engaging in such unethical and/or illegal practices. But, I know that the penalties have to exceed the gross profit potential before some of the worst will be deterred in the slightest (or the regulations have to be increased and/or more strictly enforced).
Addiction complicates things when it comes to holding people personally responsible for their own knowing consumption because it's questionable as to whether the addict is able to make a choice or be held accountable for his/her actions in some cases. I get that reasoning and often sympathize with addicts and their loved ones when they OD or royally fuck up their lives. Still, I don't think the scummy illegal drug dealer is responsible for the addiction or the death of his law-breaking customers any more than I think the local bartender is responsible for the alcohol-related death of his customers.
These are just my general opinions regarding personal responsibility for our own adult actions, and other people's responsibilities to those who use/consume their products or services -- they might change depending on the specifics in some cases.
For consumers of heroin and other illegal products (which haven't been cut or laced), they know that they're purchasing a product with negative health impacts. They take the risk and it's their responsibility.
Same with alcohol, cigarettes, junk food, etc -- the negative health impacts are well known; it's each individual's personal responsibility to control their consumption.
When a supplier illegally fails to disclose ingredients or follow regulations and secretly knowingly renders a product toxic, then I think the supplier should be held responsible and is to blame for the negative impacts on its consumers -- the supplier is liable.
There are many cases where suppliers/companies knowingly broke laws and disregarded regulations in the process of putting profits over people's lives. Every time civil suit litigants and criminal prosecutors succeed in getting astronomical judgements against them or putting the decision-makers and their accomplices behind bars, I smile and hope that means that other suppliers/companies will be deterred from engaging in such unethical and/or illegal practices. But, I know that the penalties have to exceed the gross profit potential before some of the worst will be deterred in the slightest (or the regulations have to be increased and/or more strictly enforced).
Addiction complicates things when it comes to holding people personally responsible for their own knowing consumption because it's questionable as to whether the addict is able to make a choice or be held accountable for his/her actions in some cases. I get that reasoning and often sympathize with addicts and their loved ones when they OD or royally fuck up their lives. Still, I don't think the scummy illegal drug dealer is responsible for the addiction or the death of his law-breaking customers any more than I think the local bartender is responsible for the alcohol-related death of his customers.
These are just my general opinions regarding personal responsibility for our own adult actions, and other people's responsibilities to those who use/consume their products or services -- they might change depending on the specifics in some cases.