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Going to jail for having a disease

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posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 07:28 PM
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I just want to start out by saying that I DO NOT condone drinking and driving.

One of my friends is an "alcoholic "and has had three DUIs. Two of his DUIs were legitimate and he shouldn't have been driving. The third DUI he got was B.S.
He has been to treatment twice spent a couple of weeks in jail. He deserved all of what he got, but while in treatment he was diagnosed as an "alcoholic."

He hasn't had any alcohol to drink for over a year now. We were just talking about his DUIs and he brought up an interesting point:

How can he be put in jail for having a doctor diagnosed disease?

Now at first this sounds ridiculous, but once we started to discuss it we decided that there are many diseases and other ailments that influence your driving in negative ways.

1) Diabetes-
hubpages.com...
www.pittsburghlive.com...

2) Heart Disease-
www.dispatch.com...
www.wafb.com...

3) Seizures-
epilepsyfoundation.ning.com...
www.seriousaccidents.com...

I doubt any of these cases resulted in weeks of jail-time for the people involved.

I personally don't think that alcoholism is a disease. I think it is a serious problem that effects people with little or no will power. Whereas the three above medical issues the people have little or no control over.

I just don't like people using alcoholism as a excuse as to why they are doing the things they are doing.

I will probably receive a lot of hate for this thread, but this is just my opinion and once again I DO NOT condone drinking and driving.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 07:29 PM
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Because he endangered innocent people. Mentally ill people also go to jail when they commit crimes. I do think he should have received rehab in jail though.

[edit on 28-6-2010 by InvisibleAlbatross]



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 07:33 PM
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I know you can go to jail if you have tuberculosis and refuse to be quarantined. I remember 2 or 3 years ago that guy that refused and he was detained by force until treatment/testing was finished.

but those types I understand fully and agree that if someone has an infectious disease and refuses treatment or quarantine then yes they should be arrested and forcefully quarantined to avoid a huge outbreak.


as for non infectious, case by case basis I guess, if it's addiction will be harmful for others

multiple dui's shows a person has no respect or care for other's safety and yes those should be locked up for their "disease"



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 07:33 PM
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reply to post by SUICIDEHK45
 


Well, if you want to use that argument, how about sex addicts? Should they go to jail if they are HIV positive, yet still have unprotected sex, causing other people to suffer from their illness, too?

Yes, your friend has a disease, but he put other people at risk for his illness, when he got behind the wheel of a car. That's the difference.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 07:46 PM
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reply to post by Blanca Rose
 


I was just about to say that, pedophilia. Pedophiles have a disease, yet they go to jail when acting on it.

To the OP: Look, I get the whole thing about diseases or what not but each of us is still responsible for our own action. We are always so quick to blame a disease or a "condition" for our action when it really boils down to irresponsibility and a failure to account for own actions.

With that being said, I think drunk driving is a victimless crime, unless of course you hit someone, which in turn would make it a crime. I don't believe victimless crimes to be crimes at all, rather I see them as oppressive dictation.

--airspoon



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 07:46 PM
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reply to post by Blanca Rose
 


How is someone who is suffering from a disease that impairs the person's judgement supposed to make a well educated decision.

As someone who has never been in trouble for drinking I know that there are things that can be done, such as leaving your keys with someone else or getting a ride from a taxi etc.

I just don't think alcoholism is a disease and I would like to see that term removed from the condition.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 08:04 PM
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Originally posted by SUICIDEHK45


How is someone who is suffering from a disease that impairs the person's judgement supposed to make a well educated decision.



They stop drinking alcohol .

I know .... but sometimes the answer is as simple as that.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 08:14 PM
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Yes I agree with this also about drinking and driving, the only thing is people should be rated, because every one is not the same.
I myself nolonger drink but when I did I could put down a fifth and act normal, no fighting no falling down, but this took years of pratice, down at the bar with my police buddys, now they beat a few guys up once in a while but they were looking for trouble.
I finally quit because I decided I did not want to digest the rest of my pancrease and surrounding tissue.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 08:22 PM
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Calling an addiction a disease is just a straight cop out. I'm a recovering addict, so yah I can say that and know 100% that its the truth. Yes your friend was "diagnosed" as an alcoholic. What the treatment center failed to explain to him was why they had to "diagnose" him in the first place. Follow the money
For community based, state funded, and private treatment centers to receive payment/funding from insurance companies and/or state programs they have to have a dr or physicians assistant "diagnose" you. I know this for a fact, having been in outpatient treatment for almost a year. The mother of my son was in an intensive inpatient substance abuse center for a year as well.
Imagine having a conspiracy theorist as a treatment patient lol. My counselors and therapists certainly had an eye opening time with me. From them why its illegal, why are they importing it, why the cia is the biggest drug dealer/runner in the world, why tptb are making it so readily available and cheap to dumb ppl down and/or keep us asleep. What's pretty cool is that my counselor still calls me from time to time and asks me to come and speak with some of the "clients" she has currently.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 08:28 PM
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So in the future, if the government wants to detain folks without any legit reasoning, they can simply say "they are infected with a dangerous disease that can spread".

And without any real evidence or proof, they can then "legally" round up all of these people and do whatever with them.

"Oh we had to burn the bodies to make sure the disease doesn't spread".

How did they die in the first place? "Oh the disease killed them".

SURE.....Like I buy any of that crap!


[edit on 28-6-2010 by muzzleflash]



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 08:40 PM
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reply to post by azrael36
 


Another interesting point is the fact that it is only a `relatively` recent enough luxury to ferment enough beverage for heavy daily consumption .Certainly requiring more time effort and resources than a hunter gather society could sustain ......i.e to produce alcoholics.

Such a division of labour requiring brewers and vintners, would of been a product of the first urban communities . Distillation would facilitate any alcoholic tendencies even further .



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 08:42 PM
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reply to post by SUICIDEHK45
 

The difference is obvious.

The three illnesses you pointed out are not caused by the persons' actions.

Alcoholism is. It is a choice in every moment of life.

We are responsible for every action we take in the world, and so your friend will get what he deserves for his choices and actions at the time.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 08:46 PM
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reply to post by Tayesin
 


One could say that heart disease is from eating shi^%y food and smoking and drinking and just general unhealthy living.

One could also say that diabetics could monitor their blood sugar every five min to make sure they wouldn't get "goofy" while they were driving.

Once again I don't think people should drink and drive I just want people to stop using their "disease" as a reason for stupid actions



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 08:54 PM
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reply to post by SUICIDEHK45
 


I tried looking up statistics to see if alcholism is actually a disease, or a behavior. I got a lot of conflicting reports.

Some say it's genetic, some say it's a disease, and some say it's an addiction.

I agree with ya on the point that it's used as being a disease, to gain sympathy.

I could not find one single study showing it is actually a verifiable disease, and I've been checking for a while!



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 09:00 PM
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reply to post by Blanca Rose
 


I'm just going off what my friend was told by the friendly people at the treatment facility he attended.

Let me know if you find more

thanks



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 09:03 PM
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Originally posted by SUICIDEHK45
reply to post by Tayesin
 


The alcoholic chose to drink and make themselves into an alcoholic.

You don't choose to have heart disease in your family, have diabetes, or epilepsy.

You guys really had trouble figuring this one out? Sheesh...

And as you said... it's not a disease, it's a choice. "Alcoholic" refers to the fact that now because of the choices you made your body runs on alcohol, more or less. You get there soley by choice and choice alone.

Supposedly, reports indicate that children of alcoholics are more likely to become ones but I can point to that and say it's because the way they were raised. If you think it's normal for daddy to have a 6 pack every day, why wouldn't it be normal for you? And then before too long, just like daddy, your body too NEEDS alcohol to operate.







[edit on 28-6-2010 by ImaNutter]



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 09:14 PM
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Ok, so how does his debate stand up against people driving under the influence of a doctor prescribed medication?
For instance, my last bought with Strep Throat netted me a prescription to help me sleep and dull the pain in my throat while I healed. I was told explicitly by the doctor "Do Not drive after taking this".
Compare that to how many times people are told by doctors, lawyers, judges, beer companies, police officers, friends or anyone else that has a brain "Do Not Drive after drinking this".

Same scenario, same outcome. I dont know about everywhere, but police around here ask not only "have you been drinking tonight", but also "have you taken any form of medication tonight". This way they can get you either way you go.

Its a DUI, Driving Under the Influence, not a DUIB or DUIL or DUIM (beer, liquor, medication). They can haul you in for being under the influence of anything at all that impairs your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. A prescription is just as effective as a pint in this case.

Tell your buddy to start calling a cab or getting a ride. Thats what people do when they are impaired.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 09:16 PM
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When I lived in Texas they had two categories.

DWI = Driving While Intoxicated
This one comes with the heaviest penalties. It is for drunk driving.

DUI= Driving Under the Influence
This one is for everything else, medications, weed, whatever. It's penalties are slightly less than DWI.

This is based on my memory so I am just recalling it vaguely.



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 09:23 PM
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reply to post by SUICIDEHK45
 


Apparently, congress has decided that alchoholism is a disease, based on this article I found from 2007.

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A new bill sponsored by Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., would change the name of the National Institute on Drug Abuse to the National Institute on Diseases of Addiction and change the name of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to the National Institute on Alcohol Disorders and Health. Called the Recognizing Addiction As a Disease Act of 2007, it explains,


Sooooooooooo, while we might not all agree with it, the government recognizes alcholism as a disease.

edit typo



[edit on 28-6-2010 by Blanca Rose]



posted on Jun, 28 2010 @ 09:25 PM
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reply to post by Blanca Rose
 


Leave it to our government to give people a way to argue the real issues at hand.

That is exactly why most of our nation is doing drugs whether it be illicit or perscription

Thanks for finding that

edit to add a "n"

[edit on 6/28/2010 by SUICIDEHK45]



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