American tourist stopped at Australian Customs

noodle

@Infoseepage
Why so stigmatising?

Natasha Nox 🇺🇦🇵🇸

@noodle @Infoseepage Same question. Recreational drug use per se isn't an indicator of bad character when done in a controlled fashion, let it be Alcohol, Weed or sth. like MDMA. The social acceptance and laws are just different based on substance, which is mostly nonsensical.

Only very few substances are so toxic and addictive that *any* use can be deemed a mistake (still not a sign of bad character, we all got a negative potential). Like "bath salts" or crystal.

Infoseepage #StopGazaGenocide

@Natanox @noodle My personal experience in 45 years of life is that I've seen few people whose lives were improved by the use of multiple self-administered illegal substances. I've seen weed go both ways, but basically view it as less harmful than alcohol on a personal and societal basis. I've seen drugs absolutely destroy people's lives and minds far too frequently for me to have a casual attitude to them and have lost two people I cared about to drug addiction and eventual overdose.

Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK

@Infoseepage @Natanox @noodle

I've taken drugs over the years, although been clean for last decade as I started driving and UK DUI laws are very strict (similar to or in some cases more so than Australia). Drugs don't make people evil as such, but they /can/ lead to impulsive, selfish and sometimes irrational behaviour (such as thinking its a good idea to bring a firearm into a country where a democratic society has decided they should be restricted following excessive bloodshed in the 1990s)

peachfront

@Natanox @noodle @Infoseepage

this is why you read the article & not just the synopsis

she's a meth user with lots of face ink

Natasha Nox 🇺🇦🇵🇸

@peachfront @noodle I did, however my opinion still stands as @Infoseepage talked about "at least three different substances". In fact I specifically wrote the second paragraph because of it, to mention that while being awful it's still not a sign of bad character nor a reason for stigmatization.

Given you immediately try to perpetuate stigma ("… with lots of face ink") I believe you didn't even understand what my point even was.

Natasha Nox 🇺🇦🇵🇸

@vfrmedia @Infoseepage @noodle At the end we all aim to reduce the dangers of addiction and give people suffering from it the help they need (at least I hope so). We need to get rid of the stigmatization to do so though (as seen in countries like Portugal, where it's treated more like a health issue, not a criminal offense anymore). Likewise a well controlled, regulated market / handout is better than "war on drugs", as it comes with education and contact to people so they may ask for help.

peachfront

@Natanox @noodle @Infoseepage

i get & agree with your point but IMO the meth use is what matters here, comments on stigma around other drugs aren't relevant

try it this way

someone says a person often makes bad decisions under the influence of drugs

that's inarguable, yes?

beyond that, IME Americans who chose to mark themselves with lots of visible ink on their face are almost invariably in the meth subculture (or in recovery from same)

she marked (stigmatized) herself & we can't unsee it

Natasha Nox 🇺🇦🇵🇸

@peachfront @noodle @Infoseepage
The fact you shouldn't make important decisions under the influence of drugs is inarguable, yes.

I know the prejudice of everyone with face tattoos being a 'meth head', and it's as unhelpful and offensive as any other prejudice is. Even if an unproportional amount of meth users are inked that doesn't justify to perpetuate something like that. It's comparably shitty as connecting homosexual people with AIDS or sth. (mind that there are cultures celebrating ink).

peachfront

@Natanox @noodle @Infoseepage

"when someone tells you who they are BELIEVE THEM"

yes, there are cultures celebrating ink, but as an American i can easily see the American subculture celebrating ink that *this* person belongs to

she made a choice to style herself as a meth user, then another choice to smuggle a firearm onto an airplane & into a foreign country

i'm not making a sweeping judgment of some other drug user over there

i've seen enough to judge HER on HER actions

Natasha Nox 🇺🇦🇵🇸

@peachfront @noodle @Infoseepage I wasn't talking about her anymore, but about you and a prejudice you perpetuate.

""when someone tells you who they are BELIEVE THEM""

Yes, if you see people saying they do meth then believe them. I just want to make crystal clear that face tattoos do not equal meth use, that#s all.

peachfront

@Natanox @noodle @Infoseepage

are you an American? do you understand that Americans choose facial tats & pay money to get them to communicate a message & that other Americans can read that message?

whatever face tats may mean in some other time, place, culture, this was an American choosing to present herself in a clear unambiguous way that you either can't or choose not to understand

this discussion has become unproductive because you're asking me to deny the evidence of my own eyesight

Natasha Nox 🇺🇦🇵🇸

@peachfront @noodle @Infoseepage I ask you to reflect on your own statements, but if you indeed believe the (whole) US to be so superficial and, sadly, wish to act on it yourself then there's nothing to talk about I guess.