Howard Stern, Artie Lange, and Heroin Legalization

On other shows, cast member Artie Lange’s heroin addiction would have been covered up. On The Howard Stern Show it has been openly discussed. Thanks to this honesty, heroin and opiate addiction myths have been toppled for millions of Howard Stern listeners. Some of these misconceptions are:

1. Heroin Affects Your Functioning – Opiates do not substantially interfere with functioning like alcohol does. They can with extreme usage, but even for hard-core addicts maintenance levels do not necessarily create functional differences. Studies have found that doctors addicted to opiates are just as proficient as their peers. The cast of The Howard Stern Show has not been able to tell when Lange is using. Lange has been extremely tired on some shows, but this was because he had a brutal schedule and was up all night driving to Delaware for his heroin – not from the pharmacological effects of heroin. Moralistic listeners want Lange kicked off the show for his usage, but as Howard Stern has said, “He does a great job … I don’t have a problem with him. He does what he is supposed to do.” (1/5/09)

2. Heroin Users Are Monsters – The large majority of people who try heroin do not go on to become addicts. [On the show it has been revealed Stern, Chris Rock (9/24/08), and David Arquette (4/16/07) have used heroin and never become addicted.] And many people who do become addicted lead relatively normal lives and never resort to criminal behavior. Of course, these responsible and conscientious addicts are invisible to mainstream America because they hide their habits well and do not get caught up in the criminal justice system. It is the out-of-control and dysfunctional users whose asinine behavior gets them in the papers and on COPS. Heroin and opiates do not chemically change your moral compass. Other cast members of The Howard Stern Show have accused heroin of turning Lange into a liar. But as Lange has argued repeatedly, he only lies when honesty about his usage would endanger his job.

3. Legalized Heroin Would Be Dangerous – At the time of this posting, Lange had been using the prescription opiate, Subutex, off and on for four years. Although heroin has the most evil reputation, all opiates work in the same manner. Heroin has the same effect as morphine. It is simply three times as potent in the body. Subutex is 25 times as potent as morphine. Declaring a war on heroin is similar to declaring a war on wine but not beer or liquor. When Lange went on Subutex it felt like, “[he] was flying, completely normal, and high too,” and “within a month, [his] life had turned from complete darkness to amazing light.” On Subutex, Lange was able to do The Howard Stern Show while simultaneously making his movie, Beer League. On Subutex he no longer had to lie about his behavior, he didn’t have to drive to Delaware, and the threat of accidental overdose virtually disappeared.

As a public defender I was always surprised how people did not think drugs should be legalized, but when their loved one was busted for drugs she or he was not a criminal. The same phenomenon occurred on The Howard Stern Show. No one clamored for Lange to be prosecuted. In Lange’s rarified showbiz world it was inconceivable to some of his peers that he could even be arrested. [Show co-host, Robin Quivers, “What’s he going to go to jail for?” (1/6/09)] Lange supports legalization of all drugs. (12/1/08)

To learn the fascinating truth behind other myths surrounding drugs and sex read You Will Die: The Burden of Modern Taboos.

Sources:

1. Robert Arthur, You Will Die: The Burden of Modern Taboos (2008).
2. Gary Dell’Abate, The Howard Stern Show, Sirius XM Radio.
3. Artie Lange, Too Fat to Fish (2008), pp. 264-265.

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Drug Freedom Works in Portugal

On Friday I attended Glenn Greenwald‘s presentation of his report, “Drug Decriminalization in Portugal,” at the Cato Institute. Greenwald studied how Portugal’s policy of decriminalizing the personal possession of all drugs in 2001 has fared. Portugal’s policy has been a “resounding success.”

Decriminalization is dismissed out of hand by those that consider drugs a moral issue, but prohibitionists that stoop to debate argue decriminalization will bring a “parade of horrors.” Some of these are that usage and addiction rates will explode, more children will do drugs, and decriminalized areas will become drug tourist havens that will spread addiction throughout the world.

None of these things have occurred in Portugal. Instead a massive amount of financial resources have been freed up to provide treatment to those that want it. In addition, more of the population has been willing to take advantage of government-supplied treatment now that there is no fear of criminal ramifications.

These results are unsurprising to those that understand how exaggerated the evils are surrounding “hard” drugs. On average, criminalization prevents responsible and conscientious people from using drugs – the exact population that can handle the freedom sensibly.

Note: Greenwald pointed out that the Portuguese commission had considered legalization but believed it could not legalize without violating international treaty obligations. (These treaties are enforced by zealous drug-war states like the United States.) He added that small countries like Portugal actually have to follow international treaties.

Sources:

1. Glenn Greenwald, “Drug Decriminalization in Portugal,” (2009). LINK