Trump administration 'examines death penalty for drug dealers' as part of a crackdown on opioids

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-administration-death-penalty-drug-dealers-execution-policy-review-a8249221.html

Drug dealers could be executed in the US under a policy reportedly being looked at by Donald Trump's administration.

In one of a number of proposals being examined, prosecutors could be given the go-ahead to pursue the death penalty in cases involving the trafficking of the synthetic drug fentanyl, given that small doses of it can be fatal.

It would come as part of a wider crackdown on opioids, which claimed the lives of more than 60,000 Americans in 2016, The Washington Post reported.

The class of drug that acts on the nervous system includes heroin as well as everyday pain relievers that can be bought over the counter, but can lead to addictions and fatal overdoses.

Mr Trump has reportedly spoken in private about giving the death penalty for dealers, believing that it has been a successful way to tackle the drug problem in nations such as Singapore.

Officials from the country have briefed White House staff on its policies to deal with the issue which includes treatment and education for users but also the death penalty for traffickers.

The president has also praised the hardline approach in the Philippines, praising President Rodrigo Duterte for his "unbelievable job". Thousands have been killed in extrajudicial police killings in the country's war on drugs.

Mr Trump said at a White House summit on opioids last week: "Some countries have a very tough penalty, the ultimate penalty, and they have much less of a drug problem than we do."

Courts can only hand down executions in the US in cases involving drugs when it involves the murder or the death of a law enforcement officer.

Mr Trump's administration has already called for harsher penalties for traffickers as part of his response to the opioid crisis in the USThe official heading the White House's strategy on the problem is Kellyanne Conway.

"There is an appetite among many law enforcement, health professionals and grieving families that we must toughen up our criminal and sentencing statutes to match the new reality of drugs like fentanyl, which are so lethal in such small doses," she told news website Axios.

"The president makes a distinction between those that are languishing in prison for low-level drug offenses and the kingpins hauling thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into communities, that are responsible for many casualties in a single weekend."

The White House did not reply for comment over reports that it would seek the death penalty for drug traffickers


Comments


[112 Points] n3wbi3toBTC:

Time to move to the Philippines


[113 Points] brilo1:

Is Big Pharma included?


[60 Points] Bennyhaha372:

If this is true you would be a fool to think that they wouldn't seek the death penalty for other drugs, not just fent.


[46 Points] HerbalPotion:

That's fucked if they really impose the death penalty for drug offenses...


[42 Points] Nixonexe:

I'm all for it, as long as we also kill each and every pharmaceutical company and owner. How does this make any fucking sense.? "You know what would help combat a prescription opioids crisis? Let's get kill all of the people that sell these drugs on the street? But continue to support far more destruction from these companies just because they're deemed legal" This whole fucking "war on drugs" is a joke


[18 Points] swolemedic:

I was waiting how long it would take for him to officially announce it. I had so many trump supporters giving me shit and even non trump supporters thinking I was overreacting when he first made that phone call to duterte. No, the writing was on the fucking walls, he congratulated duterte on the drug war and said other people don't understand and criticize it (i'm paraphrasing) but that trump understands and approves of it.

Now this? Shocker.


[16 Points] throwaway90210_1:

What a fucking moron.


[14 Points] RadBees:

Terrible idea...

Sounds like a good way to have multiple deaths on both sides. If dealers know if they get caught, they’ll get executed...then I don’t think they’ll think twice about poppin’ some popo if the situation calls for it. Basic survival. Kill, or get caught and then be killed.

I don’t like fent one bit...but I’m still of the opinion that education is key. You like heroin but don’t wanna die from fent? Then either don’t buy smack or test your fucking shit.


[14 Points] RIP_Meth_9000:

Fuck It....Gonna smoke a bowl in honor of Trump....Bahahahahaaaaa!!!!!


[8 Points] ijustwannabeyours:

What the fuck.


[8 Points] oboylebr:

Jesus Christ next thing you’ll be posting is that the war on drugs is actually winnable what a fucking joke


[8 Points] plainvanillawoman:

This guy is such an asshole. I hope someone executes him.

Edit: I don't really want to see Trump or anyone else executed. Our legal system is flawed and unbalanced to say the least. There is proof innocent people have been executed in the past. On those grounds alone I oppose the death penalty. The penalties in place are allready unjust and cruel, adding the death penalty would be a HUGE mistake.


[6 Points] BashirGemayel:

At least they’ll have military parades for cheer when the bodies start piling


[5 Points] pauz43:

Those 64,000 deaths the government and media love to talk about are opioid "related" --which means the deceased had as little as a trace of opiates in their bodies. Many actually died for reasons unrelated to drugs, including accidents, homicide, heart attacks, morbid obesity, diabetes, liver failure, old age, COPD and cancer.

Plus, if multiple drugs show up in the deceased, each drug will be counted as a separate death according to SAMSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) reporting guidelines. Here's a link to their statistics: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/DAWN2k11ED/DAWN2k11ED/DAWN2k11ED.pdf


[5 Points] GabeNoMore:

Idk how they haven't figured out the opioid epidemic is not because of fentanyl it's because of big fucking pharma. Give us legal pot and I guarantee deaths will go down lol


[4 Points] PoorBulgarian:

Thats just stupid.. legalizing drugs is proven to lower the amount of use & intrest twords them. And he wants to start giving death penalty to dealers??? Fuck off for real.. im ok with them reciving the death penalty IF they mixed in something like fentynal or something else without ever informing you.


[6 Points] CultureChesterSucks:

Fuck it. I'm sooo sick of living in this Trump hellscape. Just kill me at this point. I don't want to live if I have to suffer Orange Man's Big Penis Land.


[4 Points] emcax24:

Isn't this the plot to that kingsman movie I just watched a while back?


[4 Points] GENITAL_MUTILATOR:

Trumps hookers would never allow it.


[5 Points] RaPiiD38:

I apologize for being pro-trump, this is so far past my own overton window, anyone who supports executions just for trading is a sick, sick fuck. I didn't think this would even be close to acceptable in anyone's mind.


[3 Points] Ketsa:

He could also say : "Some countries have a very light penalty, no penalty, and they have much less of a drug problem than we do.”


[2 Points] Brookklyn:

lol this will never happen


[2 Points] Wolff_Laarcen:

It won't ever happen, they'd be offing too many white people.


[2 Points] BudDwyer666:

the class of drug that acts on the central nervous system includes heroin and also pain relievers you can buy over the counter

What?


[1 Points] None:

[deleted]


[1 Points] throwawayjoerogan:

legalise everything you dumb american cunts


[1 Points] BudDwyer666:

the class of drug that acts on the central nervous system includes heroin and also pain relievers you can buy over the counter


[1 Points] 7katalan:

/u/TheLizardKing89 14 hours ago:

This won’t go anywhere. SCOTUS has already ruled that non-homicidal crime are ineligible for the death penalty.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_v._Louisiana

Coming from a former dope addict:

Does negligent homicide count? I've personally witnessed fentcutters not caring about whether their buyers live or die. I suppose though that the end user also doesn't necessarily care whether they live or die.

On the dealer's end I don't see why they couldn't get at least charged with manslaughter though. And actually, I know of plenty of dealers who knew their product was deadly, who expressed malice for their buyers, who marketed their product with symbols representing it being deadly, and who hoped that this would lead to overdoses, making people want those stamps more.

I could easily legally* read that as murder, though it could be impossible to attribute deaths to a specific dealer. However, the stamps provide a paper trail, ironically. If multiple deaths could be attributed to a dealer who knew their product was deadly, attempted to make it deadlier, attempted to cause overdose deaths to increase sales--could be grounds for some type of multiple-murder charge.

*I am not a legal professional

N.B. This is to say nothing about pharma companies, who do lots of hyper-evil shit. However, even if it's about profit, they do produce life-saving medicines. Whereas fent kingpins aren't saving lives. In any case, I do believe that there will be serious charges for pharmaceutical companies as a result of the opioid crisis (hopefully).


[1 Points] cecil_X:

Second amendment. Defend yourselves from a tyrannical government. Kill anyone who try to kill you, even if it's the government.


[1 Points] Some_Kiddo:

Somebody has drugs on them, gets literally fucking shot and killed on the spot... Its just a prescribed medication


[-6 Points] None:

[deleted]


[-9 Points] dominant_driver:

No need for that. Just refuse medical care to junkies that overdose.

Dealers will be more cautious about cutting their product with Fentanyl so they don't lose customers, and users will be more cautious with their dosing, or will stop using altogether.