Piotr Markiełaŭ: Belarus MDMA Death Case Highlights Danger of Prohibition

Read full article on TalkingDrugs: ENGLISH A group of friends decided to take MDMA on a home party. One girl felt sick, started having seizures and, shortly, died because of serotonin syndrome, caused by using MDMA while taking certain antidepressants. She didn t know that this drug combination is dangerous. Her friends tried to help her by themselves and and didn t call ambulance for about an hour, because it could result in 10years imprisonment for all of them. Lack of knowledge about drugs and the fear of punishment, induced by severe drug policy, led to the death. Mass incarceration and overdeterrence don t decrease negative effects of drugs. Drug education does. Legalize Belarus is not about drugs. Legalize Belarus is about the people that could have been alive and free. We shouldn t be afraid of talking about drugs. We shouldn t be afraid of speaking against wrong and inhumane policies. Based on our beliefs, w