Igor Antunov wrote:Here in Australia drug addicts who endanger the lives of others are given special (vulnerable persons) status and get preferential/lenient treatment when times come for prosecution. This included those driving under the influence, or stabbing you in the gut repeatedly for your wallet, be it under the influence of alcohol or meth. An addict stabbed a cop in the spine couple years back for funsies and only got 2 years.
That's interesting. I have mixed feelings about that.
I can see addiction engendering sympathy, but addiction does not lessen moral responsibility for serious harms done to others.
It was their fault they got addicted in the first place and did not attempt to stop, seek help, etc.
Unless we view this according to my "insurance policy" type of idea, where drug addiction is punished separately, by itself, but it also serves as an insurance policy to reduce the amount of your punishment if you do harm somebody under the influence of drugs.
In many parts of the US with punitive views, they'd just view it as an excuse to give the offender double the punishment - (1) doing drugs and (2) for committing harm, with no discounts in level of punishment or sympathy.