Illicit drug flavored birth control

[-]

Sigma2915@reddit

hello r slash crazyideas heres my crazy idea: eugenics.

[-]

As a former foster kid (because my parents were/are drug addicts), I want to pitch you an even crazier idea: the health, safety, and fetal development of children matters more than the feelings and reproductive rights of drug addicts. Non-permanent birth control is a blessing in these situations.

[-]

spookysaph@reddit

I don't think drug addict counts as a protected class

[-]

Sigma2915@reddit

drug addiction is generally classed a medical condition, and a specific class of people defined by a common medical condition being targeted absolutely fits the definition of eugenics.

[-]

FinancialElephant@reddit

If genetic determinism is true, which is what a number of prominent scientists and biologists like Dr Robert Sapolsky believe, then any promotion of birth control would be targeting a subset of individuals to not breed by the genetic attributes that causes them to be influenced to use BC. Negative eugenics by the definition you're using.

[-]

Nate_Christ@reddit

That's entirely ignoring the idea of consent. It makes perfect sense if you read it remembering consent is a thing that matters

[-]

spookysaph@reddit

I also don't think it counts as eugenics if people are willingly taking bc

[-]

Aztexrose@reddit

Nahhhh people fight like hell to get a stay clean for something worth it to them. Waaaaayyyy to often kids nor pregnancy are those things.

[-]

spookysaph@reddit

and yet children are removed from homes of drug addicted parents, not as much psychically disabled parents

[-]

Nate_Christ@reddit

All classes should have the same rights

[-]

Iron-Fist@reddit

This is a big topic in healthcare and gets complicated when you start looking at intersectionality etc but family planning is not eugenics. The unethical thing in this idea is treating these patients without their informed consent.

Now if he said "make attractive and easy birth control options easily available to drug addicts so they can delay family formation until they are ready" this would be a pretty good idea. But the best option there would actually be LARCs like IUD or implants instead of oral contraceptives.

[-]

Nate_Christ@reddit

Why the fuck does everyone on reddit love eugenics?

[-]

xandrachantal@reddit

it's edgy I've been seeing a lot of comments about how people need to beat their kids lately too and just the everyone is twelve effect is alive and well

[-]

elliottcable@reddit

the eternal september

[-]

aykay55@reddit

i doubt that taking illicit drugs would do anything good for your ovaries or sperm count

[-]

dunnodudes@reddit

Nah… seems like meth is a fertility drug.

At least my experience in being a foster parent.

[-]

KittiesandPlushies@reddit

As a former foster parent and former foster child, this comment is unfortunately too accurate.

[-]

jduddz91@reddit

Bet your ass it is lol

[-]

Awsomethingy@reddit

Wow, that’s heavy. Thank you for giving a chance to someone who might not have had as good of one without you

[-]

xxsoulpunkedxx@reddit

I mean honestly a fair idea. I used to work with addicts and the amount of unwanted pregnancies I saw was staggering. The ones who lived to term usually ended up with severe birth defects

[-]

Own-Fun-8096@reddit (OP)

That was my thought, forgot about eugenics and other bad ideas

[-]

FinancialElephant@reddit

I don't see how it's eugenics if it was disclosed. If you go that far, might as well say any attempt at promoting birth control use is eugenics.

[-]

Nate_Christ@reddit

It's the force that makes it eugenics. Top-down control of human breeding

[-]

FinancialElephant@reddit

That is arguable

[-]

Nate_Christ@reddit

That's not what top down means. Making birth control is just making birth control, putting it in, for instance, pizza has to be done from the top(govt, pizza company) and it's effects are down(people who consume pizza)

If eugenics can apply to things other than bloodlines I think it's fair to say it applies here too. Also drug use has genetic factors like everything else

[-]

xxsoulpunkedxx@reddit

Agreed. That’s why I didn’t understand how it’s eugenics either. Nobody is (usually) making them take the drugs, they’re going out of their way to acquire them illegally.

[-]

Fun-Benefit116@reddit

Uh, no one does drugs because of the flavor. In fact, the flavor usually ranges from bad to absolutely disgusting. Making BC taste like drugs would make people, even drug users, way less likely to take it.

Now if you meant we should literally mix the birth control with drugs so the person stays protected while getting high, then that there is a right proper crazy fucking idea!

[-]

haverchuck22@reddit

Contrary to popular belief it’s the high that people enjoy from illicit drugs more so than the flavor. Like heroin flavored birth control likely isn’t go to have many takers, if any at all.

[-]

secretprocess@reddit

It's a popular belief that drugs taste good??

[-]

mikeyx3x@reddit

Does beer taste good? No, yet everyone drinks fecking 4 IPAs during their meal. Beer actually tastes WORSE than hard liquor, which is much smaller in amount, too.

Nobody thinks drugs "taste" good. Especially when it is smoked or injected.

[-]

lovelyrain100@reddit

Beer does in fact not taste worse than hard liquor

[-]

secretprocess@reddit

That's what I thought 🤷🏼‍♂️

[-]

spookysaph@reddit

yes

[-]

Kind-Stomach6275@reddit

isn't this eugenics in a way

[-]

Kind-Stomach6275@reddit

since people can be genetically predisposed towards drug addiction

[-]

FinancialElephant@reddit

If you believe in genetic determinism (which a lot of scientists do), then any promotion of birth control can be deemed eugenics.

You have to draw the line somewhere. I think the commonsense boundary is when birth control is imposed rather than voluntary (eg deceptive or coercive).

If you tell them you put BC in their drugs, it's neither deceptive or coercive.

[-]

Kind-Stomach6275@reddit

It is inherently coercive because addicts are addicted to substances, and lacing their substances with birth control, while they have a neural and biological need for it, is coercion even if they know about it. You're essentially threatening them with withdrawal.

[-]

FinancialElephant@reddit

Coercion doesn't mean someone refusing to give you something that ultimately makes you feel bad, it means they are directly threatening you with violence or imprisonment if you don't comply.

Withdrawal is something ultimately inflicted on oneself by continuing with the addiction. If someone wants actual relief from addiction and withdrawals they could enter a program where methadone type medications are given to wean them off while minimizing withdrawal.

This scenario isn't about that, it's just about recreational drug use. Meaning giving them drugs is just perpetuating their addiction and lifetime withdrawals. It's not really a pure "need" when illegal recreational drugs can deeply harm body parts like their liver and brain. Considering we are talking about illegal drugs anyway, they could also find another supplier or somehow illegally deactivate the BC.

So not only is it not coercive, there are multiple ways to avoid this dilemma.

[-]