Trying to reduce drug use throughout the city, the Chicago City council proposed a measure to ban small plastic baggies less than 2″ x 2″. The logic goes that these bags are used to distribute controlled substances, and so they should be illegalized to impede drug transactions. Furthermore these bags often contain drug residue, which poses a hazard to children who might find the bags.
First of all, when did it become ok to restrict access to a storage medium? As the article rightfully points out, this type of bag is often used to hold buttons, jewelry, or other small items. Who is to say that they are only for drugs? Tom Fruin, an artist has in fact collected so many of these bags as to assemble a quilt!
The argument that drug residue poses a risk to inquisitive children who lick the inside of bags holds some water, but then I’ve got to ask - What about all those cigarette butts on the ground? There’s nothing stopping a three year old from picking up and lighting up a half used cigarette, or joint for that matter.
Just thought I’d bring attention to this excellent example of Poo-litics.
