Allowing sex workers safety and protection.

A land mark ruling that would have tested the right of sex workers to offer services together in brothels to protect themselves has collapsed, due to the ill health of a police officer who brought the charges:

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/29/sex-workers-rights-case-collapses-after-five-years

This is such a shame, as there is no doubt that many working in the sex industry are vulnerable to, and at risk from all manner of violence and abuse.

This prosecution of the women should not have happened anyway.

A land mark ruling that would have tested the right of sex workers to offer services together in brothels to protect themselves has collapsed, due to the ill health of a police officer who brought the charges:

 

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/29/sex-workers-rights-case-collapses-after-five-years

 

This is such a shame, as there is no doubt that many working in the sex industry are vulnerable to, and at risk from all manner of violence and abuse.

This prosecution of the women should not have happened anyway.

Agreed, its an industry that is in desperate need of legalisation.

Mr M,

Absolutely spot on. In addition to the sex industry, there's sex slavery (not the fetish type).

I remember reading in the 70's the book, "The Prostitution Papers "by Kate Millet. She was arguing back then for legal protection for sex workers. At the time it was a ground breaking proposition.

Should sex workers have the right to protection - yes , but we need to tackle the drugs trade that often goes in hand with the sex industry.

Should sex workers have the right to protection - yes , but we need to tackle the drugs trade that often goes in hand with the sex industry.

Or legalise drugs as well. Tax them, control them, use some of the tax money for better drug addiction education and support - costs considerably less than prison. Takes all the power away from the black market in one simple stroke. Prostitutes can now easily get their drugs from legal sources so pimps lose their hold over them. Anyone who chooses to work in the sex industry can carry on doing so and also now pay tax too. I'd love to see HMRCs faces when they have to go through the tax returns and receipts

Or legalise drugs as well. Tax them, control them, use some of the tax money for better drug addiction education and support - costs considerably less than prison. Takes all the power away from the black market in one simple stroke. Prostitutes can now easily get their drugs from legal sources so pimps lose their hold over them. Anyone who chooses to work in the sex industry can carry on doing so and also now pay tax too. I'd love to see HMRCs faces when they have to go through the tax returns and receipts

It wouldn't though, there is a huge black market for tobacco and alcohol and they are both legal.

This looks a good model.

Case for Legalizing Prostitution

Licensing workers and regulating brothels can manage many of the social problems attributed to prostitution. The brothel itself and all individual employed workers are required to obtain licenses prior to opening for business. To obtain a license to work as a prostitute, the applicant submits to an extensive background check, complete physical, and drug testing. The application fee covers all costs incurred during the application procedure. The licensing agency can then require sex workers to submit to frequent testing for diseases and drug use in order to renew the license, solving the problem of a worker who initially passes the tests and then does not keep current on physicals.

Severe penalties, including fines and incarceration, exist for the prostitutes who work without a clean bill of health. The brothel owners and management who knowingly allow this are also liable under county ordinances. Current brothel employees are generally supportive of testing as it provides a measure of assurance and allows for rapid treatment should they be exposed to a communicable disease.

Regulating the brothels consists of ensuring that they employ mandatory condom usage and regular drug testing for employees. This prevents the two largest health risks for sex workers: disease and addiction. Because sex workers operating out of an organized brothel wield far more power than those working the streets do, they are able to insist upon protection for themselves and their clients.

It wouldn't though, there is a huge black market for tobacco and alcohol and they are both legal.

 

This looks a good model.

 

Case for Legalizing Prostitution

 

 

Licensing workers and regulating brothels can manage many of the social problems attributed to prostitution. The brothel itself and all individual employed workers are required to obtain licenses prior to opening for business. To obtain a license to work as a prostitute, the applicant submits to an extensive background check, complete physical, and drug testing. The application fee covers all costs incurred during the application procedure. The licensing agency can then require sex workers to submit to frequent testing for diseases and drug use in order to renew the license, solving the problem of a worker who initially passes the tests and then does not keep current on physicals.

 

Severe penalties, including fines and incarceration, exist for the prostitutes who work without a clean bill of health. The brothel owners and management who knowingly allow this are also liable under county ordinances. Current brothel employees are generally supportive of testing as it provides a measure of assurance and allows for rapid treatment should they be exposed to a communicable disease.

 

Regulating the brothels consists of ensuring that they employ mandatory condom usage and regular drug testing for employees. This prevents the two largest health risks for sex workers: disease and addiction. Because sex workers operating out of an organized brothel wield far more power than those working the streets do, they are able to insist upon protection for themselves and their clients.

Do you seriously believe that the black market in booze and fags that penistone999 so openly dabbles in is even in an order of magnitude of the value of the illegal drugs market?

However, I agree with the rest of your post. I just cannot understand why so much effort goes into trying to prosecute either prostitutes or their clients when neither is doing anything wrong whatsoever as long as it's consensual and no other crimes are committed such as rape or assault during. Legalise it, tax it, regulate it.

Do you seriously believe that the black market in booze and fags that penistone999 so openly dabbles in is even in an order of magnitude of the value of the illegal drugs market?

 

However, I agree with the rest of your post. I just cannot understand why so much effort goes into trying to prosecute either prostitutes or their clients when neither is doing anything wrong whatsoever as long as it's consensual and no other crimes are committed such as rape or assault during. Legalise it, tax it, regulate it.

Yes, its very close.

UK market for illicit drugs is around £5 billion.

Tobacco smuggling costs over £2 billion in lost revenue each year.

Alcohol smuggling costs the UK economy around £1 billion a year in lost revenue.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjhgariiO3LAhWJuRoKHSpdA4cQFggtMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F401233%2F04562_alcohol_quartely_report_IW_v1D_web.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFqZJnh-VqJ1XCchP4v7QY2k411vA&bvm=bv.118443451,d.d2s

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwizzb2gie3LAhUEXhoKHR5_AaYQFggjMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F418732%2FTackling_illicit_tobacco_-_From_leaf_to_light__2015_.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGs9aAcSndH5-t89DtOkVC31NN0TA&bvm=bv.118443451,d.d2s

Even if legalised it would still need careful monitoring. As most are probably aware prostitution and brothels are, and have been for a long time, legal in the Netherlands. Unfortunately it is still a very shady business with a lot of suspected organised crime behind it. The biggest issue is with human trafficking. This has probably gone up relative to countries where prostitution isn't legal because of supply (of Dutch girls) not meeting demand (by Dutch men).

Having said that - at least with the business above board the police has a chance of unravelling the crime factor behind it. I would imagine that here in the UK there is a huge underground network related to prostitution and drug-addiction (often going hand in hand) that nobody is really aware of, or can indeed tackle appropriately.

Yes, its very close.

 

UK market for illicit drugs is around £5 billion.

 

Tobacco smuggling costs over £2 billion in lost revenue each year.

 

Alcohol smuggling costs the UK economy around £1 billion a year in lost revenue.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjhgariiO3LAhWJuRoKHSpdA4cQFggtMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F401233%2F04562_alcohol_quartely_report_IW_v1D_web.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFqZJnh-VqJ1XCchP4v7QY2k411vA&bvm=bv.118443451,d.d2s

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwizzb2gie3LAhUEXhoKHR5_AaYQFggjMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F418732%2FTackling_illicit_tobacco_-_From_leaf_to_light__2015_.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGs9aAcSndH5-t89DtOkVC31NN0TA&bvm=bv.118443451,d.d2s

Lost revenue is not the same as funding a black market in other crime.

Lost revenue is not the same as funding a black market in other crime.

The numbers I posted are just the lost tax, the number for the illegal drugs sales is the total estimated amount that are sold.

£3 billion in lost tax means the total sales of illicit tobacco and alcohol is higher than £3 billion.

Illegal tobacco and alcohol do fund crime and based on the lost tax it must be a bigger market than drugs.

The numbers I posted are just the lost tax, the number for the illegal drugs sales is the total estimated amount that are sold.

 

£3 billion in lost tax means the total sales of illicit tobacco and alcohol is higher than £3 billion.

 

Illegal tobacco and alcohol do fund crime and based on the lost tax it must be a bigger market than drugs.

It's a good example though of something we discuss a lot in here - high taxation and avoidance...

Is it a reasonable to charge £10 for 20 cigarettes? And if people can bring them in and sell them for £4, it's unsurprising really that people avoid the tax.