Low poverty would reduce prostitution and drug addiction but it wouldn't get rid of them.

The supply and demand argument put by Becky has truth to it, plus the reality that prostitution may be a choice that women make for many different reasons.

I believe that a grown up society stays away from consensual sex.....A society that still locks up brass has its priorities wrong.

I agree that the focus should be on the sex slave element and exploitation. Any situation where a woman hasn't made this choice for herself.

Any woman who decides....for whatever reason to go this way should be taxed like a normal worker. They should have the option of a safe working environment that vets its customers.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Firstly, prostitution is by no means exclusively a female occupation. Particularly in some of the poorer areas of the world, young boys, transgender and men are pretty commonly found doing sex work.

As for your last comment, this is a very interesting fact page based on prostitution in the UK: [Link] As it reads, '74% of women involved in prostitution cited poverty, the need to pay household expenses and support their children, as a primary motivator for entering sex work.' These are women who have almost all experienced domestic abuse, rape, are highly drug dependent, have almost no protection, and are incredibly likely to be murdered. They aren't doing it for pleasure, they are doing it either to fund their drug habits or to pay the bills.

Obviously it's very difficult to collect data on these things, as the women involved are often very hesitant to come forward, but there's fairly good evidence that prostitution is increasing in the UK, particularly among young single women who are being disproportionately affected by the government's welfare cuts, and female students who are struggling to find part-time work as companies are cutting back.

If punk ever happened I'd be preaching the law, instead of listenin to Lydon lecture BBC4

I think you have to see prostitution as being several different motivations. These tend to be economic, although the problem has never really been so much with prostitution but the exploitation of sex workers in society and their 'ostracisation' from social protection (forcing sex workers closer to organised crime).

In the rise of sex trafficking fear also plays a serious role (both of the traffickers and of the authorities - who are often interested in only the conviction of the traffickers, not the future of the girls trafficked).

Its unlikely that many sex workers make a deliberate choice, to do what they do (but that's by no means true of all those in the trade), but they all do make an economic one. Its not a career of initial choice, the lure is always the economic factor.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

I think the economic element is obviously the largest part to this.

Most of us have bills to pay, many of us don't do our ideal jobs. In situations where a person has chosen the sex trade (without compulsion) we should always keep our minds open as too their particular motivations

It's important not to stereotype (not that you have) with people who choose the sex trade....Sometimes they aren't defenseless, poor innocents who have no other options and need to be protected....But in many instances they are......For others, the reason why can be a sliding scale.....I imagine.

Some will see the amount they can earn an hour compared to cleaning toilets or working in Tescos and draw the obvious conclusions or view it as an easy wage top up or a way to pay off a debt.....Many don't think of the risks....Or have addictions or shock horror for some a high sex drive does factor in...The list of reasons is probably endless.

Obviously there is a crime/drugs problem linked to this and this is entirely the fault of the criminalising of the sex trade.

The law should be working to keep these workers safe.

Edited by Stirlingsays (25 Oct 2015 8.09pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

I agree with you entirely, and not only does a legal trade keep the workers safe, it generates taxable income, protects the clients and allows the 'trade' to be moved from the street. The workers also would benefit much more from outreach services and such to assist them, provide skill training and services aimed at breaking them out of the sex trade.

Also by using a centralized authority either via the Police or councils, to run and licence brothels and sex workers, you can then really focus on those who run exploitative and abusive operations, such as human trafficking, exploitative pimps, protect the workers from violent punters with security measures (and it encourages the girls to go to the police).

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

You could have a 'Buffet and a Muffing' carriage on each train, to while away the long delays. I seriously have never understood the mentality of governments trying to enforce morality over human nature. Things like sex and getting high are so very much ingrained in many peoples nature, that all the laws achieve is to criminalise people who otherwise would never come into contact with the Criminal Justice System.

Getting a criminal record for a handjob from a hooker could quite easily mean you'd lose your job (as it would potentially mean a criminal record) and could even be treated as a 'sex offence' (if it was pursued as public indecency), putting you on the sex offenders registry.

We're still tied to a strange middle classed puritanical influence, that simply demands that 'one moral code fits all', and all it achieves is further damaging parts of society, who never come into real contact with it (other than through religion maybe).

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]