If they make little plastic baggies illegal, only criminals will have them. Or something.

City may ban little baggies

Tiny plastic bags used to sell small quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and other drugs would be banned in Chicago, under a crackdown advanced Tuesday by a City Council committee.

Ald. Robert Fioretti (2nd) persuaded the Health Committee to ban possession of "self-sealing plastic bags under two inches in either height or width," after picking up 15 of the bags on a recent Sunday afternoon stroll through a West Side park.

Lt. Kevin Navarro, commanding officer of the Chicago Police Department's Narcotics and Gang Unit, said the ordinance will be an "important tool" to go after grocery stores, health food stores and other businesses. The bags are used by the thousand to sell small quantities of drugs at $10 or $20 a bag.

Navarro referred to the plastic bags as "Marketing 101 for the drug dealers." Many of them have symbols, allowing drug users to ask for "Superman" or "Blue Dolphin" instead of the drug itself, he said.

Prior to the final vote, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) expressed concern about arresting innocent people. He noted that extra buttons that come with suits, shirts and blouses -- and jewelry that's been repaired -- come in similar plastic bags.

Burnett was reassured by language that states "one reasonably should know that such items will be or are being used" to package, transfer, deliver or store a controlled substance. Violators would be punished by a $1,500 fine.

and beads! they sell beads in those baggies!

Um- I use those little plastic baggies for actor's jewelry-- rings, earrings, etc. I pin the baggies to their larger "ditty bag" so they do not get lost.

and beads! they sell beads in those baggies!

Um- I use those little plastic baggies for actor's jewelry-- rings, earrings, etc. I pin the baggies to their larger "ditty bag" so they do not get lost.

Yeah, sure. Admit it - both of you are taking the pot!

Someone once commented that if America went metric, the only people who would be comfortable with the measurements were scientists and drug dealers. sigh.

And people who were in 3rd grade in 1980, when they told us we were going metric in 2 years!

Yeah, those little plastic baggies are used for many more things than drugs! I think that's just silly. I can see wanting places to not help the drug trade, but you can't just ban SOME places from selling them and being OK with the drycleaner and bead store having them...and banning them altogether is ridic.

Phone interview finally happened, don't think it went great, had forgotten how damn draining an hour on the phone trying to think on your feet was. BLEHA.

those little plastic baggies are used for many more things than drugs!

Don't those people watch CSI?

If they make little plastic baggies illegal, only criminals will have them.

I use like a hundred of those a week in work. Plus gelatin capsules. It has been pointed out to me that I could easily run a drugs lab out of my office.

I really people would cancel meetings instead of just not show up en masse. Saves effort for those who can be arsed to actually show.