Newbury "dodgy". Options

[Biker1]

An interesting insight into the causes of addiction.

But not into any cure?

[Turin Machine]

That's easy, in the new glorious socialist republic of the UK all citizens struggling under the yoke of the capitalist will be made heroes of the struggle against the system and will be entitled to their own private wing of their nearest socialist health centre. In the Berkshire oblast that will be the Royal (now called the citizen hero hospital) this will be paid for by the confiscation of ALL assets of the capitalist running dogs.

Lifted from the Jezza handbook on how to bugger a country!

[On the edge]

A fascinating video clip and certainly shouldn't be simply discounted. After all, the hard line policy we've had for decades hasn't worked at all, so looking at the problem from a wholly different perspective is quite right. Yes, there are some political parties that are suggesting something similar, they may well be right. After all, it wasn't long ago that homosexuality was suppressed with as much venom and vigor.

[Biker1]

A fascinating video clip and certainly shouldn't be simply discounted. After all, the hard line policy we've had for decades hasn't worked at all,

"Hard line policy"??

After all, it wasn't long ago that homosexuality was suppressed with as much venom and vigor.

Homosexuality doesn't cause crime, misery, death, and a huge burden on the taxpayer.

[On the edge]

"Hard line policy"??

Well. OK, I'd accept when measured against older codes, it's soft. But then, all other punishments have softened. Read NWN, barely a week goes by without someone with previous getting not much more than a caution for roughing up his girlfriend because someone looked him in a pub.




Homosexuality doesn't cause crime, misery, death, and a huge burden on the taxpayer.

Debatable point. The spy scandles back in the 1950s were generally perpetrated by homosexuals who were controlled by the threat of being revealed. That cause and effect in domestic politics caused ugh distress and investigatory cost.


I appreciate its hotly contested, but alcohol misuse causes similar mayhem. It's also just as addictive but the cost of a fix is far lower and it's far easier to buy. So, it's an interesting point, what would happen if drugs were made freely available? Sure, as they found in Holland, in some areas 'dopehead' activity got out of hand....but we knew that already, with alcohol, we still have some areas out of control; like Newbury Town Centre tonight!

[TallDarkAndHands...]

The president of the Philippines seems to have a novel way of dealing with the issue...... I doubt a drug problem will exist in that particular country soon.

[On the edge]

The president of the Philippines seems to have a novel way of dealing with the issue...... I doubt a drug problem will exist in that particular country soon.

Nor will much else!

[JeffG]

OTE: "I appreciate its hotly contested, but alcohol misuse causes similar mayhem. It's also just as addictive but the cost of a fix is far lower and it's far easier to buy."
(Hard to quote you when you stick your reply inside someone else's quote!)

I didn't realise it was possible to buy something to fix alcoholism. Perhaps I have missed some scientific advance. Apple juice?

[On the edge]

OTE: "I appreciate its hotly contested, but alcohol misuse causes similar mayhem. It's also just as addictive but the cost of a fix is far lower and it's far easier to buy."
(Hard to quote you when you stick your reply inside someone else's quote!)

I didn't realise it was possible to buy something to fix alcoholism. Perhaps I have missed some scientific advance. Apple juice?

Sorry!

I should have put 'fix' in inverted commas, I meant that an alcoholic's 'fix', i.e. drink is very cheap. Even with restrictions, supermarkets sell very cheap liquor. From what little I know, I don';t think there is a 'methadone type' alcoholic substitute and the only thing that really works seems to be forced abstinence. Sounds easy, but isn't.

[JeffG]

Ah right of course. I should have realised you meant fix in that sense.

[Simon Kirby]

But not into any cure?

Well, if what the video says is right about addiction having social factors then that does open up an avenue doesn't it.

To answer your initial question though: if it takes a prescription of heroin to keep an addict together then I have no ethical problem with that. It isn't a cure, but if it gives the addict the possibility of avoiding the otherwise inevitable chaotic decline that that at least buys some time.

And yes, I would legalise psychoactive drugs because criminalisation creates more problems than it solves, though it might be effective to criminalise supply and provide addicts with support to clean up, and certainly every effort should be made to discourage use - however, I'd like to see some proportionality here because alcohol is surely the most troubling psychoactive drug socially and yet I enjoy the odd tincture and can't easily resolve that dichotomy.

[Andy Capp]

Licence drugs, then tax them sufficiently to pay for rehab. The downside is what it does to countries that supply it.

[Simon Kirby]

Licence drugs, then tax them sufficiently to pay for rehab. The downside is what it does to countries that supply it.

I'm not so sure that the illicit nature of the drug makes much difference to the producers who face a tough time of it whether they're growing poppy, cannabis and coca, as against growing tea, coffee, and tobacco. Again, it's possible that criminalising the production creates the environment that supports violent criminal gangs.