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[CLKD]

It's time that the whole drugs issue was pulled apart and put back together to help addicts and those who might take that route.

No other medical condition is denied regular support.  So people are afraid to approach anyone for help. I know many have to 'fight' for their treatments and to be heard, particularly with menopause and thyroid function issues but we aren't demonised (much).

It has been suggested in an article in the Sat papers (can't remember which 1) that people drawing up and injecting in a safe place, as well as having access to Social Services, homeless charities and clothing banks, has helped.  People with access to this service has improved the overall life-style of addicts in that they can get regular food and other health care. 

The methods that are in use currently haven't altered the situation across the UK.  If addicts had a safe place and not feel stigmatised they might be inclined to stick with rehabilitation programmes instead of remaining underground. 

[VictoryV]

Portugal have had interesting results.

We’ve only got to look at war veterans in the US who are denied pain relief and have turned to street heroin in desperation (agony) to see that prohibition is not working. Trump’s War on Drugs has sent it’s tax payers out to score instead of allowing GP’s to prescribe long standing relief. So the US gets less tax and increases the drug cartel’s wallet! It’s nuts. I hope the UK doesn’t follow but it’s looking like it is.

I do some voluntary addiction work and in a recent webinar an educated local councillor said that she thought addiction numbers would have fallen due to lockdown. I wanted to jump through my screen and shake her awake. I don’t think many drug sellers stopped due to lockdown restrictions and I doubt addicts stopped buying. Perhaps her local a la carte closed but I doubt home drinking ceased.

Perhaps when GP’s get back to normal we’ll see what affect Covid-19 had on addiction and Mental Health but my money’s on it’s a whole heap worse. Sadly.

[CLKD]

I agree.  Do U think that a safe place to meet, inject, get advice over the long-term would work?  Making drugs illegal certainly hasn't.  I wish that I could find the article  written by an ex-Policeman who saw a lot of addicts during his work.

[CherrySG]

If I recall correctly, registered heroin users used to be able to get access to a safe supply on the NHS in 1968. It's the unregulated amounts and dirty needles that mess up a lot of people.

I grew up on the South Coast and met quite a few heroin users in my teens. I later did some volunteering with a Notting Hill-based charity, now no longer running, sadly. (I only did their accounts, though, not advising!). They used to provide houses for people with a counsellor, and a few ordinary working folk, so that they didn't go back into their existing communities so much. They were brilliant, people went back into education and everything.  The addicts used to come into the houses when they'd done a hospital detox and were on methadone. They used to have to complete a weekly urine test, and had to leave if they failed! They had 4 of those big wedding-cake houses in Notting Hill, before Richard Curtis movies made it all posh and expensive.

Re cannabis, if the government at least legalised cannabis, then the farms in the UK using trafficked Vietnamese children, which is allegedly 90% of the cannabis available in the UK, would have to shut down. People would also smoke kinder strains, not that nasty acrid skunk stuff that is so prevalent in my town. People with arthritis could grow decent strains these days too since the summer is warmer (although not this summer). At least they could tax it, too. It is smoked openly in my town, and is  more noticeable since Covid.

[sheila99]

I don't see how any government can legalise something so harmful to society and their own health.

[CherrySG]

I don't see how any government can legalise something so harmful to society and their own health.

Alcohol is legal, though. Causes more fights, violence and health problems than cannabis. No-one ever got baked and felt like starting a fight. Plus it's already everywhere in plain sight...

[CLKD]

We haven't tried legalising it sheila.  Yet.  Why not a 10-20 year trial 2 c how people given the chance, can recover in plain site or at least access assistance.  Many won't go to food banks ........ whereas a better diet would improve their will power , if the brain is nourished we can make better decisions.

I read a book written by a user and her support worker: 4 her it was the preparation which was the draw, as the 'hit' was so quick and didn't last but laying out the kit could take as long as she wanted it to.  Also not knowing where the next drug of choice was going to be, focussed the mind on that - how to get the next fix.  Often once she had the drug to hand, she didn't need to use immediately. 

[sheila99]

I don't see how any government can legalise something so harmful to society and their own health.

Alcohol is legal, though. Causes more fights, violence and health problems than cannabis. No-one ever got baked and felt like starting a fight. Plus it's already everywhere in plain sight...

That's historical. If either alcohol or tobacco was discovered today I doubt they would be legalised.
 If you legalise anything you give the impression it's government approved and therefore not harmful. There will be some people who don't take them now because they're illegal.
 Abuse of women is everywhere too, it doesn't mean it should be legalised.

[CLKD]

Onions wouldn't be allowed either - no other veg. makes a person cry when it's peeled ;-) and there are 'nasties' in onions.

Living in today, we need to help people who rely on a drug culture.  If it was made legal, it would cut out a lot of gun/knife crime as well as suppliers. 

[CherrySG]

If drugs were regulated and legal, I imagine they'd lose much of the seedy glamour and riskiness which is part of the attraction for people.

[CLKD]

That's a possibility.

[funnell]

THANK YOU! so much CLDK for starting this topic. My daughter ,was almost 20, unfurtunately
was using H after being introduced to it by various types of people+she also had had some
trauma in past. So people want something to numb their pain +try +forget even temporarily
the pain. it could be alcohol,presciption drugs, otc drugs, glue sniffing,cutting 1 self, or food which could be in form of anorexia,
bulimia or binge eating. If some people have had perfect lives with no trauma,thats great ,but
a lot havent inc myself+my vice used to be dreadful binge eating,which couldv caused serious harm.
Unfortunately some(not all) DDs are not nice people +even more unfortunately my girl met the
wrong D D +ended up murdered. I so wish there was no stigma towards people who dont fit the
norm. As Sheila says if we knew years ago alcohol+tobacco were harmful, we wouldnt have made
them legal,BUT theyd have been in hands of dealers,+caused same probs as H +weed etc. but alcohol misuse
causes far more harm in overdoses ,drinkdriving, domestics etc.
having to cope with late post meno,constant trauma ,guilt,is too much sometimes. I thought i was coping as well as can be expected till meno, but post meno 18 months +its much harder to get through each day x

[jaypo]

Having worked on a daily basis with drug addicts,I'm not sure legalising it would be a good idea,very few addicts on methadone need nothing more,the vast majority are also taking Valium (one girl on EIGHT Valium a day) the majority also smoke crack or still take H,they shoplift on a regular basis,their daily legal limit would never be enough,don't get me wrong,some of these people were the nicest people you could meet,one girl,used to be a model,she was stunning in her day,latterly black teeth and ulcerated legs,one guy a divinity student,it's so so sad,when I hear people say "junky scum" I always think...you've never walked in their shoes

[CLKD]

Why do they shoplift jaypo? 


funnell  -  bad choices can destroy lives in more ways than one.  Parents can't protect their children all the while, some will go their own ways,  'knowing better' - and sadly get into deep troubles.  My sister was going to do what she wanted when she wanted, smoked from the age of 9 "I can stop" then found out when she decided to get pregntnat that it wasn't easy: alcohol too.  Sheer defiance.  Fortunately ............

'functioning alcoholics' as well as those who use drugs but manage to hold a job, come to light when they 'fess up to how they coped during those years.   

How we treat people dependant on illegal substances hasn't worked in the UK .  It must cost the public £Ks annually.

[jaypo]

To buy illegal valium and other drugs