On monday the Advisory Council on Drugs Misuse reports to Jack Straw the Minsiter for Justice on whether Methadrone should be included within the current Misuse of Drugs Act as either a class A, B or C drug.
I have never used Methadrone nor do I have any particular desire to do so however I express my concern over a possible panic ban on the back of a few stories in the press.
In 2008 9,031 people died as a result of a legal drug called Alcohol and another legal drug Tobacco accounts for 80,000 deaths a year.
Banning Methadrone would not stop its use in fact it would just push it under ground leading to more danger for users as dealers cut it with other substances.
The other issue is that even if a ban does dry up supply it is only a matter of months before the chemists come up with a new legal high which may have even more harmful side effects.
Regulation to control the quality and doses of Methadrone would have a far less damaging effect on users.
Showing posts with label mental health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mental health. Show all posts
Saturday, 27 March 2010
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Mary Robinson
Was pleasing to see Mary Robinson's openness about her decision to stand down from Parliament due to depression.
Depression is a horrible illness that eats the person from the very inside of there soul.
All to often Mental Illness is stigmatised in the UK so Mary Robinson's decision to go public is helpful.
Alistair Campbell, Tony Bliar's media guru has done much to highlight many of the issues associated with Mental Illness.
www.time-to-change.org.uk
Depression is a horrible illness that eats the person from the very inside of there soul.
All to often Mental Illness is stigmatised in the UK so Mary Robinson's decision to go public is helpful.
Alistair Campbell, Tony Bliar's media guru has done much to highlight many of the issues associated with Mental Illness.
www.time-to-change.org.uk
Monday, 23 November 2009
Offending behaviour
The recent comments in a report by the Sainsbury's Centre for Mental Health highlight the links between children that have conduct issues in early years such as fighting and stealing often go on to a life of crime.
This is fine example of the need for progammes such as Sure Start which the Conservatives want to abolish.
It cost £30k to keep a adult in prision for a year whilst a Group Therapy programme costs £900 per child or about £4,000 if more intensive work.
Yesterday I attended the Young People of the Year awards where young people who have made a positive impact on there communities were awarded.
One of the winners had with the help of Social Services and the Police really turned her life around from a life that was going of the rails fast with substance abuse and involvement in crime.
I hate to think that Tory cuts would leave people like this young lady to fall through the net and in the long run cost society more in the long term.
Copy of the report below.
http://www.scmh.org.uk/news/2009_preventing_conduct_disorder.aspx
This is fine example of the need for progammes such as Sure Start which the Conservatives want to abolish.
It cost £30k to keep a adult in prision for a year whilst a Group Therapy programme costs £900 per child or about £4,000 if more intensive work.
Yesterday I attended the Young People of the Year awards where young people who have made a positive impact on there communities were awarded.
One of the winners had with the help of Social Services and the Police really turned her life around from a life that was going of the rails fast with substance abuse and involvement in crime.
I hate to think that Tory cuts would leave people like this young lady to fall through the net and in the long run cost society more in the long term.
Copy of the report below.
http://www.scmh.org.uk/news/2009_preventing_conduct_disorder.aspx
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