ChavWivaLawDegree

I like hearing about things like this because when you actually work with the sort of people most members of society just ignore, you realise that they are not just sleeping lumps in doorways, they are real people and once had dreams and aspirations like the rest of us until things in their lives became too difficult to control. I hope you will give us a report to let those of us unable to volunteer this year a glimpse of what we are missing out on.

Haha, thanks guys, I feel all warm and squashy - Oh no, sorry that's just the snickers I left in my pocket!

Or what about seroxat and other prescriptions drugs that are handed out like smarties?

Way too many funny/exciting/interesting bits to choose, but love Azuls off-the-wall interventions!

whooosh, over my head. Please explain! Oh you mean crack as in a broken bit. Ok sorry too much fresh air nowadays seems to be affecting my brain.

"Imagine that Chav - and informed debate from that fuddy duddy body you believe needs more people like you to be truly representative. Me thinks the system may be working and more reflective than one might contend." How do you know what I think of The Lords? I actually don't agree that they should go down the same route as The Commons with media spun elections etc but do think the current system is not fair as selection is not transparent and is skewed towards the party in power. Having said that, the only ones who have to toe any party line are the ones looking to be paid for sitting on select committees etc, so they are on the whole more independent than their sheep-like elected counterparts in the other chamber.

I read that the only drug that is illegal is Cannabis, the rest are just controlled. Read the Lords debate I put up for input from people who have worked in this area for decades. It is really well informed and interesting, honest!

Even the Police admit it isn't working.

I think that the total failure of prohibition is making some people in authority look at alternatives but like someone said above, the people making all the money out of the illegal drug trade have enormous power behind the scenes, and are unlikely to allow that power to be watered down without a fight!

From Lord Richard: Like the noble Lord, Lord Cobbold, I recommend that noble Lords look at the document issued by the North Wales Police Authority in response to the consultation paper we are considering today. Its view is clear, and interesting not only for what it says but whence it comes: that that police authority should urge the repeal of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and its replacement with a “misuse of substances” Act based on a new “hierarchy of harm” that would also include alcohol and nicotine. It also advocates that the police authority should seek affiliation with the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, which is campaigning for the repeal of prohibition and its replacement with a legal system of regulation and control. These are bold recommendations, coming from a police authority. This guy makes sense! My inclination now is much the same as that expressed recently by the noble and learned Lord, Lord McCluskey, in somewhat bold phrases: “If people are addicted to heroin, give them heroin. I'm not suggesting you sell it at newsagents, but if you were to offer it to addicts in a medically controlled setting, there would be no criminal market”. That argument seems to me to be unanswerable. Anyone getting a bit more respect for the dusty old Lords? I did when I started reading some of the Law Lords judgements during my degree. They seem not to be old fusty farts!

And Lord Cobbold: Prohibition was expected to rid the world of drugs by now. It has manifestly failed, and the Government cannot possibly argue that it has been a success. Obviously, no Government like to acknowledge failure but we now have a drugs trade which is reckoned to be the second largest world trade after oil and is totally in the hands of criminals, costing this country up to ?17 billion—or ?19 billion, as the noble Lord, Lord Mancroft, has just said. To continue with present policies is to accept and effectively tolerate the existence of the criminal gangs that control the trade.

I had to share this class bit of the debate by Lord Mancroft: "Noble Lords are aware that statistics are like bikinis; what they reveal may be very interesting, but what they conceal is far more important. Over 20 years in the drugs field, I have learnt that the figures that we are given, genuine though they may be, need to be treated with a very large pinch of salt. It is unarguable, however, that by any measure—overall drug use, drug-related crime, drug-related deaths, level of drug seizures, cocaine use, or whatever—the UK has the worst drug problem in Europe by a long measure and the second worst in the world after the United States." And this I pray that my children will never, ever take drugs, but I know that a significant proportion of their generation, from all walks of life, do and will take drugs. I would like the Minister to explain, when he comes to answer this debate, why the Government think that it is better for my kids or anyone else’s kids to buy drugs at an artificially inflated price—probably paid for by crime—of unknown strength and purity, which increases the risk of overdose, from criminals who are often armed and dangerous. The Minister could also tell us why the Government think that it is a good idea to follow a policy that benefits only criminals, international drug dealers and the Taliban.

haha, isn't that what I said? I think the way they are legalised/licenced etc needs to be very carefully managed. This is a report on the debate by the Lords http://transform-drugs.blogspot.com/2007/11/lords-savage-drug-strategy-consultation.html Got the wrong Hansard report. Gona try to find the right one. Ok this is the right one, but you have to press next section to carry on with it as it is quite a long debate. I'm gong to try to read it all because it is actually quite good once you get past the first bit where the Government reels off all their 'proof' that their policy is working. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200607/ldhansrd/text/71029-0007.htm

I agree with a lot of what the posters say here, but think there needs to be a serious look at alternatives to outright prohibition because it has been a total failure. There is a Lords enquiry into it at the moment I think so I'm going to try to dig out some of their findings as they are often a lot more enlightened and less prone to political cowardice than their counterparts in the commons!

But back to speed bumps, dangerous waste of money in my opinion. They encourage cars to race down the centre of the road before a vehicle coming the other way makes them have to actually ride over them in the way some person with very little imagination thought they would when they were designed.

"Keef - the school is a state boys' school in Sutton but it's selective. " So what happens to the ones that are not selected?

The only chains I like are Lidl cos its cheap and the fresh food is better than the others, WHSmiths because they sell a huge range of weird magazines you can't get anywhere else and Woolies cos it's ... well Woolies. Hate the rest of them. Has anyone read Tescopoly? Interesting book.

I would have places that are licenced to sell cannabis separate from ones that are licenced to sell harder drugs but may have to say yes to crack because at present it is controlled by gangsters and users are less likely than heroin users to go into treatment plus prohibition does not work, but crack is a seriously scary drug so I think more thought needs to be given to conditions when legalising it. If there could be shown you could decrease violence and other drug dealing related crime by allowing it be sold in certain licensed premises and can increase access to drug treatment and medical services then pragmatically we would really have no option but to explore that route. You will never be able to stop some people wanting to get sh!tfaced no matter how many laws you pass, but I think we need to look at harm reduction and removing the criminal control especially as drug money is used to fund a lot of very scary people.

Just because this was quite a popular subject on the boring thread. I think the current policy of prohibition isn't working and encourages marginalisation and violence so think all drugs should be legalised with some kind of licensing, removing the power of the gangsters in their distribution and they should be taxed with taxes being used to pay for rehab, health and outreach services for addicts.

Idiot tax - this seems to be a tax that falls heavily on the East Dulwich shopping community!

My boss said we all have to get drunk at our office party next Friday and eat lots of food. He's even getting a DJ in! I may be loud and legless by the time I make it to the Plough!

Haha, not the rest of the world or anything, just the rest of the bits science doesn't want!

No, that was when I was naughty and owned a diesel!

Oh you mean on here? Body to science, burn the rest and plant a tree in the on top of the ashes.

ok