Great first for Brighton. Clean drug user rooms.

[kevtherev]

Drug taking is against the law, end of. I think the whole concept is disgusting...What's the argument for People are going to do it anyway, so give them a safe environment to do it....Well some people are always going to abuse children, are we going to give them a side room with a lock on the door...Jesus wept no wonder this country is such a shit hole, when people actually thing this is a good idea.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Drug taking is against the law, end of. I think the whole concept is disgusting...What's the argument for People are going to do it anyway, so give them a safe environment to do it....Well some people are always going to abuse children, are we going to give them a side room with a lock on the door...Jesus wept no wonder this country is such a shit hole, when people actually thing this is a good idea.

No...but it might be an idea to better connect them with addiction services, which is what this concept is all about, and get them off the stuff, thus reducing at a stroke: dealing, burglary, shoplifting, money laundering, car crime, other sorts of theft, the deposition of used needles in public places like children's playgrounds, clusters of addicts milling around on street corners, the pressure on the NHS caused by drug use, the cost to the criminal justice system of these people constantly cycling in and out of court and prison...

You're clearly right. Let's continue with the current head-in-the-sand approach, because it's working BRILLIANTLY

 

[Westdene Seagull]

If I could be bothered I would find examples.

Oh good, you make ignorant, uninformed posts but won't ( or more likely can't ) back them up !

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Drug taking is against the law, end of. I think the whole concept is disgusting...What's the argument for People are going to do it anyway, so give them a safe environment to do it....Well some people are always going to abuse children, are we going to give them a side room with a lock on the door...Jesus wept no wonder this country is such a shit hole, when people actually thing this is a good idea.

Well bugger me with a pinecone - someone more stupid than [MENTION=2393]Uncle C[/MENTION] !

 

[kevtherev]

No...but it might be an idea to better connect them with addiction services, which is what this concept is all about, and get them off the stuff, thus reducing at a stroke: dealing, burglary, shoplifting, money laundering, car crime, other sorts of theft, the deposition of used needles in public places like children's playgrounds, clusters of addicts milling around on street corners, the pressure on the NHS caused by drug use, the cost to the criminal justice system of these people constantly cycling in and out of court and prison...

You're clearly right. Let's continue with the current head-in-the-sand approach, because it's working BRILLIANTLY

How about just nick them, lock them up in a cell until the are clean....It's a very noble concept the way you put it but we all know in reality they won't clean up at all. They will just take their crap and go straight back on the streets and commit all the crimes they were going to anyway.

 

[kevtherev]

I wonder what percentage of people who think this is a good idea, smiled and cheered at a great leaders passing last week. Probably in excess of 90%, I would bet my balls on it.

 

[Dan Gleeballs]

I wonder what percentage of people who think this is a good idea, smiled and cheered at a great leaders passing last week. Probably in excess of 90%, I would bet my balls on it.

My God

 

[soistes]

I wonder what percentage of people who think this is a good idea, smiled and cheered at a great leaders passing last week. Probably in excess of 90%, I would bet my balls on it.

I'm beginning to think that some mischievous person in Tunbridge Wells has slipped some recreational drugs into your Earl Grey tea

 

[Buzzer]

As an ex-right winger I never understand why right-wingers are so in favour of personal choice and decriminalising victim-less crimes yet are so anti legalisation of drugs.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

I wonder what percentage of people who think this is a good idea, smiled and cheered at a great leaders passing last week. Probably in excess of 90%, I would bet my balls on it.

From one Wellian to another, it is not law that you must uphold the reputation of our town at all costs.

 

[kevtherev]

I'm not going to add anymore to this, it to emotive. I've lost people in the past to drugs, who thought they were in control and they can handle it etc etc.....had wives, kids etc etc....I've seen it all. Personally I never have and never will touch anything, apart from a few puffs many years ago. What I do know, is drugs destroy lives. I'd much rather the people I have lost been banged up for six months cold turkey and came out clean, then have some safe house to go and shoot up to their hearts content...What a waste of life...But to all those who think it's cool and trendy and well ard...carry on.

 

[Questions]

I would just have settled for pubs and clubs to provide a dark coloured flat surface in their toilet cubicles. It's not to much to ask is it ? Not a fan of the key in the bag.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

I am thinking of opening a room in Plymouth with free Doom Bar and Tribute so all the ale drinkers can be in one place and get googled without causing carnage down Union Street every weekend.

 

[BadFish]

This idea that drug users will somehow flock to Brighton if a regulated policy of approved premises is put in place: I just don't think it's going to happen.

We're not talking about a cheery "bring your gear, everyone's invited" approach. From what I can see, it would be on a referral basis, those involved would have to go through the system and demonstrate some sort of commitment to the service (and in the long term, getting clean).

A lot of heroin users don't want to be part of the system and would view such a policy with suspicion, certainly at first, fearing that, all the time the drugs remain illegal, it would be some kind of set-up by the authorities. They shoot up in their own homes, or in dark corners of public places, away from other people. I'm not sure all of them would feel comfortable about doing it in a supervised environment. That, and many users lead such chaotic lifestyles, that the idea of thousands of them all packing their bags and heading for Brighton simply because they can stick a needle in their arm in a sterile room, just doesn't stand up for me.

Those who argue it's giving users carte blanche to continue their habit: well what else do you suggest? The current policy on drugs clearly isn't having much effect, so I don't see the problem with people trying to come up with new ideas to tackle it. To say that nobody would want such a premises at the end of their street is stating the obvious- but if you live in central Brighton or Hove, drug use is likely to be going on at the end of your street anyway. They just do it in the parks, and toilets, and down alleyways, and then dump the detritus for some other poor individual to stumble upon, or keel over unconscious and then waste the time of the ambulance service who have to be despatched on blue lights with a carton full of Narcan. It's all well and good saying we should be more concerned about the old ladies that these users mug (although most of them resort to shoplifting or burglary rather than mugging): yes, victims obviously deserve support, but wouldn't it be better to try and stop these people becoming victims in the first place?

If you are not in the police PR department then they are wasting your talents Edna. Smart articulate and posting based of fact and realism. Thanks for bring a whole load of sense to this discussion.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

BBC News - Brighton considers drug-use rooms in bid to reduce deaths

As pointed out on the Albion Roar a couple of weeks ago, Brighton was the drugs-death capital for years. Now it's slipped down the list, to outside the play-off places.

Good news!

 

[Comedy Steve]

No...but it might be an idea to better connect them with addiction services, which is what this concept is all about, and get them off the stuff, thus reducing at a stroke: dealing, burglary, shoplifting, money laundering, car crime, other sorts of theft, the deposition of used needles in public places like children's playgrounds, clusters of addicts milling around on street corners, the pressure on the NHS caused by drug use, the cost to the criminal justice system of these people constantly cycling in and out of court and prison...

You're clearly right. Let's continue with the current head-in-the-sand approach, because it's working BRILLIANTLY

Well said.

 

[dingodan]

Those who argue it's giving users carte blanche to continue their habit: well what else do you suggest? The current policy on drugs clearly isn't having much effect

This is the main point for me. Drugs are illegal. We tried to make using drugs "forbidden" using the law. People still use drugs. The law can not change a person, it cannot mold behavior, and we need to stop trying to use it that way.

There are laws against murder, but they don't prevent murder, they just set out the punishment a person will face if they commit murder, and rightly so. But it does not stop it from happening. The law as a tool of crime prevention, does not work. And using the criminal justice system to punish people for addiction, which is a medical problem, is a waste of time and resources, and it's results are counter productive.

I'm amazed it has taken this long for the legislature to start to look at a social medical approach to this problem, Hopefully we can start to make some progress now.

 

[BadFish]

I'm not going to add anymore to this, it to emotive. I've lost people in the past to drugs, who thought they were in control and they can handle it etc etc.....had wives, kids etc etc....I've seen it all. Personally I never have and never will touch anything, apart from a few puffs many years ago. What I do know, is drugs destroy lives. I'd much rather the people I have lost been banged up for six months cold turkey and came out clean, then have some safe house to go and shoot up to their hearts content...What a waste of life...But to all those who think it's cool and trendy and well ard...carry on.

For someone who as seen it all you don't seem to have much clue about this issue.

You idea of banging up addicts to go cold turkey only works if drugs are not available in prison.

I guess it also depends on your view of addicts too. Many on this thread seem to see drug addiction as a cconsidered lifestyle choice instead of a series of bad choices gone badly wrong. Maybe there are some that are happy with a constant cycle of withdrawls and petty crime but my experience is that there are also many who want assistance to get clean and to lead a useful life. Do we help these people or continue complaining when they resort to a life of crime?

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

This is the main point for me. Drugs are illegal. We tried to make using drugs "forbidden" using the law. People still use drugs. The law can not change a person, it cannot mold behavior, and we need to stop trying to use it that way.

There are laws against murder, but they don't prevent murder, they just set out the punishment a person will face if they commit murder, and rightly so. But it does not stop it from happening. The law as a tool of crime prevention, does not work. And using the criminal justice system to punish people for addiction, which is a medical problem, is a waste of time and resources, and it's results are counter productive.

I'm amazed it has taken this long for the legislature to start to look at a social medical approach to this problem, Hopefully we can start to make some progress now.

No deterrent-

Perhaps the government could allow a few companies to open a few factories and legally produce under licence and tax the drugs thus eliminating illegal imports?

 

[Working class pride]

Brighton has had the worst (now one of the worst) drug problems in the country for how long? 20 perhaps even 30 years. This has been picked up over the last few years and now people are trying out things to make things better. It may work, it may not but not trying anything new is not an option.