Do We Want Such Centres In Britain?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/shooting-galleries-the-drug-plan-that-could-be-too-liberal-for-even-brighton-8577402.html

And if such drugs are classed as illegal how can they suddenly become legal in only certain locations such as Brighton, which is already called the Gay centre of Britain?

[Baldric]

///Addicts are given free heroin and clean needles to ensure quality control and reduce blood-borne viruses///

and these of course will be paid for by?????

Ah yes, that will be the UK tax payer again!

[anotheoldgit]

ummmm

/// What has *which is already called the Gay centre of Britain?* got to do with story? ///

One could also ask what has drugs to do with Brighton?

[ummmm]

Because Brighton had/has a high drug problem.

[MadMen]

Baldric, what would you rather though? These centres have been proven to reduce crime, save lives, and clean the streets of drug paraphernalia. Surely that's a small price to pay, to ensure the safety of ourselves, the drug addicts, and our children?

[MadMen]

It's known as "the drug death capital of the UK", apparently.

[jim360]

andy - in that case, sorry!

[MadMen]

If it does work, and that's a big IF, I would be concerned about where the dealers would go?
The evidence they have so far, with the other centres, is that they "move on to other towns and cities". Surely that's just sorting out the problem in one place, and forcing it to another?

I don't know. I'm not convinced.

Put them in every single town and city that has a drug problem, and then we'll see a massive difference, but just one isn't going to help much, in the grand scheme of things.

[JackDiamond]

Andy would it not be a good idea to stick all those on Sick Benefit down there as well. The fresh sea air may make some of them feel better.

[anotheoldgit]

ummmm

/// Because Brighton had/has a high drug problem. ///

Then let's turn that on it's head once again, you made that accusation, so why do you think that Brighton in particular has a high drug problem?

Why not Southend, Blackpool, or even Skeggy?

[Baldric]

“For whatever reason we do have the unwanted unofficial title of Drugs Death Capital of England,”
In fact, in the past couple of years, Brighton has slipped back from the No 1 spot for drug-related deaths.
It now ranks eighth, with Manchester first

[ummmm]

Because Brighton is probably convenient to those that are advocating this project.

[FredPuli43]

Why has Brighton in particular have a high drug problem ? Do you need to ask anyone, aog? It's because it is the "Gay centre of Britain",otherwise you would you have never mentioned that in your original post, would you? If you didn't think there was a link, why did you mention gays?

[LazyGun]

It seems to me that we need to radically change our approach to drugs, their availability, their sale, and the damage and costs to society of long term drug abuse.

What is certainly true is that the current approach is not really working. We spend an inordinate amount of money in policing drugs - but the drugs keep coming, and the illegal nature of the drug trade makes some criminals very rich and others very dead in trying to corner the trad- not to mention the petty and occasionally more serious crimes committed by addicts searching for their next fix.

This is quite apart from the costs to the health service of treating the diseases that such addicts often develop.

Set against that, a system of clinics that could reduce some of those societal costs would probably end up saving money, quite apart from anything else.

We have spent billions- maybe trillions- of dollars globally in the war on drugs, all from the taxpayers purse. The potential savings in policing and health costs and the potential benefits of tax etc on legalising and controlling the drug trade are enormous - one recent study suggested the US could save 76 billion dollars a year!.

So- its a worthwhile experiment, and we should be open-minded enough to consider alternatives to our current approach on drugs - if only for cold-hard cost terms...

[MadMen]

But surely that's not the underlying reason why it has *such* a bad drug problem, because of the gays? If that were the case, then it'd be number one on the list, wouldn't it? Not eighth.

[anotheoldgit]

FredPuli43

/// Why has Brighton in particular have a high drug problem ? Do you need to ask anyone, aog? It's because it is the "Gay centre of Britain ///

Are you absolutely sure that is the reason Fred, because i was just wondering why all the focus on Brighton?

Gay Centre of Britain, highest number of drug deaths (I am now told), location of proposed drug taking centre, why is Brighton singled out so much?

Are all these things linked together, if so why?

[MadMen]

Totally agree with everything you said there, LG, but what about the question I raised above? Surely setting up one of these centres in just Brighton alone is going to force the dealers to move elsewhere?
Would you think it was such a great idea if your town or city suddenly became saturated with drug pushers?

I agree, something needs to done on the war against drugs. The current 'solution' is just not working.
I'm just not convinced that one lousy centre will have much of an impact, in the grand scheme of things, although I appreciate they have to start somewhere.

[jim360]

It might be that if the Brighton centre has a positive local impact the scheme will be rolled out nationally. At least you'd hope so. In the short term it might not be so good for neighbouring cities, but still worth a try even so.

[Baldric]

Jim, are you advocating Nationalising the Drug Trade,
with the taxpayer picking up the bill?

[FredPuli43]

aog, do stop being so mischievous, lol . As you well know, that proposition was being ascribed to you by me. It is not mine. The proposition was so ascribed because I (and others) still want to know why "Gay centre" and the drug centres were together in you original post. The natural assumption is that you see the two as related . Do you? If so, why?

[andy-hughes]

No problem jim - thank you.

Irony in print is tricky to pull off - because without the sarcastic voice tone and eye-rolling you can do in speech, print looks the same, serious or not.

So, as here, I ladle it on really thick - because it makes me laugh, and I am usually assured of being ignored by AOG - which is fine.