Yet again, it is reported, youngsters who have experimented with drink and drugs have died. In this case the drugs are both legal in the UK, (with some restrictions). How many people have to die, or be affected to some degree by Mephedrone, before a serious educational awareness campaign begins and sensible and balanced controls are placed upon mephedrone.
Not being naive, I am clear that the two suggested deterrents will not be a perfect answer. Something though, does need to be done. Four countries have already banned Mephedrone; Sweden, Norway, Israel and Denmark.
In Scotland there is a move to place pricing controls on alcohol and it shows every likelihood of coming into force. It will penalise responsible drinkers, it remains to be seen though, if the pricing policy will have a true medium or long term affect on those people who abuse alcohol, and an affect on future generations. There has been a similar approach to tobacco. It did appear to have an affect on the figures for a while, (I don't have the figures) some people reduced their smoking or stopped. It has been noted though, according to radio news reports, that there is currently an increase in smoking.
With a Government election pending, this is, sadly and ridiculously, not a good time to make firm decisions around the serious problems that are highlighted with Mephedrone. The nature of our adversarial politics, the political games and point-scoring, will ensure a moratorium on a number of current social concerns.
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2 comments:
I'm not clear on your opinion here, ZACL. Are you saying something must be done quickly, or that quick decisions would be dangerous?
Hello Vincent,
Sorry my post is not as clear as I hoped it was.
Good decision making is never done on the hoof. The dangers inherent in the current situation are that there will be pressure from many quarters to do something, be seen to be doing something, (yesterday rather than tomorrow) the outcome of which could be dubious.
There is the additional problem of an election looming in the UK. The desire for power - a drug in itself - can paralyse sensible consideration. My fears on that score have already been borne out by the squabbling between parliamentarians, induced by point-scoring, on this very issue, on the major lunch time radio news programme on BBC Radio 4.
The crie de coeur "save us from the press and politicians" has real resonances most of the time, and in particular, now.
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