I understand that accurate figures aren't necessarily readily available but there is plenty of good anecdotal evidence around and imformative articles on the internet. Also, Dr McPhilipps from the Priory, in the Guardian article above, seems to be a good source of useful information as he and others like him see the addicts coming in for treatment. I have personally heard the same from a similar source in Yorkshire where the abuse of valium is known to lead to addiction as described in the Guardian newspaper. It isnt just heroin and crack cocaine that causes all of the problems. And the experts also tell us that the heroin "substitute", methadone, is also a highly addictive substance that has nasty withdrawal effects. Again, methadone is a prescribed substance that is often abused. There is a Mr Hepburn in the Alexander clinic Aberdeenshire that is a expert in the subject of methadone.
I guess the information is there but is possibly not being collated / gathered / analysed.
Looking at his website:
"Patients of The Alexander Clinic include company directors, dentists, doctors, ex-pats, farm workers, housewives, office workers, oil workers, refuse collectors, retired people, road sweepers and teachers - to name only some of those who come to us."
Thank you so much lastlid for your contributions . I have always hoped that I was also a source of valuable information, after 35 years in the health service, with evidence from professional experience which is NOT anecdotal. My posts usually require several hours of work to prepare, so that they are accurate to the best of my knowledge .
And you certainly are.
Unfortunately for me I learned an unimaginable lot on the topic(s) a few years ago, over the course of many years. I am glad to say that for me it is all in the past. Everything I learned on the sorry substances is all in my head. But nontheless based on sound observation and also discussion with the police and various medical experts on drug abuse.
"Methadone for drug addicts costs the taxpayer £105m in four years"
"A government spokesman said: "We know that the annual cost of drug misuse in the wider context of total economic and social costs is estimated at £3.5billion.
"That's over £60,000 per problem drug user - a cost for the whole community. However, these costs typically decrease by tens of thousands of pounds once an individual engages in treatment to support their recovery.
"That's why we are providing a record £28.6million investment in frontline drug treatment services in 2010-11 and our view is that the overarching aim of all drug treatment services should be recovery and this is at the core of our drugs strategy.""
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/he...xpayer-1071373
I am a bit sceptical on this one
I mean did the skunk cause them to have mental health issues
They could have had mental health issues anyway and smoking skunk is just a coincidence
They may have smoked cannabis at some stage in their life but this does not mean that this caused them to have mental health issues
With so many youngsters using cannabis i feel this report was flawed
Put it another way, how many people with mental health issues have consumed tea or coffee in their lifetime as well !
Also many smokers at some stage in their life (18-30) have used cannabis and i doubt that all of them ended up with mental health issues
I read the research on this and to me it looked like they were adding 2 and 2 together and making 6
Small when compared to to the amount of police time taken up with dealing with drunks and dealing with alcohol related incidents = fights assaults drink driving vandalism domestic disputes
Most of our town centers become "no go areas" on friday and saturday evenings/nights dues to alcohol abuse and how many policeman tied up dealing with these idiots week after week
Xanax = Benzodiazepines
For me on a long haul flight these are the answer, i cant sleep upright and i cant sleep on a plane without them................what am i meant to do for 12 hours twiddle my thumbs!
Consume one pill and the next you know you have arrived at your destination
Purchased on the net because most docs here wont prescribe them for travel
I have not become addicted to them
I only ever take them on long haul flights and i never even been tempted to take them at other times
Doctors in the uk will prescribe you Zopiclone/Zolpidem these are pretty useless and at best will knock you out for around 1 hour = not so great on a 12 hour flight
Sorry but when i fly i need something to knock me out for many hours and i dont do alcohol
Some of you may change your tune when one of your kids have been beaten black and blue all for the sake of his dinner money etc...all these losers need locking up...look at that story reported last week when that girl was 20 p short of her bus fare...some drug addled teenage raped and beat her beyond recognition...that scum was caged for 22 years yehey!..commonsense at last from our courts.
They should all hang Imagine...
' what am I on'....nowt Lastlid....never have, never will. Same for alcohol.
Perhaps having alcoholism and barbiturate abuse in my crazy family helped put me off those.
The last part of my last post (which you failed to quote) explained my stance on this subject.
I have been on the receiving end of teenage addicts...I know what emotional hell these assholes can put you through...no easy answers here for the onlookers but for those like myself who has seen what destruction drugs can do not only to the individual but whole families ruined....it would surely be kinder to jail them for at least there own protection.
you know a good lot of the time the blame is put on the drugs as an excuse for what they would have done anyway,
the same goes for alchahol
This is one subject I know quite alot about...through actual life experience...note latter part of # 72.
To say on a public forum that with or without drug addiction its something you would of done anyway is irresponsible at best.
Surely thats the mindset of an addict anyway.
I'll apologise for my reply....quite uncalled for but, this is an emotive subject especially if a great deal of your formative years have been blighted by these drug addictions by family members.
You make it sound like these people come down with a nasty illness - rather than people with agency who can chose to take a drug or not. They're not victims. Drug possession is *meant* to be a crime. So I'm not sure what the point is here? Parents of criminals might be more willing to make excuses and be more sympathetic towards the actions of their children? What is new? Doesn't change the fact that all criminals should face the full weight of the law. Mine included.
Excellent post Paul...reputation on its way...good to see you have been un banned
yes you say alcoholism and barbiturate abuse in my crazy family helped put me off those.
i can see thats why you appear very single minded on this, the 2 drugs you mention do not have a good background,
when i was young i drank too much, often paraletic, but i didn't become alchaholic , nor did i commit crime, different drugs have different effects on individuals,so the drug nor the individual can be tarnished the same,
i did not say (with or without drug addiction its something you would of done anyway)
i said
(Quote) you know( a good lot of the time) the blame is put on the drugs as an excuse for what they would have done anyway,
please do not twist my words, you sound like a court lawyer
drugs and drink are not always the fuel to fire the crime, but in some cases may be the fuse to the powder
Agreed. But some forum members are talking about hanging people for drug abuse, regardless. And lets say capital punishment is administered for drug abuse, where do we draw the line?
If someone uses / abuses drugs but isn't a menace to society, do we then string them up, as some are suggesting?
a subject i know alot about to, i lived with a drug addict for nearly 20yrs, addicts are not the only victims so are their family.
i dont think anyone wants to become addicted to drugs, but we all have difference tolerances and for some it's easy to become addicted, and for some of those impossible to give up
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