Hattons on the slippery slope

[Doc Alan]

Cocaine is highly addictive and Ricky Hatton is not the first British boxer to take it (Frank Bruno and Joe Calzaghe come to mind).
The hypocrisy is that alcohol and tobacco are legal and taxed ; drugs which are in massive demand are illegal, allowing all profits to go to those outside the law. Drug supply and consumption must be legalised, taxed and controlled. Drug criminality fuels corruption and violence. People should be free to make lifestyle decisions without state intervention. I'm not condoning smoking, drinking to excess, or taking drugs ...but if people chose to do so, and fall ill, they should be treated as patients, not criminals.

[triple5]

Cocaine is highly addictive and Ricky Hatton is not the first British boxer to take it (Frank Bruno and Joe Calzaghe come to mind).
The hypocrisy is that alcohol and tobacco are legal and taxed ; drugs which are in massive demand are illegal, allowing all profits to go to those outside the law. Drug supply and consumption must be legalised, taxed and controlled. Drug criminality fuels corruption and violence. People should be free to make lifestyle decisions without state intervention. I'm not condoning smoking, drinking to excess, or taking drugs ...but if people chose to do so, and fall ill, they should be treated as patients, not criminals.

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore seems in favour of decriminalizing drugs

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...op-doctor.html

I'd have to agree with him, or at least some of the less harmful drugs. Cocaine probably not, too addictive.

I think Ricky hatton will be fine, probably the wake call he needs. His careers over already, but if he can find something to keep him occupied, whether it be his promoting or training another fighter he'll be ok He's a good lad, just likes being one of the lads a bit too much

[junior02]

Cocaine is highly addictive and Ricky Hatton is not the first British boxer to take it (Frank Bruno and Joe Calzaghe come to mind).
The hypocrisy is that alcohol and tobacco are legal and taxed ; drugs which are in massive demand are illegal, allowing all profits to go to those outside the law. Drug supply and consumption must be legalised, taxed and controlled. Drug criminality fuels corruption and violence. People should be free to make lifestyle decisions without state intervention. I'm not condoning smoking, drinking to excess, or taking drugs ...but if people chose to do so, and fall ill, they should be treated as patients, not criminals.

i think that people that take cocaine should not be treated on nhs. its ilegal and the people that take it and fall ill from it thats ther own faut and problem. its crazy to say that people that take cocaine should be treated as patients and not criminals. if u take drugs u are a criminal and you are giving money 2 no gud scumbag drug dealers. i work on doors in and around bristol and see the aftermath of kids high on cocaine, and b4 anybody says about drinking to much, well drink is legal and the kids that are drunk are far more easier to control than those on drugs like cocaine. ive no time for drug users and dealers and the do gooders, all that think they have the right to get treated by our not free nhs as every honest working person in uk is paying towards it every week from ther hard earned wages. if the goverment made a rule that if u take drugs and fall ill, you will not get treatment on nhs, i think that a lot of people would think again b4 they took drugs.....