As this section is labelled Misc. Stuff. I thought I would give you a reference for a book to read that may remind you all why you are here, and swapping info about substance misuse.
Dr Theodore Dalrymple is a (retired) psychiatrist formerly practising in Birmingham - the name bTW is a pseudonym, who whilst he treats opiate patients absolutley hates them and all they stand for. In this book he puts up a polemical argument for doing away with all that SMMGP, and every other organisation that deals with addicts, as he believes that addiction is all in the mind, and that we exist solely to feather our own nests at the expense of the tax- payer and the weak willed addict.
I have tried to paste a link to the Amazon site so that you ca see the book, but I would urge all posters on this site to read this book - afterwards, you will know know what you are doing here
Romancing Opiates: Pharmacological Lies and the Addiction Bureaucracy by Theodore Dalrymple (Paperback - Sep 2008

Hi Bob,
Nice to see you back on the forum.
I'll not be feathering the good Doctors nest by buying his book.

Si,
Thanks for reminding uf of the thread, my memory can't be what it once was.

I have read some of Theodore Dalrympyle's articles in the press, and I am strongly critical of what he says. He strikes me as the very worst type of Big Brother statist, hidden in the guise of a libertarian.

Actually I believe much of what he says has some factual basis. There *is* a tendency to over-medicalise drug use, even dependent use, & statistics show that more people recover via "spontaneous remission" than through any treatment program.

This does indeed lead one to the conclusion that *elements* of addictive behaviour are choice based.

Where his theories leave me stone cold & shaking with anger, is that he does not make the logical jump from saying that if elements of addiction are based in choice, surely it is ridiculous to employ the police to prevent individuals from making BAD choices, and that a far more successful and humane strategy would be regulation of supply, public awareness & anti-drug advertising, [after all, we all agree intoxication per se, especially chronic intoxication is invariably a "bad thing"].

Rather he asserts that since, according to him, all addiction is choice based, therefore harm reduction, MMT, needle exchange etc, is all pandering to those who make bad choices, is totally undeserving of any public investment, and worst of all, the current criminalisation of drug use should continue.

In short Theodore Dalrympyle rehashes for a 21st century audience the extremely damaging theories of pre-methadone USA; that the best Rx for an opiate addict is a jail cell.

His ideas are such a caustic blend of personal libertarianism, mixed with extreme authoritarianism, that sometimes I hope that he is at heart an "agent provocateur" attempting to generate a debate on how much personal choice is involved in addiction, & therefore where the proper limits for medical intervention is, & that is we accept choice is a factor, surely as a society we should not be using limited law enforcement resources protecting people from themselves, but rather extending harm reduction to its logical conclusion: the legal & regulated availability of currently illegal drugs based on their harmfulness; ie hashish coffee shops, opium & coca leaves in pharmacies, & refined alkaloids only from specialist doctors in a controlled medical setting.

Just to say ….thanks for this. This forum, with its combination of wisdom, philosophy, and practical advice is not only educational but also a real pleasure to visit in gaps between clients. Oh yes, and the humour …. http://smmgp.groupee.net/eve/f...4030241/m/8891055662 kept the team here smiling for ages.

Re the dear Theodore (?!?) I remember but can't find at this moment an article by him when this book was first published in Druglink and I thoughtful reply by Peter McDermott - made we think but I remained of the opinion that he talks rubbish and is potentially (especially in current climate) dangerous