True cost of druggies

[joxville]

Yet again, our Government saw fit to try withhold information from us, this time about the cost of treating addicts:

http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?...mentid=8586784

In my opinion, (which these days is worth diddly-squat), they should be left to suffer cold turkey, then through time help them in a way that they are unlikely to use drugs again.

[Lord Flasheart]

Im with you Jox.

A room, a bucket, and bread and water .. add one junkie and wait a month.

Why should these wastes of skin, blood and organs get FREE methadone when Asthmatics have to PAY for their inhalers??, there isnt much I like about the justice system in Saudi Arabia but the way they treat drug offences (and offenders) is one of them.

Maybe we should just change the word "addict" to "smoker" and watch everyone jump on the bandwagon ..

[squidge]

A room, a bucket, and bread and water .. add one junkie and wait a month.

Why should these wastes of skin, blood and organs get FREE methadone when Asthmatics have to PAY for their inhalers??, there isnt much I like about the justice system in Saudi Arabia but the way they treat drug offences (and offenders) is one of them.

And maybe we should read the last quote of the article and try to help these often sad and desperate people

More than £730,000 could be saved if an addict was successfully brought into treatment by the age of 21, it added.

Maybe Emma Caldwells parents http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/...st/7000154.stm would agree that their daughter was one of your

wastes of skin, blood and organs

and not worth £70 000. What do you think?

I cant condone asthmatics having to pay for prescriptions when drug addicts dont pay for methadone but then I cant condone the fact that I get free prescriptions because i take thyroxine when an asthmatic has to pay for inhalers. At least a drug addict has a chance of being on Income support and therefore entitled to free prescriptions anyway - Im working. The system is flawed and at least the SNP are seeing their way to giving everyone free prescriptions - thats much fairer.

[Lord Flasheart]

Sorry .. Drug Addicts are simply the lowest of the low.

No sympathy for these "sad and desperate" people from me.. none. You make it sound like they are victims for pitys sake, they are their own worst enemy.

I have plenty of sympathy for those who are ill through no fault of their own and cant get treatment because we are spending good money feeding the addictions of individuals who made a concious choice and wrecked their lives.

As for the lass in the news article .. so what ??, a drug addict is dead. Couldnt care less, not bothered. More important things in life to worry about. Considering I give to a charity every month to provide for injured service personnel because the Goverment wont why should I ??, this country has its priorities so far out of whack it is laughable.

If you are wondering why I am so forceful on the subject heres why .. a druggie slashed a niece of a workmate a few years back, she is scarred for life. When it went to court he had all sorts of social workers etc etc lining up to make excuses for him. He tried to rob her and she paid all right, with her looks. He walked free and died of an overdose a few months later, I raised a pint to him with a great big smile on my face.

[sam]

If you want to go down that road then its not only the Drug Addicts that cost the tax payers.......... So why single them out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3537257.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5360926.stm

And these figures are up to 4 years ago so what is the cost now.

[theone]

If you want to go down that road then its not only the Drug Addicts that cost the tax payers.......... So why single them out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3537257.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5360926.stm

And these figures are up to 4 years ago so what is the cost now.

As I said on the piercings thread, I don't think you should single anyone out a worthy or not of treatment.

You could argue that smoking and drinking is legal, where drugs are not, but then do we stop treating speeding drivers involved in crashes?

[golach]

If you want to go down that road then its not only the Drug Addicts that cost the tax payers.......... So why single them out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3537257.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5360926.stm

And these figures are up to 4 years ago so what is the cost now.

I have not heard of many smokers and drinkers, mugging OAP's and committing crime, apart from the odd shoplifter, to buy fags or booze, but open any newspaper on any day and you will see a druggie, has robbed some defenseless person. Thats why I single out drug users.

[squidge]

I am not saying all drug addicts are victims just that some are. How many of them think when they are young "oh I know what I will do with my life? I'll be a drug addict" How much of a choice is it when you are at your lowest, unable to deal with the blows life gives you, struggling to make it through a day, cant see through the mist of desperation and someone you know, love and trust gives you "something to make you feel better"? Suddenly you might realise your life is out of control... unfortunately the chances of you getting rehab to help you get out of that is small. Where do you go what do you do?

The country has its priorities wrong I absolutely agree with you on that, But you dont fix that by saying fine we will let people die over here but we will save people over there...

If people need help and it costs 70 000 to help one person come OFF drugs why are we not spending that?

Oh and i too have horror stories, except mine is about a friend whose young son was killed by an ex serviceman drunk and angry. He got off with a short sentence and had all sorts of social workers and psychiatrists lined up to say how out of character it was, how damaged he was da de da de daaaaaaa. Are all ex servicemen vicious thugs? should they all be locked up on leaving the services? No of course not - nor are all drug addicts wasters....

[Venture]

Sorry .. Drug Addicts are simply the lowest of the low.

No sympathy for these "sad and desperate" people from me.. none. You make it sound like they are victims for pitys sake, they are their own worst enemy.

I have plenty of sympathy for those who are ill through no fault of their own and cant get treatment because we are spending good money feeding the addictions of individuals who made a concious choice and wrecked their lives.

As for the lass in the news article .. so what ??, a drug addict is dead. Couldnt care less, not bothered. More important things in life to worry about. Considering I give to a charity every month to provide for injured service personnel because the Goverment wont why should I ??, this country has its priorities so far out of whack it is laughable.

If you are wondering why I am so forceful on the subject heres why .. a druggie slashed a niece of a workmate a few years back, she is scarred for life. When it went to court he had all sorts of social workers etc etc lining up to make excuses for him. He tried to rob her and she paid all right, with her looks. He walked free and died of an overdose a few months later, I raised a pint to him with a great big smile on my face.

The thing is they weren't always sad and desperate people. Addiction is an illness no matter what the substance. None of us know the circumstances under which these people started taking drugs or drink. You obviously feel strongly about drug addicts because of what happened to someone you know by an addict and I can fully understand and respect that. But would your opinion still be the same if it hadn't happened or it was one of your relatives affected by addiction? It's easy to judge when you are on the outside but these people destroying their own lives and affecting that of others, have little self-control. You just need to take Paul Gascoigne as an example.

I always say to myself there but for the grace of God go I.

[percy toboggan]

[quote=Lord Flasheart;395733]Sorry .. Drug Addicts are simply the lowest of the low.

quote]

No they're not.
Like you I have little , if no sympathy and I'd lock 'em all up but...
The people who supply them are almost the 'lowest of the low'.
That particular station in low-life is reserved for those who hurt or exploit kids, and others who cannot fight back.

[Gleber2]

[quote=percy toboggan;396772]

Sorry .. Drug Addicts are simply the lowest of the low.

quote]

No they're not.
Like you I have little , if no sympathy and I'd lock 'em all up but...
The people who supply them are almost the 'lowest of the low'.
That particular station in low-life is reserved for those who hurt or exploit kids, and others who cannot fight back.

Are you including the legal pushers who are fuelling the binge drinking culture with alcopops etc resulting in countless young people with incipient liver and kidney problems. This potentially a death toll which will exceed the deaths by drugs by a large factor.
Is it OK for this insidious business to continue because it is legal and you are fond of a pint?