On Apr 29, 4:05 pm, "Jethro"
hotmail.com> wrote:>> On 29 Apr, 15:29, "Jethro"
hotmail.com> wrote:>>>
yahoo.com> wrote in message>
>
>>>> On 29 Apr, 15:11, "Jethro"
hotmail.com> wrote:>>>>> I wonder if the current explosion in cocaine
>>>>> use is related to the crack scares of the 90s ?
>
>>>> Several ex-member of the GMP swear they actually CREATED the crack
>>>> epidemic in Manchester - fact-finding tours to the US in the 80's got
>>>> them all a-quiver at the crack menace in the US, the US officers told
>>>> them it was only a matter of time before it reached Britain's shores,
>>>> so the undercover units started trying to buy it off UK dealers.. UK
>>>> dealers had never heard of it but responded to the (artificial)
>>>> demand. As the story goes.
>
>>> It's quite a plausible scenario. The more the media bangs on about how
>>> bad
>>> "skunk" is, the more kids will feel they are playing it safe by sticking
>>> to
>>> "normal cannabis"
>
>> ..or pester their dealers for skunk.
>
>>> If the government were serious about protecting kids from
>>> drugs they'd make sure the message wasn't as confused and contradictory
>>> as
>>> it is.
>
>>> What, you mean they're *not* serious ?
>
>> I think they are - unfortunately, they are, on the whole, ignorant/
>> trying to be seen to do something that they hope will get them votes.
>> "A strong conviction that something needs to be done is the parent of
>> many bad measures" (or something) - Daniel Webster.
>
> They may be well meaning.
A combination of that and cynical vote-chasing... I can't logically
see how making e.g. cannabis illegal improves society - Indeed, all
empirical evidence seems to point to the opposite.
> However, they are hamstrung by the fact they are
> advised by people who have a vested interest in drugs staying illegal.
Hmm.. a bold assertion - who would they be?
I have often posited that there is indeed so much money in drugs and
so much corruption at high level, that they will remain illegal for a
long time, but I wouidln't go so far as to say the UK government are
definitely influenced by such people..
>
> Does anyone remember the Fry & Laurie sketch where a man went into a room,
> and asked the other man behind the counter for some medicine ? The
> shopkeeper "prescribes" "20 of these to be taken bronchially", offering a
> packet of cigarettes.
You don't have to go very far back in Britsih history to find a time
when "Dr Cosmo's Patented Tincture Of Opium" could be found in your
local Boots. That actually HAD medically beneficial effects too.. ;-)
