I noticed last week that David Nutt put his head above the parapet for the first time since he lost his job.  For those of you who can’t recall the name, David Nutt was sacked as chief drugs adviser for allegedly ‘campaigning against government policy’.
 
In last weeks Metro, speaking in the one minute interview Mr Nutt countered this by saying ‘it depends on whether you call repeating scientific evidence campaigning’.

Now some may question the relevance of comment on Government drugs policy on a music website but you would be naïve if you don’t think there is some element of cross-over.  Drugs are prevalent in society and even more so at music events whether you like it or not.  You may not encounter them at a Cliff Richard concert, but you sure as hell will at Glastonbury.

The saddest part about Mr Nutt’s sacking was that he was not campaigning against government policy but pointing out the evidence from a government funded study.

One teenager a day dies of alcohol poisoning, one or two a day die due to alcohol related incidents.  Think on this the next time you see someone campaigning for stronger sentences for drug possession.  It is not recreational drugs where the focus should be. 

The Government seems to shit itself and hit out in defiance when their policy on drugs is brought into question instead of  doing what they should have done and used the evidence to bring about new fairer laws.  In the end they sacked a good man for doing his job just because they didn’t like the results.

Every music festival I have been to you see people getting led away by plain clothes police officers, what effect will a drugs conviction have on their employment prospects for the rest of their life?  As David Nutt says ‘The lottery of whether you get caught and the effect that has on you for the rest of your life is deeply unfair and unjust’.

No sane person really wants recreational drugs to be legalised but the way things are just now is unfair.  The Government are stuck in attitudes from last century so how can they tackle the real problems when they are chasing lost causes. 

Finally I apologise for hi-jacking the midweek comment column in its first week but after reading the Metro I felt more passionate about showing my support for David Nutt than slagging off the Brits as I was planning to do.

You can read the full interview here: -

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/808938-david-nutt-alcohol-is-worse-than-drugs
  

 

Posted In Midweek Comment, Jan 19 2010. Words - The Ginger