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Maintaining addictions?
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
Some doctors have been getting in trouble with the GMC in London because they have been prescribing heroin on a maintaince system. In that they havent been attempting to reduce the level.
Now, given that some addicts dont want to give up is this a good move?
But, how can the NHS morally justify paying for an addictive narcotic for someone on a continuing basis?
Now, given that some addicts dont want to give up is this a good move?
But, how can the NHS morally justify paying for an addictive narcotic for someone on a continuing basis?
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Because its a lot cheeper than the cost to society of them theiving for it,
Plus they can then get a job and try to live a normallife, at least attempt to contribute to society, also how much does herion cost the NHS for a pure exact measured ammount compared to the street cost, is it like £3 compared to £100 something like that, so its also keeping money awat from criminals.
The only ethical solution for the NHS (that i can see) is that this is more crime prevention than treatment, therefore some funding should be provided out of the crime prevention budget, but this is never going to happen.
Maintenance system
Perhaps a time scale should be set or that when addicts enter into such treatment, they should have to set a time when they will start to ween themselves off of it. I think a maintenance approach could be justified on the grounds that if a person is going through such a stressful time that withdrawl is not an option (i should very well imagine giving up smack is something that requires the full attention of your person, with minimal external aggrovations if at all possible), as a temporary measure for protection of both public and patient, this could be implemented.
But god, thats gonna be a hard one to work, people would be taking advantage and working the system all over the shop. Who in their right mind would want to give up a supply of free, safe, pure Smack?
Also, does a long term habit not have a serious effect on the system (liver and kidney damage i heard) in the long term
No doubt Blunkett would love to step in, and have them all coshed into rehab by the Met
Have you got a link for this one bong?
But, is this really what the NHS is for? To give people drugs who want it?
Iknowyourmum; the figure to which you are refering is £1 spent on treatment saves about £3 on criminal justice. But, this ratio isnt exponential, in that many addicts dont want treatment.
I think its an issue where you just have to be pragmatic, its better for them to be on NHS heroin than street stuff, and when they are ready to come off then all the help should be given. Thats not to say its a platable idea.
No the figure I was quoting was the cost of the NHS buying legal herion compared to the cost on the street for the same ammount not to forget that its pure for the NHS, what is the ration difference there, 1 : 200 or something, and that extra money is kept out of the hands of drug dealers and terrorists and warlords in Afganistan.
Ahh, yes, of course, there is something like a 3000% mark up from production to the street.
Legal diamorphine costs next to nothing and they can make synthetic opiates for even less.
so why not prescribe the right medication for that person to live a normal healthy life?
pure heroin is very healthy. it does no physical moral mental or emotional harm.
if the person carries on with their habbit on the nhs then that person has no reason to commit crime and ...most heroin addicts can and do get on with responsible lifestyles.
the illegality makes their lives very uncertain and out of control.
it pisses me off that people can be prescribed all manner of things to enable them to function but not heroin.
it pisses me off that drug companies can market viagra ...it's a drug of pleasure!
people have had many crutches like forever.
addiction isn't a psyciatric issue.
SOME PEOPLE need emotional crutches.
the medical proffesion has and always has had the highest number of addicts.
are you saying these people are a mess?
The issue becomes when you use such a strong drug as a crutch, in that when you get stressed you shoot up. The minds ability to cope with stress lessens.
This is seen time and time again when people come off downers of all types.
I'm not trying to say that it would damage all who used it, what I am saying is that heroin, even in pure form is not a harmless drug.
is it REALLY that harmless in physical terms as well
it can make your life hell though being addicted to an illegal and impure product.
You can get cig's with heroin in them but because of the smoking hazard they are very rarely used.
And the oral use, thats the safest and most harmless of all.