Thursday, September 14, 2006

Junkies Vending Machine

I was reading the Daily Mail late last night and boy was I shocked by what I read. Richard Brunstorm, Britain’s most controversial police man, aka Mad Mullah of the Traffic Taliban strongly backed the idea of producing a vending machine to provide needles for drug addicts. Out of all places, this one will be right outside a police station in the coastal town of Colwyn Bay, North Wales. The way this machine will work is through tokens, rather than cash, which will be given out to all registered addicts. Furthermore, they’ll be encouraged to dispose their used needles in a secure bin alongside the machine.

Charities and the local population have expressed their fear that this machine will only stimulate further drugs usage, whereas Brustorm argues that the bay sufferes from what he called a “really unpleasant form of Nimbysim” i.e. the bay doesn’t have a conventional needle exchanged operated by the local pharmacies.

Having previously supported the legalization of heroin, I wonder what this guy will be up to next???

9 Comments:

Blogger Munther said...

Well cuz, this is becoming something of the norm nowadays in Europe. I think the guy is trying to sort out the problem in a way by trying to apply Amsterdam's approach in wales. But still I am against legalizing drugs because this is only going to increase the levels of drug usage. I mean look at Bahrain, instead of applying taxes on tobacco, the government tend to give it a blind eye which makes cigs sooo cheap over here hence the high level of smokers. I believe that we are the 3rd just behind the states and egypt ! :o Which is really worrying :( :x

2:54 PM

 
Blogger Gaz said...

I think they should put one of these machines in every city and fill the needles with arsenic!

8:33 PM

 
Blogger Munther said...

Alright mate ! :) Isn't your selution abit harsh ? :o I think most of the addicts are victims ! The arsenic should be given to the suppliers and drug barons ! :x

10:35 AM

 
Blogger Khalid said...

I can't see this problem solved especially if there is quick money to be made and weak souls out there who rely on this to survive (atleast in their opinion)!!!

1:01 PM

 
Blogger Um Naief said...

this is a really interesting topic. i'm kinda torn w/ this one, to be honest. yeah, i know the whole "give em a needle and they'll use more" sorta thinking... but there's a park in amsterdam, i believe, where junkies can go and use their drugs out in the open. i can't remember the name and such right now, but this country has the lowest crime rate. i personally believe that you aren't gonna stop the junkie from using if they want the drug so supplying fresh, clean needles is a way to help the spread of AIDS and other diseases... but... if they have to pay for the needles, they could easily just keep using someone else's. i sometimes think that giving the stuff away would be better.

but.. if i lived around a bunch of junkies and saw needles everywhere and such, i might have a change of heart. i don't know. this is a difficult topic.

9:07 PM

 
Blogger Khalid said...

They just released lately a list of "drugs usage as a percentage of the popluation" in Europe and the UK topped the list, whereas Holland was down at the bottom of teh rankings.

As you said, it's not the easiest topic to discuss. If you do nothing, then they'll just keep using used needles and AIDS will spread more. If you provide it for money, the same thing will probably happen just like if you didn't do anything. If you gave them out for free, there is a high probability that drugs usage will increase.

Boy, it is complex!!!

10:10 PM

 
Blogger Gaz said...

I dont look at smackheads as victoms,the grannys they rob to pay for their gear,are victoms,nobody makes them take that shit,the choice is theirs,its ok saying let them do as they want,how many smackheads have a job?oxygen is wasted on them!

3:55 AM

 
Blogger Um Naief said...

gazza27, i agree w/ you... in that i don't believe these ppl are victims. they choose to use it altho i've heard that heroin/smack is the toughest drug to get off of... and the most addicting. but nowadays you also have crystal meth which i've heard is also very addictive. a lot of ppl want to label these addicts as having a disease which i totally disagree w/. to me, it seems like an excuse.

i mean, look at this babyshambles guy... what's his name - pete doughtery or something... kate moss' boyfriend - how many times has this guy been in rehab and he can't kick it and, really, he doesn't seem to want to.

this is when i think yeah, maybe if you give these ppl free needles it will only make the using increase and maybe more ppl will take up using... i don't know.

and i can believe that the UK is on the top of the list for users and such. months ago i was scanning some UK blogs and i can't tell ya how many i came across where the author was a heavy drug user. the UK has a big prob w/ alcohol too.

personally, i think a lot of this stuff comes back to the way you were raised and what you choose to become involved in later in life. it's all a choice.

9:02 AM

 
Blogger Khalid said...

I've always had the feeling that these guys should be left to do drugs as they wish as in the end, it's their life and they can waste it if they want. Now I think that something needs to be done, but I have no clue what it is. I mean not everyone wants to go to rehab. Regarding this whole needle thing, results could swing both ways.

I do agree with you Gazza that there are victims from this issue, it's just the sad reality that we live in. And I do agree with you tooners that it's definately the way you've been raised. It's really important that there is a strong family bond and in my opinion, having lived in the UK for the last few years, I think it's just decreasing.

5:51 PM

 

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