Last time I checked, Bluelight was committed to achieving harm reduction through making available as much information as possible about all the drugs we use so that we can use them in a safer way.
Drug Studies is a forum devoted to increasing dialogue between drug users and researchers. Research into drug use is going on across the globe. Sure, researchers need to find participants for their studies, but equally, Bluelight and drug users generally are interested in and affected by research findings.
What I'm trying to do here as moderator is facilitate that dialogue. I hope to increase the potential for drug users to have a louder voice in the debate. Research collaborations, where drug users don't just 'do a survey' but are part of the research team, happen in other fields (eg. mental health, cancer research). Given that often research seems so divorced from the actual experiences of drug users, it's clear we need that in this field too - more than ever.
I asked whether we should even have a Drug Studies forum. 8L4YN3 believes we shouldn't because
It's just a way for the government to gain information(to be used against users) about drug use.
To be honest, we know that this can and has happened. I have to stress though - how can we change this situation? If Bluelight shuts down communication channels with researchers, do you really think the situation can improve? Do you really think that is in the spirit of harm reduction - which, I should remind people, is not all about keeping available every possible way of getting fucked up?
the fact that law makers will have access to this, just dosn't sit right with me.
That's your view, but it's worth noting that law makers have no more or less access to this research on codeine than any other research or report or investigation. You should also remember that data are confidential and are not handed over to law enforcement - and researchers have control over the way they present material in reports.
8L4YN3 - I disagree with you about your comment "it is quite obvious what will happen as a result of this". I see multiple possibilities. That is what research is all about...