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UK - Giving heroin to addicts is 'sensible, not soft' - Durham police chief

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edgarshade

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Aug 31, 2010
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Durham Times

By Mark Tallentire
5:00pm Thursday 13th March 2014

With reader comments
A CHIEF constable who wants the NHS to give heroin to addicts has faced down his critics, insisting he is “going sensible, not soft” on drugs.

Tough-talking Mike Barton, who on becoming head of Durham Police promised an “Al Capone approach” to smashing organised crime, made a shock plea for class A drugs to be decriminalised last autumn. But speaking to The Northern Echo today (Thursday, March 13), he insisted: “I’m not going soft on drugs, I’m going sensible. “I’ve been throwing the kitchen sink at drug dealers for 38 years but things are worse now than when I started. “Drugs are more freely available, purer, cheaper and there’s a greater range available. “I’m not saying we should give up what we’re doing. Quite the opposite: we should continue. But we need to do something different on top.”

A six-month operation which cost his force £750,000 and led to 33 arrests disrupted the drug supply for just two to four hours, Mr Barton said two recovering addicts had told him.
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http://www.durhamtimes.co.uk/news/1...t_soft____Durham_police_chief/?action=success
 
Good news, another person in a current serving position of authority has spoken with common sense, not politics in mind.
 
Yes. I consider that to be great news. Anytime anyone of authority (even outside my own country) talks sense about reasonable drug policy far removed from the status quo, it gives me hope. I doubt I will live to see things cocaine/methamphetamine/heroin legal in my lifetime, but I have high hopes for weed to be legal nationwide before I check out for good, provided I make it into old age. Ha
 
Heroin maintenance works. It really should be an option all over the world for those who have failed at rehab and other pharmacotherapy treatments such as methadone and buprenorphine. To me, it's a no brainer.
 
Switzerland's HAT program is a perfectly good indication that HAT is effective for anyone who - for whatever reason - doesn't respond well to MMT or BMT.

The fact that a six month £750,000 op, which led to 33 arrests, but disrupted the drug supply for just two to four hours is a ludicrous waste of money. But by all means, please continue to listen to the average prohibitionist who is more than likely using his or her mouth as an organic DEA propaganda audio player, and continue to witness the futility in your efforts. And don't forget that with each subsequent drug dealer bust you make, there's another ten who are laughing and thanking you for giving them their chance to make some money.

Don't you get it? You haven't made a dent in over 4 decades! And with each passing day, as the market expands due to increasing demand, you're only making it harder on yourselves.

If that's not bad enough, the people buying and using the drugs generally hate your guts because you also go after them.

Why the hell don't you take over the supply side by regulating the market? Is it a feeling of guilt? Against your religion?

Understand that by getting the customers to come to you because your product is always the same purity, always adulterant-free, and will not result in prosecution is the ONLY way that you have any remote chance of crippling the competition.

It's either that, or this ridiculous "war" can continue until you are literally overpowered. And the way things are going - make no mistake, it will happen if you continue to leave the laws as-is. Actually, it's already happened, but many of you won't wake up - you'd rather drown yourself in sheer stubbornness.

My God - the fact that this needs to be explained to (the best of) capitalists is a travesty.

Edit - I wanted to add that, even though I believe that the war on drugs has failed miserably, and that drug use should be decriminalized, if not regulated and legalized... this doesn't mean that I believe that using "street drugs" carries zero risk of harm. Hell no! Hey, if you can live your life without using drugs (and not adopt a holier-than-thou attitude towards us), that's great - I'm glad you're genuinely happy sober. Just wanted to put that out there. No - I sure as hell am aware that drug use is not 100% safe. And yes, I wish I could live a pain-free life without using drugs, but after years of trying to do so, it turns out that I'm not quite there yet (but I hope to be - locking me up will only add to that pain, sorry to say).

/end rant
 
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about time we see something positive in the UK to be honest. Id love to be able to get scripted that!
 
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