I intend to send the following letter.
Dear Sir/Madam,
In reference to a news article that you aired on Channel 7 News (26/04/04) in reference to so-called "Research Chemicals", I wish to query the sources you have used for your information.
Specifically, I refer to a quote similar to "people who are trying to stop the hallucinations have been known to throw themselves in front of cars or off of buildings". I am reasonably familiar with psychedelic research literature and I am aware of no particular incidents in which people have done this. Moreover, I am not aware of a single death in Australia where a "research chemical" has been found to be a causative influence, or even implicated.
People using research chemicals display fairly high reality-testing (being aware that what they're seeing is not real). Anxiety reactions, though possible, do not generally trigger anything like this behaviour; in fact anxiety reactions often incapacitate the user -- they are not in a state to go out and harm themselves.
Realising that their visuals must eventually stop, most research chemical users simply sit out any potentially distressing visuals and wait for them to clear naturally.
Given the reasonably limited use of these chemicals, I am surprised that your journalism team is aware of such an instance. I thus ask for a credible source, either in the form of a refereed journal article documenting the instance(s) or a credible researcher in the field, preferably named and with an affiliation to a university.
I refer to the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, s4.3.1, which states:
[licensees] must present factual material accurately and represent viewpoints fairly,having regard to the circumstances at the time of preparing and broadcasting the program;
s 4.4.2 states:
[licensees] must clearly distinguish the reporting of factual material from commentary and analysis.
The content of your story implies factual existence and therefore is enforceable under the code of practice.
Moreover, s4.3.9 states:
[licensees] should broadcast reports of suicide or attempted suicide only where there is an identifiable public interest reason to do so, and should exclude any detailed description of the method used. The report must be straightforward, and must not include graphic details or images, or glamourise suicide in any way;
The acts described by your program are clearly related to alleged attempted suicide. In my view, the public interest in discussing alleged suicide attempts on drugs is questionable, due to the psychiatric concerns involved. Illegal drug users have enough problems as it; they do not need reminding about any concurrent psychiatric illnesses they may suffer, nor a potential "escape avenue".
It does an incredible disservice to your organisation to air unverified and (in all likelihood) entirely untrue comments.
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anyone got an address to send to?
edits - adding bits + fixing typos
