UK : Drugs adviser David Nutt sacked by Home Secretary

[General Lighting]

The UK's chief drugs adviser has been sacked by home secretary Alan Johnson after criticising government policies.
Professor David Nutt, head of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, criticised the decision to reclassify cannabis to Class B from C.
He accused ministers of devaluing and distorting evidence and said drugs classification was being politicised.
The home secretary said he had "lost confidence" in his advice and asked him to step down.


BBC NEWS | UK | Drugs adviser sacked for comments (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8334774.stm)

[moonsh0t]

im glad he got nutt sacked

[GiantMidget]

Fucking hell, so they sack the geezer who actually knows what he's talking about. This government are a right bunch of stupid cunts. :you_crazy

Alan Johnson is a useless prick as well, can't wait for the next election, bye bye labour!!

[General Lighting]

Unfortunately unless there is a miracle the government will shift more to the right and take a harder line on drugs than even labour did.

Even so it is the wider population making the politicians do this. When Labour came into power in 1997 until about 2001 they were really lax about drugs and even toying with the idea of legalising cannabis (they did make it class C) and bringing MDMA down to class B, but there was a backlash from the public who thought they were being soft on drugs..

Rememeber that drug users are barely about 4-10 million in a country of 60 million. There are more followers of faith groups than there are drug users..

Religion in the United Kingdom: Diversity, Trends and Decline (http://www.vexen.co.uk/UK/religion.html)

[Tank Girl]

I for one think its a real shame, the guy talks sense and doesnt bow down to the system,

Drug users need education and harm reduction - this is something he is about -

I mean - alcohol and cigarettes should be compaired to other substances when having a discussion - just because most narcotics are illegal it doesnt mean they necessarily are physically or mentally more damaging.

[Bella666]

Well the way I see it is you never see someone loved up on pills causing trouble, and what harm did getting stoned ever do to anyone!!! So he has a point when he says pills and weed are less harmful that alcohol and tobacco!!

I can't remember the exact statistics off the top of my head but quote me if I'm wrong... I'm sure around 250,000 per year die from smoking cigarettes, and around 50,000 people a year die from excessive alcohol abuse... Thus far how many people have died from smoking weed???? hmmmmm absolutely none!!! (ok if you smoke spliffs and not bongs then you are subjecting yourself to the risks associated with tobacco but hey isn't that our choice not theirs!)

Anyway, I honestly think that the government need to step down on the whole issue! At the end of the day drugs are out there, people will always take them, and the longer it is taboo to do so the longer younger kids will want to try them out whilst they are too young.

I think if they legalised at least pills and cannabis then there would be less people getting ill from taking bad pills which have been mixed with god knows what (we all know straight mdma is clean and unless you are extremely unlucky you wont react badly to it), and the government would even be able to make some money out of the tax they could apply.

FFS people die from taking asprin because they had no idea they had an allergy...

Gah I don't know, I'm probably talking shit :P

Bella xxx

[Tank Girl]

FFS people die from taking asprin because they had no idea they had an allergy...


you have a good point -
many people have drug allergies - anti biotics, asprin, ibruprofen etc,

and these all come with warnings of potential side effects / contra indications and people are educated - this should be done for 'recreational' use too - highlight the potential risks, and give people choice, and advise them if they are going to use the safe way to do so, contra indications of mixing substances and what will make it more unsafe etc. Rather than scare mongeing and deamonising

[Bella666]

you have a good point -
many people have drug allergies - anti biotics, asprin, ibruprofen etc,

and these all come with warnings of potential side effects / contra indications and people are educated - this should be done for 'recreational' use too - highlight the potential risks, and give people choice, and advise them if they are going to use the safe way to do so, contra indications of mixing substances and what will make it more unsafe etc. Rather than scare mongeing and deamonising

Agreed, its all about education. Theres no point in just telling people not to do it as that doesn't get anyone anywhere. For the older generation its not so bad. But the younger ones on the scene are still nieve and uneducated about whats safe to do, what they can and can't mix and how to recognise when they have reached their limit.

[olboy]

Shit! He spoke the truth, not the party line... and got sacked. What a bunch of cunts!

FFS, legalize it, tax it, ban unofficial brands. That'll make up for the loss in tax revenue from smokers quitting. IMHO of course : )

[DaftFader]

with headlines like that GL .. you should be a jurno :P

[General Lighting]

The Professor is right but there are loads of other brainy professors telling us and the govt that we should look after the environment or take more exercise or use our brains better and they get ignored and marginalised too by the majority.

Sadly I think this shows that its unlikely will see real tolerance and acceptance of drug use (even the decriminailsation of other countries is on the pretext that use is still morally wrong) until we are all very elderly and even if we did it would only be in the aftermath of world war 4 or similar...

look at how Barack Obama had to be so ashamed of his youthful drug use - for fucks sake he dealt with being in a broken family, did well at uni, got a career as a lawyer and is now President, so it can't have been that bad for him - but when he was initially defiant even his own party's supporters turned on him :hopeless:

[massivetrip]

And yet again The Government places its hands over its ears and sings loudly: Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa LaaLaa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa

[olboy]

The Professor is right but there are loads of other brainy professors telling us and the govt that we should look after the environment or take more exercise or use our brains better and they get ignored and marginalised too by the majority.

Sadly I think this shows that its unlikely will see real tolerance and acceptance of drug use (even the decriminailsation of other countries is on the pretext that use is still morally wrong) until we are all very elderly and even if we did it would only be in the aftermath of world war 4 or similar...

look at how Barack Obama had to be so ashamed of his youthful drug use - for fucks sake he dealt with being in a broken family, did well at uni, got a career as a lawyer and is now President, so it can't have been that bad for him - but when he was initially defiant even his own party's supporters turned on him :hopeless:

Yep to all of that. The other thing that the US President HAS to be is RELIGIOUS. I bet the don't have an independant professor advising the party whether or not there's a God. LMAO

[General Lighting]

And yet again The Government places its hands over its ears and sings loudly: Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa LaaLaa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa Laa

not just this government, the whole fucking world. The same nations what send soldiers our age to their deaths arguing over religion and oil all seem to agree recreational drug use should be illegal.. :hopeless: there are a few dissenters but they are developing nations with vested interests in coca fields etc and they are powerless enough to be ignored or even intimidated by military action.

the Tory party (who are most likely to come to power next year) have basically supported the current governments decision to sack the professor...

[joshd96320]

a restriction of free speech thrown right at the public and they dismiss it as "he supports drug use"

its censorship!

[General Lighting]

TBH its not really harmed Professor Nutt as he wasn't being paid for the job anyway (other than expenses) and he does lots of valuable work for the NHS so they are unlikely to criticise him.

in fact now he doesn't work for whitehall he is free to say a lot more and confirmed that it was since Gordon Brown came to power that the govt became more hardline. for all Blair's faults he was wishy-washy on the subject of drugs and in his early days even veered towards tolerance and acceptance, the closest that any UK prime minister in my lifetime has...

[DaftFader]

the gov have a all the scientists in the world's info to use ... they will only pick the info from the ones that benift what they want to do ... so they can say what they are doing is right ... cos it backs them up ... they don't give a shit .. as long as they are seen to be doing good .. as much as they can ... that's all they are trying to achive ... there not ignoreing good advisse from correct inteligent people ... they are perpously useing other "profetional" "advise" as an excuse to do what they were gonna do anywa imo

[massivetrip]

Two senior advisors from the ACMD have resigned in protest at the sacking of Professor Nutt

BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Second drugs adviser quits post (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8336884.stm)

[TheLostOne]

How come Bella666 got banned? She looked like a slut.

[DaftFader]

How come Bella666 got banned? She looked like a slut.
ye and she wanted me to nutt sack her :(

[Tank Girl]

David Nutt's sacking provokes mass revolt against Alan Johnson | Politics | The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/01/david-nutt-alan-johnstone-drugs)

more on the story


David Nutt's sacking provokes mass revolt against Alan Johnson

Johnson faces 'collective action' threat from advisers as two resign in protest......


Scientists quit government drugs body over David Nutt sacking - Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6898456.ece)

Many of the council’s 28 remaining members are considering resignation if their concerns are not addressed, and it is possible that the entire committee could quit en masse. Members will discuss their options at the council’s next meeting in London on November 10.
In a letter to be published in The Times tomorrow, one of Britain’s most eminent experts on drug dependence said that without such assurances, it would be difficult for any scientist to succeed Professor Nutt as chairman of the council while retaining the respect of their peers.

[joshd96320]

good find TG. very interesting. i sincerely hope he is reinstated..

one of the few acts of people expressing themselves against something!

[Tank Girl]

good find TG. very interesting. i sincerely hope he is reinstated..

one of the few acts of people expressing themselves against something!
He wont be

and he seems to be a man of principal - I'd guess he'd refuse any offer if there ever was one

It shows the respect he has in the proffession the way his (now ex) collegues are evidencing their support

[MisterDuck]

Fucking hell, so they sack the geezer who actually knows what he's talking about. This government are a right bunch of stupid cunts. :you_crazy

Alan Johnson is a useless prick as well, can't wait for the next election, bye bye labour!!

I agree mate, as far as I'm concerned New Labour hijacked the Labour party and some of their decisions are unforgivable.

I agree that I'm looking forward to a change. But with public service cuts and what with me starting work on youth projects that require a consistent stream of funding, I'm not looking forward to the Tories being the alternative.

IMO we need to get out of this 2-party "devil or deep blue sea" system, we need more realistic options, and proportionate representation.

[General Lighting]

I agree that I'm looking forward to a change. But with public service cuts and what with me starting work on youth projects that require a consistent stream of funding, I'm not looking forward to the Tories being the alternative.

I expect the Tories are rubbing their hands with glee at what has happened, as they would do it slightly differently , by downsizing the ACMD on "cost/efficiency" grounds as they would argue in private sector you don't employ a consultant to openly disagree with your core business ethos to people outside the company..

I agree we need PR but it could also open the gates for hard right parties, not necessarily the BNP or racist parties but even multicultural centre right/authoritarian parties similar to those found in SE Asian nations.

[Iacchus]

we dont like the advice our advisors give us so we'll fire them and get some people who give us advice we do like

what a fucking joke

[MisterDuck]

I expect the Tories are rubbing their hands with glee at what has happened, as they would do it slightly differently , by downsizing the ACMD on "cost/efficiency" grounds as they would argue in private sector you don't employ a consultant to openly disagree with your core business ethos to people outside the company..

Oh exactly, but getting rid of quangos, independent investigations/commissions/advisers, overseeing agencies - whatever, things set up to regulate or investigate, if we got rid of them it opens up a world of abuse, inefficiency and unchecked inequality that we had previously. That's why they are there after all, however ineffective certain ones may be.

I agree we need PR but it could also open the gates for hard right parties, not necessarily the BNP or racist parties but even multicultural centre right/authoritarian parties similar to those found in SE Asian nations.

You mean like UKIP? I think they are xenophobic rather than out-out racist, but unfortunately it's one step from racist. Yes, this is a factor of course. However the Green party would have won 13 MEP seats had they used a proper proportionate representation system, and I believe they would gain MP's in general elections. As it were they achieved 2 seats. More power to the Greens has got to be a good thing, no?

[Tank Girl]

:bounce_fl:bounce_fl:bounce_fl:bounce_fl:bounce_fl :bounce_fl:bounce_fl



*YAY*


got a place to go hear him talk tomorrow :weee:


Professor Nutt's concern was to find a way of generating an inclusive public debate that would permit a consensus to emerge over how to approach the problems of the harms caused by drugs - not to campaign against government policy. The Home Secretary also appears to have misunderstood that Professor Nutt was speaking and writing in his academic capacity as a Professor at Imperial College London (http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/about/divisions/neuro/npmdepts/psychopharmacology/), and not as chair of the ACMD. This apparent attack on academic freedom was cited by one member of the ACMD as behind his decision to resign (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8336646.stm). Having originally published the paper that caused such a furore, we are now organising a public meeting at which Professor Nutt can present his views and debate the issues with the audience. The meeting will take place at a central London venue which will be announced in a confirmation email to attendees.
The event will follow the scheduled 10th November meeting of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which Professor Nutt would have been chairing had the Home Secretary not acted so precipitately - the results of that meeting will no doubt impact on the nature of the discussion at the 11th November meeting.

[MisterDuck]

:bounce_fl:bounce_fl:bounce_fl:bounce_fl:bounce_fl :bounce_fl:bounce_fl



*YAY*


got a place to go hear him talk tomorrow :weee:
sick, report back innit

[Buzz]

what worries me with the new general elections is that not ONLY will the tories come into power, but its also possible that the BNP may well get some seats.

here comes capital punishment!

[MisterDuck]

what worries me with the new general elections is that not ONLY will the tories come into power, but its also possible that the BNP may well get some seats.

here comes capital punishment!

nah, they'll get a couple but wont have any influence
europe will never see capital punishment reinstated

i'm more bothered about the fucking tories
although new labour dont fill me with hope

we've just had a nice session today at work placements of:
CUTS MORE CUTS LESS JOBS LESS PROJECTS

couple of years down the line they'll be chattin shit about rising crime and using "tough on crime" soundbites when it's their fuckin fault in the first place

youths dont stab people, tories do!

[Buzz]

a tory government....just what we need in a recession......

[olboy]

what worries me with the new general elections is that not ONLY will the tories come into power, but its also possible that the BNP may well get some seats.

here comes capital punishment!

Not that I'm racist but... Bring it on... Bring back the Birch... and the DEATH PENALTY! for crimes against humanity. As a country we don't have the sqr footage for all the prisons we need.
Decriminalize non dangerous drugs (according to the experts, not government) and see how we get on

N.B. Did you know "The United States has 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population" FFS! Incarceration doesn't work

[Iacchus]

the death penalty doesnt work either, for a start it ends up costing the state more per head than life imprisonment. all it achieves is revenge, some people might think that's a good enough reason but i think society has for the most part got past its barbaric origins

if we released all our non-violent drug offenders it wouldnt have an overcrowding problem

[1984]

Not that I'm racist but... Bring it on... Bring back the Birch... and the DEATH PENALTY! for crimes against humanity. As a country we don't have the sqr footage for all the prisons we need.
Decriminalize non dangerous drugs (according to the experts, not government) and see how we get on

N.B. Did you know "The United States has 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population" FFS! Incarceration doesn't work


Physically hurting and killing people is going backwards not forwards, it didn't work then either. If you want to stop all crime give everyone a labotamy, but do we really want a sterile society? If people have a free mind, they will, sometimes, commit crime. If people really think we can stop all crime they need their damn heads examined.

ps All drugs can be dangerous for gods sake.

[olboy]

the death penalty doesnt work either, for a start it ends up costing the state more per head than life imprisonment.
I'll just say "Soilent Green" :wink: Feed the prisoners [jk]

if we released all our non-violent drug offenders it wouldnt have an overcrowding problem
I made that point(ish)

[olboy]

ps All drugs can be dangerous for gods sake.

Awww, don't go all Liberal on me. Okay, legalize all drugs that all less dangerous than lets say... cigarettes and alcohol : )

[1984]

Awww, don't go all Liberal on me. Okay, legalize all drugs that all less dangerous than lets say... cigarettes and alcohol : )

Your view point is liberal...

[olboy]

Your view point is liberal...

Hmmmm, good point well made

I'd like to live in a liberal fascist dictatorship. I love oxymorons

[Iacchus]

I'll just say "Soilent Green" :wink: Feed the prisoners [jk]


haha indeed, if we did actually kill people (and feed them to other inmates) then it would be cheaper its just that people end up lingering on death row for many years racking up huge legal costs. If we said fuck liberty lets just kill them even if we're not sure they dunnit, then things would be simpler.. but not right

[olboy]

haha indeed, if we did actually kill people (and feed them to other inmates) then it would be cheaper its just that people end up lingering on death row for many years racking up huge legal costs. If we said fuck liberty lets just kill them even if we're not sure they dunnit, then things would be simpler.. but not right

Ahhh, but what about those people that have evidence against'em and have confessed their sins? Mass murderer etc bang to rights.

[General Lighting]

My Mum lives in Malaysia where there is both corporal punishment and death penalty and crime is through the fucking roof there. Even private rentaguards (like the ones what you see at tescos etc) need firearms as the death penalty means those what do commit crime deal with the higher stakes by obtaining guns and other weaponry.

it doesn't make the streets safer, but what it does do is create a climate where hard men who enjoy fighting and guns and stuff like that rule the roost over everyone else (especially when added to the effects of strong conservative religion), which I suspect is what a lot of men secretly want to see return to England.

incidentally drugs were once completely legal/tolerated in Malaya, even during British and Japanese occupations.

Independence unfortunately also led to an initial economic depression, as the British took away a lot of their capital investment as a reprisal for losing a large chunk of their empire. This created a climate in which internal racial tension grew, then throught the late 50s and early 1960s nations govts started spreading FUD that Japs/Communist Chinese/western Hippies were trying to destroy their new countries. One claim was that these various foreigners, backed by covert action from the "liberal" British, were trying to flood the nations with drugs and make their youth lazy and impulsive and thus allow the nations to recolonise.

the death penalty and birching (using a rod called a rotan) which was originally intended for murderers, rapists, and violent criminals got expanded to cover drugs use and continues to this day. When Malaya split up into Malaysia and Singapore, SG became even more hardline and ruthlessly efficient at enforcing the laws. The only reason its not used more today is because recreational use of ketamine and pills is as prevalent as in the West despite prohibition, so they can't exactly hang all their young people (instead they are put into a combined mental hospital and prison which is still a very unpleasant place to be).

[1984]

Hmmmm, good point well made

I'd like to live in a liberal fascist dictatorship. I love oxymorons

lol I used to describe my views as liberal fascist conservative. Its good to be flexible *nods* singular views are so often foolish.

[joshd96320]

a certain amount of crime is a price you pay for a certain amount of freedom - im willing to pay that

[olboy]

My Mum lives in Malaysia where there is both corporal punishment and death penalty and crime is through the fucking roof there. Even private rentaguards (like the ones what you see at tescos etc) need firearms as the death penalty means those what do commit crime deal with the higher stakes by obtaining guns and other weaponry.

Hmmm, I know what you're saying but our society is significantly different than the one on Malaysia. It's a little like us trying to make the Afghanis stop growing poppies without offering any viable alternative.
Over here we have a shit-load of choices, most of which don't involve having to get involved in crime to get by. If you choose to murder someone for fun and without reason when you had a choice of leading an above the breadline existence, in my opinion you don't get to make any further choices.

[Iacchus]

Ahhh, but what about those people that have evidence against'em and have confessed their sins? Mass murderer etc bang to rights.

but such people exist in america and yet they still stay on death row for years fighting long legal battles

i know the principal might be sound but it just doesnt work in practice

[General Lighting]

Hmmm, I know what you're saying but our society is significantly different than the one on Malaysia. It's a little like us trying to make the Afghanis stop growing poppies without offering any viable alternative.
Over here we have a shit-load of choices, most of which don't involve having to get involved in crime to get by. If you choose to murder someone for fun and without reason when you had a choice of leading an above the breadline existence, in my opinion you don't get to make any further choices.

Malaysia today is not as different from the UK as many initially imagine, its an increasingly affluent multicultural country with an identical democratic system to that of the UK being a former colony. Some parts of it are more prosperous than areas of England, its easier to get a job there than in Britain.

Due to constant long running border disputes since independence and that it isn't a very large country and is split into two parts, its not uncommon for people to confuse it with nearby Indonesia, Thailand and the Phillipines which are less developed, so people assume that everyone lives in jungle and mud huts when in fact many folk in Malaysia live in suburbs like British ones (except you get more random animals in the house whether or not you want them to be there!)

its becoming an increasingly popular destination for dissafected White British people of middle age and above who are annoyed with Britain being too liberal and who welcome, support and encourage the more authoritarian government.

[olboy]

Malaysia today is not as different from the UK as many initially imagine, its an increasingly affluent multicultural country with an identical democratic system to that of the UK being a former colony. Some parts of it are more prosperous than areas of England, its easier to get a job there than in Britain.

Due to constant long running border disputes since independence and that it isn't a very large country and is split into two parts, its not uncommon for people to confuse it with nearby Indonesia, Thailand and the Phillipines which are less developed, so people assume that everyone lives in jungle and mud huts when in fact many folk in Malaysia live in suburbs like British ones (except you get more random animals in the house whether or not you want them to be there!)

its becoming an increasingly popular destination for dissafected White British people of middle age and above who are annoyed with Britain being too liberal and who welcome, support and encourage the more authoritarian government.

You're right, I didn't really have a firm knowledge of Malaysia, thanks for the info.

Why can't we all just, get along?

If there was nothing worth stealing or buying we'd be happy with what we've got, as we'd all have the same... feckall : )

I blame the inventors of the dvd player, sony playstation and the mobile phone.
Too much to aspire to... Aspirational goods without the aspiration nowadays

Fuck I'm old! Charlie Brooker's got nothin' on me, lol

[General Lighting]

if you have watched the Jackie Chan movie "police story 3" there is a big chase at the end through Kuala Lumpur. If you imagine the chase going in the other direction towards the suburbs, that is where most of my extended family live.

The culture of Malaysia now is TBH not unlike that of Britain just after World War II, with strong nationalist feelings and strong goverment, particularly the Police and Armed Forces - every youth must now also do 2 years National Service.

To be fair the World's media put across inaccurate depictions of SE Asia, with the collusion of the countries governments (as they are strict with censorship), so most Westerners only see on nature films the pretty creatures and jungle and rainforests and amusing "half-naked savages".

They don't see the factory where their hard drive or soundcard was made (not quite a sweatshop - electronics places have to be cleaner than hospitals - but hordes of people doing 12 hour shifts with limited opportunity for social interaction - they don't see the squatter camp being bulldozed with armed police supervising - they don't hear of the blogger being visited by the cops and communications ministry at dawn and having his/her computers seized and arrest on terrorism laws because they've been overly critical of the government.

As for the drugs laws worldwide, the real reason why drug use is discouraged is because it often distracts people from working for the normal capitalist economy and/or makes them less productive. Even "middle class" drug users (including alcohol users) with jobs often aren't as dedicated/reliable/productive as sober folk, particularly if their job involves time-critical or mundane/boring tasks). Not saying they are totally rubbish, maybe a 10% difference but in a competitive world it is a factor.

IMO the excesses of capitalism need first to be addressed before there is any hope of stuff like drug use and hedonism being tolerated any more than it is.

[Tank Girl]

The talk last night was really interesting, however too much for me to go into - as it was 'an audience with' so lots of subjects covered ask questions asked etc.
have tried to find something online that will be able to explain what was discussed better than me - but I've failed (will keep trying to look)

was too shy to ask any questions myself :shy::shy:

[General Lighting]

three more resigned from ACMD and the remainder had a urgent meeting with the Home Secretary, but all I think came from it was that he said he will write them a letter saying why he disagrees with them and then they will have a meeting so it is decided then what is said to the media

plus I'm sure the resignations mean that most of the science boffins have now gone from ACMD and the remainder are cops and judges so now the criminal justice system has more controll..

[Iacchus]

yeah i saw that.. im hoping they do form their own independant study group. The papers do report a lot of findings from independent groups usually, although they might not on drugs as papers often have their own agenda..

[olboy]

I think it's brilliant that the government can no longer pretend to be responding to "independent" research groups, now they're soooo far removed from the direction the government want to go. It won't stop'em looking tho'.

The government are phoning round all the independent research groups:
Gordon: "Er yes, hello. And how good for you are both cigarettes and alcohol?"
Independent scientist: "excuse me?"
Gordon: "go on... I'm not going to help you... but the closest answer to what I have written on my piece of paper here gets £500 million funding"

[Tank Girl]

For anyone whos interested heres the link for the video of last nights talk, one of the scientists that resigned yesterday was also there and spoke.

Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, King's College London: An Audience with Professor Nutt (http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/nutt_video.html)

[Tank Girl]

Sacked drugs adviser David Nutt launches rival committee | Society | guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jan/15/david-nutt-drugs-independent-committee)

The new committee – called the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) – includes a number of big names in the field and has the potential to embarrass the government, due to its determination to make public the evidence on the relative risks and harms of drugs without regard to political sensitivities.
Nutt portrayed the ACMD as something of a lame duck scientifically, following the resignations of five of its members in sympathy with him – four of whom have joined the ISCD. "It is a body made up of drug treatment people, police and magistrates," he said.
But the ACMD's new interim chair, Les Iversen, who was appointed this week, had sent him "a very supportive email", he said, "saying he welcomed the committee and hopes we can work together".



"There's a lot of evidence that MDMA (ecstasy) and related compounds are not class A [the most potentially dangerous drugs]. There's the evidence we presented that cannabis should stay as class C – I think most people would support that. Possibly the psychedelics are inappropriately positioned in class A. And ketamine may be more dangerous than amphetamines – maybe it shouldn't be class C," he said










Les Iversen appointed as drugs advisory group chairman | Politics | guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jan/13/drugs-advisory-committee-chairman-iversen)

The advisers are due to set up a sub-group to look in detail at mephedrone, a legal drug sometimes called Bubbles, which imitates the effects of amphetamines. It is already illegal to sell it marked for human consumption, but is marketed instead as plant food.

be interesting to see what they say