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Call to give drug users same quality of care as everyone else



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DRUG users have the right to the same quality of care as everyone else, a new report will say this week.
The report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse will argue for a major change in the philosophy of care for people with drug problems. And it will call for a new emphasis on recovery.

Former Health Minister Susan Deacon is due to chai
r a conference on the same theme on Wednesday, the same day the report is published.

Dr Brian Kidd, chairman of the SACDM sub-group which produced the report, said: "We believe that there needs to be a major change in the philosophy of care for problem substance use in Scotland – focused on the recovery of each individual and putting service users' aspirations at the centre of care.

"This will not be achieved overnight but with the development of a new national drugs strategy there has never been a more fitting time to raise aspirations."

Welcoming the report, Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing said: "Substance users have the right to the same care and treatment as the rest of us and shouldn't be treated as second class citizens.

"But these rights must come with responsibilities. Many will already have responsibilities like bringing up and caring for children, but they should also be able to earn a wage, contribute to society and adhere to the law of the land.

"It is essential that people experiencing drug problems have access to a range of wider services including employment, housing, health that help them to rebuild their lives."





The full article contains 272 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 24 March 2008 10:37 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Drugs policy
 
1

Proximaking,

Dundee 24/03/2008 13:12:19
Take one drug addict no use to man nor beast, nor themselves, nor their kids, or one obese useless lazy lump sitting in bed stuffing his or her fat face with sandwiches made by a myriad of council "social workers" taking on the role of "feeders". Dump them on an island for a year with no drugs available and enough food only for a normal adult. If they are still alive at the end of the year the problem is solved, ..... if they aren't alive at the end of a year the problem is also solved. It's called real life and it's worked like that for billions of years (600million years on this planet). At a stroke we would need fewer hospital beds, fewer social workers, fewer firemen, fewer overpaid GPs etc and we may actually produce a few people worth having instead of the useless bags of skin and bone we have now. Now that would be treating them the same as everyone else. I have to work every day but don't want to so why shouldn't they have to do something they don't want to do every day?
2

Philip456,

London 24/03/2008 14:05:35
Dear Proximaking - You might as well say that a cancer sufferer is "no use to man nor beast" - too ill to help their family, sitting in bed etc.

Alcoholism and drug addiction has been recognised as a disease or illness since the 1950's by the American Medical Association (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholism and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addiction).

The sooner that bigoted individuals such as Proximaking recognise this, the soon that effective treatment can be provided to addicts and the sooner society can save a lot of money and lessen the human suffering caused to the people the addicts come into contact with.
3

alan,London,

Twickenham 24/03/2008 16:03:48
Proximaking you are correct in your observations!
People who start taking drugs are only too aware of future consequences. They think it's more important to look cool saying yes instead of engaging there brain and saying no to drugs. The only treatment they deserve is last in line to the more deserving of medical treatment. Drug addicts are pathetic and useless to any community and a total waste of resource's. My local housing authority has just housed a druggie in the flat below me. All he does throughout the day is go to local shops to buy beer and fags then sit on his butt in his flat for the remainder listening to loud music. All this paid for by others in the community. He is dirty, his flat is filthy, anti-social, and a continual bore and nuisance. I heard him boasting he had been to PUBLIC SCHOOL,....did not do him much good, did it?
4

alan,London,

Twickenham 24/03/2008 20:52:02
Philip456...You cannot class a person suffering cancer as you do a self inflicted drug addict..for god's sake.
Drug peddler's and addicts choose the path they tread and from then become a menace and financial burden to the community. A proportion of your council tax is set aside for the care of addicts. I wonder if you would be prepared to open your wallet at the end of the month and pay this proportion personally to them...bet that would change your tune? This country has become a filthy place to live in and is largely due to do-goodies like yourself who corrupt commonsense. We should have a sliding scale for treatment in the NHS...Drug addicts, alcoholics, smokers, injuries through dangerous driving..etc,etc,should be at the end of the queue.
5

Philip456,

London 25/03/2008 06:22:46
Dear Alan - No you are wrong. Many cancer sufferers are self-inflicted smokers.
Sure, drug addicts may start taking drugs and be somewhat aware of the possible consequences. Have you never done something stupid in your life? Especially, when drunk or through peer pressure.
However, once the vunerable are hooked, it is a different story. They deserve help and proper treatment. Not only would that help lessen the burden on society but it would be cheaper than locking them up.
Yes, addicts need to suffer the consequences of their actions. Otherwise they would never stop.
However, just because the outward effects of their illness is disgusting is not a reason to stop helping them.
Your ignorant rants are exactly the same sort of views that people had against the mentally ill, a hundred years ago.
6

Larry Hallatt,

Chesley Canada 25/03/2008 08:18:12
In all our nations, we have remote islands where addicts should be forceably confined in Medical reserves away from the Public and where they can be forced to dry out, learn social skills and acquire some sort of minimum work related skill. Remote locations the cheapest and quickest way of controlling addictive substances. The natural geography and distance from contaminated sites protects the patients from the sellers.

We should design and make these isolated Medical reserves somewhat self sufficient, where patients grow most of their own food, collect firewood, peat or coal for their heating and earn their keep through livestock or other employment while under treatment.

I have no problem placing addicted adults with impaired mental abilities in a Medical reserve. These individuals should be placed under Public Medical trusteeship similar to the Court placement of troubled minors or the aged who are incapable of taking care of themselves.
7

Philip456,

London 26/03/2008 07:15:17
Dear Larry - Why use remote islands? Why spend huge amounts of money setting up these "reserves"?

We already have many secluded Treatment Centres, setup in the countryside. The families of addicts often spend large amounts of money that they cannot afford sending their loved ones there. A lucky few get paid by their Local Authority.

Why not use the resources that we already have and get addicts proper treatment, in the existing Treatment Centres, instead of the Government's ridiculous "treatment for every addict", which often amounts to nothing more than a chat with a drug worker, after they are arrested.
8

alan,London,

Twickenham 26/03/2008 22:06:26
Sorry Phillips456 but I cannot agree with you. Your first post concerning cancer suffers had a general tone so I responded in kind. You did fail to note that I thought smokers should be last in line for treatment. By your definition of human nature we should all be doing something stupid to conform with the like minded in our community. I am not ranting against mental illness. I am ranting against people with power to reason right from wrong. You need to get some backbone and stop looking for excuses for others. I have often pondered the 21st century and wondered how long we can afford the luxury of thinking as you do?
9

Philip456,

London 27/03/2008 06:59:02
Dear Alan - If you see drug addiction as a mental disease, then it doesn't just become a matter of choice, of "just say no".

The definition of the word addiction implies doing something that you can't help doing, whether you want to or not. People die from this illness not because they are weak-willed and selfish but because they can’t stop.

People are responsible for their actions. If someone doesn't want to give up, let them face the full consequences of their actions. Maybe smokers should face this and wait longer for limited resources. However, if they want to stop, let us help them.

What I'm complaining about is that just because it is not a "pretty" disease, shouldn't put us into punishment mode.

You might have the luxury not to have to face anorexia, gambling, alcoholism etc in your family. However, all these addictions destroy lives, families and communities. They deserve better, than 19th Century solutions. Especially, when we have residential treatment facilities, which work.

 

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