Make addicts pay for treatment

Make addicts pay for treatment, say MPs :

"Unlike heroin, which was a depressant, ice was a stimulant and made people aggressive. 'It's a party drug,' he said. 'A lot of the users are male and they have an income. A gram of ice could cost between $300 to $350.'"

Wish it were that simple because, on face value, the idea of income earning addicts paying for their hospital treatment sounds logical. It doesn't account for how people get involved with these drugs. It doesn't allow for the fact we take no responsibility as a society for keeping our children and young adults off drugs. We are pretty slack, really. For as long as we allow drugs to be a part of our culture then the hard line approach falls flat on its face. In countries where their stance is unequivocally anti drugs, then yes, you can be seen to be logical in a hard line approach. Ice and its effects are well known overseas and you don't have to search far to get the facts and figures. The pictures say it all. So what are we doing about it? How are we stopping it? Are we accepting our kids take drugs? How are we stopping that? The marketing of drugs is both slick and insidious so the anti marketing of them will have to be very well thought out indeed. I'd much rather see people with real drug issues compelled to get real treatment and for them to be monitored. One in ten people is an addict. It doesn't matter what they are addicted to their behaviour is addict behviour and it takes a real professional to deal with it. Are we equipped for that? Should we also charge smokers, thrill seekers, racing car drivers,, drunks, small aircraft pilots, scuba divers, snake handlers, yachts people, jet skiers...so much of life is risky behaviour. We can't condone some behaviours and not others. The discussion which ensues from this article will be the thing which is most valuable. We need to talk and discuss because drug related stuff is doing us all harm.

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