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Letters |
Media savvy
October 2014 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 11
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
MEDIASAVVY
WHO’S BEEN SAYING WHAT..?
The economic commoditisation of human pain is dangerously
close to victim-blaming. Such an approach can send the destructive
message: see how much money you cost everyone, you broken
person? Its dark heart is that the state’s only interest in its citizens
is as economic units, occasionally broken and in need of quick and
efficient repair, in order to slot back into the corporate design.
Alex Andreou,
Guardian
, 10 September
Stephen Fry, BBC favourite and darling of the new Establishment,
noisily confesses in a rather sad and attention-seeking new book
to possession and use of cocaine in Buckingham Palace. The
official penalty for this offence is seven years in jail and an
unlimited fine. Could there be better proof that the elite know
perfectly well that the laws against drug possession haven’t been
enforced for years, and exist only on paper?
Peter Hitchens,
Mail on Sunday
, 28 September
Fry’s world is not the dark estate alley, his confreres are not the
ten-year-old runners, the swaggering gang boys who will cry in
prison cells for their wrecked futures, or the girls they trade and
rape as part of an urban social ecology intimately entwined with
the drug trade.
Libby Purves,
Telegraph
, 27 September
I’m pretty sure it’s a political confection, the visceral hatred of
criminals this government exhibits. It doesn’t indicate any serious
reflection on who is actually in prison, what happens to them
during their sentence, or what it will take for society to reabsorb
them when they’re released… The problem is a government that
can write off some of its citizens as beneath its care. It’s a
dangerous cruelty with implications far beyond the prison walls.
Zoe Williams,
Guardian
, 15 September
Prison is not meant to be comfortable. It’s not meant to be
somewhere anyone would ever want to go back to. But the
language being used by some pressure groups and
commentators to talk about prisons bears little relation to reality.
Chris Grayling,
Guardian
, 18 September
It is too easy for GPs to write a script for a benzodiazepine when
confronted by a patient who is in distress, or suffering with anxiety
or insomnia. But the pills barely provide a sticking plaster for the
real problem and can do far more harm than good in the long run.
Max Pemberton,
Telegraph
, 15 September
Like a mutating parasite, tobacco companies respond to public
health efforts by exploiting weaknesses and compromising the
global response… If tobacco corporations stopped resisting public
health efforts, we could end tobacco use in a generation with a
range of well-known, widely endorsed and effective measures.
William Savedoff,
Guardian
, 1 September
Nomatter that e-cigarettes are used by people to help themgive up
smoking; theWHO likes to imagine that they will lead paradoxically
tomore people doing it. Although, as the organisation admits, there
is no evidence of children being tempted to take up cigarettes after
trying electronic ones, it fears that this may not always be the case…
You would think that theWHO had enough real health problems to
deal with without needing to protect the world against imaginary
dangers that may not even exist.
Alexander Chancellor,
Spectator
, 6 September
WHAT YOU’RE SAYING
From the DDN website,
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
On our cover story ‘Loaded
dice?’, September, page 6…
I had a fruit machine addiction since my
school days up into my late 30s. It was
a real battle to stop throwing my money
away – for me the real thrill was the
losing, which happened on the rare
occasion I won the jackpot. I could not
wait to get those pound coins in quick
enough.
With the right help and good people
in support I overcame this. I want to say
that this is a very real, addictive
problem. We need to ban these
machines that the government have
allowed in every social situation. Kids
get hooked young as I did, spending my
dinner money then, as a man, my wages.
It can and should be banned.
Patrick
On ‘The whole detox’,
April, page 16…
Homeopathy has never shown any effect
on any medical condition under any
circumstances. What is most concerning
here is that we have an apparently non-
medically qualified person using a method
she apparently just ‘made-up’ – which
hasn’t undergone any scientific studies.
She is then using this on people with
genuine addictions who should be
receiving professional treatment, rather
than something that has never been
shown to work for anything.
A very, very concerning situation.
Simon (@flatsquid)
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
The Recovery Street Film Festival showed ten
shortlisted films at events up and down the county
WITH ‘DESERVING A FUTURE’
as
its the theme, the Recovery Street
Film Festival’s aim was to highlight
the challenges that those living in
recovery – and their family and
friends – face when trying to find
their place back in society. A joint
project between the major
treatment agencies, it was open
to anyone, regardless of their film-
making ability, who could show
the determination and courage of
individuals overcoming addiction.
Mitch Winehouse opened the festival at the official launch in Borough Market, London,
on 10 September before the festival toured to other major cities including Birmingham
and Glasgow.
‘This film festival is another great example of Britain’s recovery community giving
something back to society and reaching out to share their stories, and hopefully in turn
save lives. In doing so they humbly shine a light on themselves and expose the incredible
people they are today,’ he said.
The judges will select one lucky winner from the ten shortlisted films, also to be
announced by Mitch Winehouse, to receive £1,000 worth of film-related prizes.
To find out more and view the films, visit www.recoverystreetfilmfestival.co.uk