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I heard Tony Blair at a Women 's Institute meeting (No, they had their clothes on), say that there would be no change in the law to enable heroin to be prescribed by GPs. This is sad and people will continue to die in their hundreds here. He said "not in my lifetime ", in a tone that was patronising and sickly, simultaneously.That use of self, which Blair is good at, should be challenged. If he wants to bring his own life into the argument, he should consider what he would do if one of his children were to become ill and require medication. Where would he take the prescription? To a pharmacist, who could safely calculate the exact dose, or would he seek out Big Alex, fresh out of Barlinnie prison, who offers a "wrap " of a powder that has been in his trousers all day? Will he ask Alex to help to shove a previously-used needle into his lovely child, or would he prefer to ask a qualified nurse to help, using sterilised equipment?
Will he do anything to get the medication? Favours for this Alex, who seems to be an obliging sort? Heroin costs about a hundred pounds a day for an average user. That is about 5 tricks per day, on the streets. This would appear to be a stunning misuse of our young people and a certain health disaster in the future. It is open season on prostitutes in Scotland. They die with such regularity that even Blair may be aware of the situation. Will it be regulated? Probably not in his lifetime either ....Hmmm ...We can only hope.
At present we have sent the army to Afghanistan to stop the flow of heroin to our streets. Given that we cannot stop heroin getting into high security prisons it seems a venture likely to fail. We could try buying the entire opium crop and giving some to our addicts. I am sure it 's cheap in bulk and the quality would be fixed, it could be taxed and regulated. It could take Big Alex out of the equation and our children off the streets.
