Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

Drug addicts must go into rehab or face having state benefits revoked, according to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s latest fishing expedition for reactionary voters’ sympathy. With drug-related crime causing Britain an estimated £15 billion a year, is it time to ‘crack down’ on those affected by drug addiction?

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

what about the ones that still have their kids?

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

it says they will be put in the care of grandparents

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

They won't spend their benefits on their kids really will they!

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

THEY SHOULD NOT BE IN CHARGE OF KIDS ,IF THEY ARE OUT OF THEIR TREE ALL DAY...

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

taking away benefits wont cure the addiction
it will only lead to more drug related crime
will alcoholics who get extra allowance for being dependent
on the stuff get all their benefits stopped ?
white lightning or crack its still drug abuse.. once again politicians
sabre rattling :mad:

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

I did'nt say they should but some still do...

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

its ok Em, it did mention these peoples kids on the news, you where right

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

if the kids dont have grandparents then social services will step in:rolleyes:
but have to agree with grannyclaret, drug users shouldnt be in charge of kids:(

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

The effects of drugs on an unborn baby is awful! I was asked to take a newborn that was addicted and the poor little thing was really ill..

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

How exactly can we have a go at one lot of drug users just because they are on a low income, when we glorify people like Amy Winehouse at the same time???

And how about those nice city bankers with a permanent sniff?

Doesnt make sense to me.

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

Druggies should be in prison, it isn't like its news to them that they will get addicted is it. don't want to be an addict? dont start taking heroin/crack/whatever. If we aint got room offshore them to India, if its good enough for our call centre/IT jobs its good enough for our prisoners. Can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

But then again, where do we draw the line? What about alcoholics? Should they be shipped of as well? Drink is probably as harmful as a lot of drugs, but for some reason legalised (I'm going for the tax revenue!). if we look at drink, what abou the social drinkers, that NEED to have a drink every weekend. Is that an addiction or just a habit? And for this kind of substances, is there a difference.

Then of course we have addictions to pre-scribed medication. Then we can cover glue sniffers.... we live in an addictive soceity, some addictions are tolerated, some are not. Education obviously doesnt do the job, thats been tried and tested. I actually think a lot of people (especially youngsters) turn to drugs in desperation. If we gave them hope, then maybe that would break the habit?

Sorry entwisi, wasnt a go at your post, more thinking out load lol

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

The difference between a drug addict and a smoker or drinker is: drinking and smoking is LEGAL , you can buy both from your local store…

If they are taking drugs… then it’s their own fault: why should we finance them:

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

But sitting on the fence here, we're having it shoved down our throats how much smokers are costing us with the NHS etc, and in fact it is illegal now to smoke in pubs, so does that put us smokers in the same category as those who smoke weed (after all, that only just the wrong side of legal, unless you're supplying)

Dont get me wrong, I'm a smoker, couldnt give up if I wanted to (which I dont lol) so am an 'addict'. Just making sure I;m not getting shipped off anywhere soon lol ;)

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

We won't ship you off anywhere then unless they make smoking and drinking illegal.

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

well said magpie;)

smoking a fag doesnt make ya paranoid and crazy, like drugs, unless ya shoved summat in with it:rolleyes:...as for booze, now that can make ya paranoid and crazy, ....but only in large amounts;)but it is legal:rolleyes:.............

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

I agree with Willow, in fact the news item was about people who actually go into rehab but don't finish the treatment, I can't remember the exact numbers but I think it was some 180,000 people enter into programs but less than 20, 000 actually finish the course. It is these people who do not finish rehab that may be targetted, because the government are spending millions on these programs each year and if those people do not finish these programs then its just money down the drain.

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

I sometimes feel a little sorry for 'druggies' as the pressure by the drug pushers to get them onto drugs must be very convincing. They will do anything to get a young person to start taking these drugs until they are hooked and got a customer for life.

Must be awful trying to break free from this habit, even if they want to.

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

what about giving known drug users the depo jab so that they cant get pregnant? or is that against their human rights? what about the rights of the poor little babies that are born addicted, some with disabilities because of it? and the poor children that have to live with drug users?

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

Alcoholics have malformed babies too
http://members.aol.com/creaconinc/fas.html
extract-
Characteristic Facial Patterns: There are characteristic dysmorphic features which appear due to prenatal alcohol insult or exposure.

The eyes appear to be widely spaced; the nose is often short and upturned; the philtrum (area between the bottom of the nose and upper lip) is elongated and flat; the upper lip is thin; and the ears might be low-set and rotated to the back of the head. In addition, the teeth of individuals with FAS are often misshapen and misplaced. It is common for orthodontia to be necessary

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

foetal alcohol syndrome..... children with this are born with smaller brains.. any amount of alcohol during pregnancy can cause this..

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

drugs addicts shoudnt have any benefits with or without kids, they get offered loads of help, i used to live in canal st and there was this woman who had kids and she was on drugs, she kept having kids and her mother will look after them, i think is selfish to get pregnant while on drugs, its not the babys fault to have irresponsible parents:mad:

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

Re: Should drug addicts be stripped of benefits?
 

Exactly Bonnyboy ... the ultimate sentence for drug pushers in my opinion .. ruins lives so why not life sentences. !