Drug Advisers Resign - As Good As It Gets?

Bansky

Dr King and Marion Walker resigned today in protest over the sacking of Prof David Nutt. I'm glad they feel strongly enough about this to do so, as they're right to. Just as Alan Johnson says an advisor shouldn't step into the political field, the political field can't fly in the face of scientific research. When it gets to the point that the state is saying the earth is flat and science says it round, there is something really wrong there. Never has the phrase what is he smoking been more appropriate.

What's been nagging at me about this though, is the policy just isn't working, why keep moving things around when you could rethink the policy? Embracing the research offers the opportunity to do just that. It really annoys me as it just feels so stagnant, is this really as good as it gets? This is the best policy they have to offer to tackle drug smuggling and protect people? Moving drugs up and down the alphabet.

Wonderful, nothing like progressive policy and government. This situation highlights for me something so flawed. Rather than protecting other people, it's about protecting themselves. Suu Kyi said:

It's is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it.

Wise woman.

Alan Johnson Sacks Drugs Adviser

Alan Johnson became Alan Sugar today uttering the phase "you're fired!" at Professor David Nutt. What could he have done so badly to warrant this? He based his opinion on, dare I say it, scientific evidence before it goes through the New Labour washing machine on full spin. Alan Johnson said:

I cannot have public confusion between scientific advice and policy and have therefore lost confidence in your ability to advise me as Chair of the ACMD

No indeed, why on earth would you base policy on scientific evidence and advice? And why have people around you that would disagree, far better not to question anything, it can as this case shows, make your policy look populist and a little silly.

It's the role of the state to protect and inform, you achieve none of these points by not having an open discussion on drugs. How New Labour.