Professor Les Iverson, Interim chair, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs gave a superb interview on Today this morning, just before 8am. He’s right, drug policy shouldn’t be knee jerk, but it should take account of what we know about groups of drugs as there is no way the law can keep up with all the emerging ‘legal’ highs.
We should also remember that suppliers are not trustworthy types, and the potential for contamination of products is limitless. Some of the contaminants, such as this case of a mix with manganese, have led to permanent neurological impairment. The message to the public needs to be clear, which is why we support a ‘class D’ catagory to send this message that this drug has been noted, research is underway, in the meantime it’s illegal.
We also agree however that it would be worth revisiting the classification system, not because we are certain that it needs to change, but because a review would be the chance to reassert to the public the threat to their safety, wellbeing, livelihood, family and future that drug-taking represents.
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About Julia Manning
Julia is a social pioneer, writer and campaigner. She studied visual science at City University and became a member of the College of Optometrists in 1991, later specialising in visual impairment and diabetes. During her career in optometry, she lectured at City University, was a visiting clinician at the Royal Free Hospital and worked with Primary Care Trusts. She ran a domiciliary practice across south London and was a Director of the UK Institute of Optometry.
Julia formed 20/20Health in 2006. Becoming an expert in digital health solutions, she led on the NHS–USA Veterans’ Health Digital Health Exchange Programme and was co-founder of the Health Tech and You Awards with Axa PPP and the Design Museum. Her research interests are now in harnessing digital to improve personal health, and she is a PhD candidate in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) at UCL. She is also dedicated to creating a sustainable Whole School Wellbeing Community model for schools that builds relationships, discovers assets and develops life skills. She is a member of the Royal Society of Medicine’s Digital Health Council.
Julia has shared 2020health's research widely in the media (BBC News, ITV, Channel 5 News, BBC 1′s The Big Questions & Victoria Derbyshire, BBC Radio 4 Today, PM and Woman's Hour, LBC) and has taken part in debates and contributed to BBC’s Newsnight, Panorama, You and Yours and ITV’s The Week.
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