A real and fully deserved battering.

[Paul6754]

I did say that the opium (or some of it) could be bought from the growers, but you are probably talking about a tiny amount used for the manufacture of hospital products compared to what gets to the drug market, maybe 2 to 5 per cent.

So whatever is necessary to make this amount could be allowed to be cultivated under strict conditions to ensure none of it goes 'missing'. You are easily intelligent enough to have worked this out yourself, but maybe just wanted to undermine my common sense approach.

 

Big Pharma doesn't source the opiates/morphine from Opium Poppy seeds gown in Afghanistan, I believe they source mainly from Australia, USA and India.

[melv]

Personally if i ran an oatcake place and someone in desperate need came to me I think i'd spare them an oatcake

 

Although of course the spitting is totally unjustified and the bloke has the right to refuse..even if I think he was wrong to do so.

 

Then he starts turning up every morning for his free oatcake.He also tells his other homeless mates about where he gets his free oatcake from.Then they start turning up wanting the same.Oatcake man then refuses and it kicks off even more.

[Jimmy]

Then he starts turning up every morning for his free oatcake.He also tells his other homeless mates about where he gets his free oatcake from.Then they start turning up wanting the same.Oatcake man then refuses and it kicks off even more.

 

Dust 'ere Melv.........If you had spat at the Oatcakeman, he would not have thrown the stuff at you he would have put you IN the bucket an sat on it until the Law had arrived........

[melv]

Dust 'ere Melv.........If you had spat at the Oatcakeman, he would not have thrown the stuff at you he would have put you IN the bucket an sat on it until the Law had arrived........

 

 

Can we have a free oatcake ( with various fillings) on your coach trips?

[llcoolj]

I'm afraid this story has been blown out of proportion by The Sentinel. The "crowd" that were cheering was actually 5 people at 7. 30 am. However even the Sentinel couldn't come up with the namby pamby self righteous claptrap that most have posted on this subject.

Let's all feel sorry for the drug addict, yeah right!!!

[Yukon]

Yes lets laugh at someone who's life has reached gutter level! The guy may deserve all he has got, but maybe things have gone sadly wrong and spiralled out of control we just don't know the facts. Until we do lets NOT laugh about the incident.

 

You're joking right?

[Guppy 4 England]

I can't believe the amount of crap on this thread , the smack head should have been arrested. I would have done a lot worse than throw batter at the scum bag then I read on here people feeling sorry for him. Crazy.

[who was markin him?]

Its funny and he deserves it. Why should he get free food? I used to get pestered by a drunken homeless man when I used to use the bus station in Hanley. He wanted food or money he would threaten and bully people. I'm all for helping people but why should I work and then give him free stuff? Ultimately he chooses to take drugs he was not forced to do heroin!

The government response to addicts is poor because they prescribe morphine which costs pence to produce huge amounts. It does not treat them it eases them off heroin onto a substance that is cheaper. The success rates are pathetic they need to invest in more centres as well as tackle the root cause. The Russell Brand documentary he made a number of years ago was good. He was an addict and admits he would freely give up everything to be a junkie again because nothing else compares to the 'high'.However if the West was to remove the only way that many Afghans earn a living the theory is that they will be pushed towards extremist groups. Its a huge issue.

All major pain relief drugs/treatments can be traced back to opium nothing else compares opium producing has always been financially rewarding.

[who was markin him?]

Put back to the point ye he ****ing to right deserved it nobody is prepared to take responsibility for their own actions. He spat at someone because he wants free food! Il stroll into the Bulls head this weekend and give them a sob story wonder if Il get a free pint. I wonder how far the sob story washes with his dealer!

[SourceOfTheTrent]

Does that include drunks/smokers/obese people... and people who supply food/smokes/booze?... what is a "decent society"? One that says some can get treatment but others cant?... one that extends the licensing hours so more people can drink more, be more abusive and fight more?.. one that allows politicians to claim more in expenses than some earn as salary?... one that hands out 12 weeks for spitting and gives rolf what?

Did the oatcake man have a go because he was upset or to get his face and business all over the front page?

Thailand has a serious drugs problem, although they wont admit it, smuggling carries the death penalty, 20 years in the hilton for 20 E tabs. Hiking up sentences wont stop it, it has to be controlled from growing it to the use of it.

 

Sorry mate but I can't agree.

 

I'm not advocating a death sentence (see my second post) but I am of the opinion that the 'understanding the offender's issues' approach has failed miserably.

 

A 'decent society' is one where it's members do not abuse others and act in a manner so selfish they totally disregard others just to satisfy their own immediate needs and wants. I know we are a million miles from that but the closer we are the more 'decent' society is. I don't advocate not treating drug addicts - or alcoholics or fat people - but hard drug users and the criminals in the supply chain are a massive blight on the rest of us and, in my opinion, require particular focus.

 

I like the US idea of 'three strikes and you're out', ie, you can be forgiven / understood for a couple of offences but a third repeat demonstrates a completely selfish attitude that requires long term removal from society on the basis you have proved yourself unfit to be a free member of it. The term should suit the nature of the crime and should not be, in my view, traditional prison but maybe a secure area in which inmates work and socialise more freely but are separated from law abiding society. However, that's a separate debate.

 

Many people compare hard drug use to alcohol and tobacco use but I think it's an unfair comparison because the consequences of hard drugs are much worse for both users and the general public; tobacco use doesn't give rise to much crime and really should be banned to eventually minimise its health implications (you'll always have some black market use) and we should be firmer in our control of alcohol because although the vast majority of people consume it sensibly there are a significant number who don't which leads to the well documented problems. So, yes, whther it's drugs or something else what I'm advocating is to stop ***** footing around with obnoxious repeat offenders and freeloaders who won't take advantage of all the help society offers and a) catch them more often and b) make the consequences of repeatedly offending and being a horrible person reflect that.

 

Personally I am absolutely sick to death of how we allow wasters such a free run, it's basically because their behaviour doesn't really effect the wealthy, it's the 'ordinary' citizen who has to suffer. Try living in an area with scumbags in it, you'll soon be less tolerant when they're braking in your house / mugging your granny / stealing your washing from the line / nicking your tools from your van or shed, etc., etc. I've had these problems but luckily I escaped from them a few years ago when I could afford to move to a better neighbourhood - and I didn't live in a particularly bad area of Stoke-on-Trent.

[SourceOfTheTrent]

Since when was p-u-s-s-y an offensive word?

[geosname]

Sorry mate but I can't agree.

 

I'm not advocating a death sentence (see my second post) but I am of the opinion that the 'understanding the offender's issues' approach has failed miserably.

 

A 'decent society' is one where it's members do not abuse others and act in a manner so selfish they totally disregard others just to satisfy their own immediate needs and wants. I know we are a million miles from that but the closer we are the more 'decent' society is. I don't advocate not treating drug addicts - or alcoholics or fat people - but hard drug users and the criminals in the supply chain are a massive blight on the rest of us and, in my opinion, require particular focus.

 

I like the US idea of 'three strikes and you're out', ie, you can be forgiven / understood for a couple of offences but a third repeat demonstrates a completely selfish attitude that requires long term removal from society on the basis you have proved yourself unfit to be a free member of it. The term should suit the nature of the crime and should not be, in my view, traditional prison but maybe a secure area in which inmates work and socialise more freely but are separated from law abiding society. However, that's a separate debate.

 

Many people compare hard drug use to alcohol and tobacco use but I think it's an unfair comparison because the consequences of hard drugs are much worse for both users and the general public; tobacco use doesn't give rise to much crime and really should be banned to eventually minimise its health implications (you'll always have some black market use) and we should be firmer in our control of alcohol because although the vast majority of people consume it sensibly there are a significant number who don't which leads to the well documented problems. So, yes, whther it's drugs or something else what I'm advocating is to stop ***** footing around with obnoxious repeat offenders and freeloaders who won't take advantage of all the help society offers and a) catch them more often and b) make the consequences of repeatedly offending and being a horrible person reflect that.

 

Personally I am absolutely sick to death of how we allow wasters such a free run, it's basically because their behaviour doesn't really effect the wealthy, it's the 'ordinary' citizen who has to suffer. Try living in an area with scumbags in it, you'll soon be less tolerant when they're braking in your house / mugging your granny / stealing your washing from the line / nicking your tools from your van or shed, etc., etc. I've had these problems but luckily I escaped from them a few years ago when I could afford to move to a better neighbourhood - and I didn't live in a particularly bad area of Stoke-on-Trent.

 

Excellent post, good arguments well stated.... I dont necessarily agree with the content but its still a good post encouraging a decent debate

[SourceOfTheTrent]

Excellent post, good arguments well stated.... I dont necessarily agree with the content but its still a good post encouraging a decent debate

 

Cheers. I enjoy a good debate but don't often have the time to indulge! One of the things about debate and discussion is being able to change your opinion if others give a convincing argument and I like to think I can do that. My initial reaction to the story was 'druggie, scum, rifle, cheap bullets, cheap solution' but I'm not really that kind of person and although I maintain my argument for a more vigorous approach to ridding ourselves of the hard drug problem I have been given some food for thought and have probably tempered my opinion after reading some of the contributions made in this thread.

 

I'm sure if we, the general populus, were tasked with debating and defining a more effective approach than we currently have I'm positive we couldn't do worse than our politicians who don't seem too bothered as far as I can see.

[JOHNNYAITCH]

Then he starts turning up every morning for his free oatcake.He also tells his other homeless mates about where he gets his free oatcake from.Then they start turning up wanting the same.Oatcake man then refuses and it kicks off even more.

 

Not necessarily

 

If it does then get the police involved

[JOHNNYAITCH]

I'm afraid this story has been blown out of proportion by The Sentinel. The "crowd" that were cheering was actually 5 people at 7. 30 am. However even the Sentinel couldn't come up with the namby pamby self righteous claptrap that most have posted on this subject.

Let's all feel sorry for the drug addict, yeah right!!!

 

If we can't not laugh at a desperate homeless drug addict then truly we have hit rock bottom