h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

What do you think??
i have the news on at the moment,and they have announced that six prisoners have been awarded compensation for having to go"cold turkey",when commited to prison ,as it is classed as assault!!!
Apparently some were on class A drugs,others were on methadone.They also said that it will be the tax payers who will have to foot the bill for this compensation,the amount will be decided by judges tomorrow.
I'd like other peoples opinions on this ruling....unless of course i've got it wrong!!

There's a convo about this very thing somewhere else on site Sal - (just spent a fruitless 20 minutes trying to find the link for ya!)

And no, you haven't misread the situation atall

Compensation for going Cold Turkey my backside! I daren't comment or I'd blow a hole in the screen

If there should be any compo, then I'd sway slightly to the side of the Methodone users; that's a *prescribed* drug to assist heroin users not to use heroin, which is illegal. (And getting off Methadone is as bad, apparently as getting off heroin)

It *could be argued that it's like pinching a smokers nicotine patches when they're trying to stop smoking, I suppose.

But Class As? No way! No-one is ever *forced to use illegal drugs; except in very cruel and unusual cases.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F19585?thread=502685&latest=1 Posting 922 Knew I'd find it if I looked hard enough!

Yea! I heard all about this on the radio today, and the wife of that policeman who got scarred for life by a thug who he had a fight with when arresting him, he got £10 compensation

I think that is a typical point of all this Human Rights that we are having forced upon these days
Smudger.

Ok, so maybe some unnamed person I know can claim compensation for having his gambling habit cut off in its prime by being forced to go to prison after shoplifting to feed his habit when he was younger?

Mind you, he'd just spend it on drugs, just like he did his compensation for getting beaten up many years ago.

Its a crying shame he wasn't encouraged ( or the appropriate remdial facilities weren't around) to either

(a) seek out some form of self defence class

or

(b) address the problems that caused him to turn to drugs to compensate himself for his take on life.

Unfortunately, no matter how tough we perceive our lives to be, there's no refund or compo from Life.

A majority of us either sort it out for ourselves, or accept life has lumps and work round them as best we can, without escaping from it with Recreational/illegal substances.

Apart from ciggies and alcohol; for the sake of this point, they arn't technically illegal yet, although they can be harmful. As can be gambling. They can all be addictive compulsions after all.

But revenue has to be raised from *somehwere, after all

Smudger I'm with you, and too to comment.

Websailor

Dear Smurfles,
Sorry I have not replied before. Like you, I was totally shattered about it. Now I hear - on the radio - that they are being paid out a large amount of money because their "human rights" have been encroached.

This is human rights gone quite dotty. I do believe that drugs/cigarettes/alcohol are, when taken to excess, typical of an addictive personality/ All three of them kill you eventually, but the only one that the authorities have seen fit to regulate, are cigarettes. If the report on the media is true, then surely all those who are no longer allowed to smokein public placres. should also apply for compensation because their "human rights" have been encroached.Which is as dotty as offering compensation to those in prison. In any case, I have heard that it is as difficult to get off methodone as it is to get over the hard drugs.

I have known several people whose lives have been totally destreoyed by an addictive tendency to drugs. I really think that something should be done to try and rehabilitate those who are addicted to drugs. If the State considered helping those who have an addictive personality to rehabilitate themselves instead of wasting the money on giving them cash - if it is true 0 then I could understand it.

Will we hear the true story? I certainly hope so. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

With affection

Christiane AR1

Smurfles
___________
I would like to make my opinion known about these druggie`s, i think it`s appalling that people like that who end up in Prison for their misdeed`s should be able to take the stance like this and expect to be compensated for what they call their legal right`s, it should have been thrown out of court and they should be told that they get nothing, why should the tax payer have to hand their hard earned money to scum like that.
I for 1 will stand up and be counted when it come`s to handing money to those who are not entitled to money they have not earned.
Come on people do you think it`s right or wrong?????

I think it's appalling that anyone should be paid compensation for having to come off drugs because they have commited a crime which warranted a prison sentence
I KNOW that it's my pet subject,but when the council are cloing down elderly peoples homes,they are infringing on the eldery's human rights(i read all the relevant paper work when fighting to keep five local homes open).They weren't offered compensation for being turfed out of their homes,which was SO distressing for most,,,,it was a case of "tough luck" really.
Id be interested to have the figures of how many ex prisoners ,who have had to go "cold turkey",have gone back to drugs on their release!!!

Very dear smurfles,

I agree with you totally. As I said, it is human rights gone dotty. However, if they did use the cash to get people off the habit for good then I might have served a good cause.

There is such a condition known as an addictive personality, an these people solve their problems by addiction to some sort of action, or they take to drugs, alcohol, smoking, buying,etc. etc.

Must

Much affection

Christiane AR1