Brighton mother slams government 'legal high' drug plans (From The Argus)

So Maryon Stewart expects to delegate her responsibilities as a mother, nicely washing her hands of the whole matter? Maybe that sort of pathetic behaviour is what drives people to seek solace in substances when there's no example set from parents.

have to agree with petebrighton, its not only the parents are to blame though, the goverment with their attack on cannabis and other drugs have left a void these synthetic legal highs are filling, and they require no testing as most are listed as not for human consumption.

maybe we should adress the issue of why people want to get high and possibly their right too with more safer substances rather then legal alternatives.

Demmand is the issue to adress not supply, as long as demmand is there, there will be supply, its always been this way and legal highs wouldnt exist if safe drugs like cannabis and maybe some other drugs were legal.

i have to be honest and admit i have taken GBL. i decided to stop using it a few months ago. the issue of drug use is very complicated, i am a middle class worker and in my drinking pals drugs are a fact of life at weekends. GBL will only be replaced by another legal high. and indeed i have tried some of them as well. i am a honest law abiding guy. and would not use illegal drugs, but legal highs are easy to get in the internet and so cheep.

i am not sticking up for drugs. but people have to understand if its legal to buy people will buy it. it takes too long to ban such drugs.

I totally disagree with both comments here, although parents do have a responsibility to set a good example to their children, when it comes to 'recreational' drugs then unfortunately peer pressure and social trends overpower anything parents have taught us.

I get the feeling both of these comments are written by people with absolutely no current experience of the UK Pub / Club scene. Most people I know use either banned and / or designer drugs, infact having a line of this or a bit of that is as normal amongst some as having a pint. And this is not unique, this is happening everywhere and not amongst socially deprived people as some of you may think. We are all professionals, well educated, with good upbringings, earn very good money, hold down saught after jobs and like to go out at the weekend.

How you can blame this poor girls mother is beyond me, bar locking your children in their bedroom all you can do is educate them and trust them to make the right decisions. Education is the key, we all know the dangers of GHB / GBL and especially mixing it with alcohol, unfortunatley this girl didnt as many other people dont, hopefully now they will.

Society is changing and recreational drug use is just a sign of the times, smoking was once socially acceptable and drug taking wasnt, now it is the other way round. People do drugs and you have to accept that, it isnt the parents fault, I would ask anyone on here making negative comments about this girls mother to think long and hard if they have children 15+, the statistics dont tell the truth, the vast majority of people I know within their mid 20's and above have done, or do, recreational drugs. Dont preach until you are entirely certain your children arent doing it. I tell you one thing, my parents wouldn't have a clue.

petebrighton you have got it exactly right.parents today want to blame everyone but themselves,its pathetic.no-one twists your arm to do drugs or drink to excess,its all down to personal choice by the person involved and of course good parenting.

It won't make any difference if it is a Class A, B or C.

If a medical student didn't know the risks, or more likely took drugs knowing the very minimal risks, that was her choice.

I'm sorry she is dead, but that occasionally happens. Would Mrs Stewart ban cigarettes, alcohol, peanuts, etc?

Heroin is class A but people still get a hold of it. You cant hold up one countries laws though and compare them to our own, so saying its a particular class in America has no bearing on it. America also allows additives and E numbers in sweets and cereals that we dont allow. France has banned RedBull, we havent. So you cant really say one countrys laws are right and another is wrong.

jaygee wrote:
petebrighton you have got it exactly right.parents today want to blame everyone but themselves,its pathetic.no-one twists your arm to do drugs or drink to excess,its all down to personal choice by the person involved and of course good parenting.

Good parenting has very little to do with it in todays society, you are all so out of touch. Drugs are fun and thats why people do them, as I said previously, for this generation it is socially acceptable and thats why you all struggle to accept it.

I wouldn't be surprised if your children were doing it and you just don't realise, dont be so quick so criticise!

After decades of advice and education and laws to ban this-and-that drug there is no one of Hester Stewarts age that does not know the dangers.
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If an individual chooses to use these substances then on their heads be it.
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Responsibility for their actions lay with them.

There has been very little to no education on the dangers of GBL, its a new drug that hasn't been used as a drug "for decades", you cant group all drugs as being dangerous, people will make a judgement on what to do and what not to do based on the risks associated with that particular substance. To think that someone would think all drugs are bad, i wont touch anything is just naive, very naive. And in case you are missing the point, GBL wasn't even banned.

drugs are fun says hove lawn,well that says it all with our society,pal what ever arguments you put up in the future on this thread everyone will know you are just a no brainer.if itwasnt so serious your comment would make me laugh.try telling the victims mum drugs are fun.

Drugs ARE dangerous, but we are not being correctly informed about the relative dangers, nor permitted access to the safer variants.

I am not pleased by a society which is dependant on alcohol, allows it's youth to experiment with unknown and unclassified substances, and promotes a criminal black market in tainted drugs.

It is time for education, and the place for this to start is with parents. My children will be informed and aware, and hopefully wise enough to make the right choices.

jaygee wrote:
drugs are fun says hove lawn,well that says it all with our society,pal what ever arguments you put up in the future on this thread everyone will know you are just a no brainer.if itwasnt so serious your comment would make me laugh.try telling the victims mum drugs are fun.

If they werent fun, why do so many people do them? Im not saying its right to do them, just that people enjoy them, hence why people do them. If they weren't, no one would

Mr Numptyhead wrote:
Drugs ARE dangerous, but we are not being correctly informed about the relative dangers, nor permitted access to the safer variants. I am not pleased by a society which is dependant on alcohol, allows it's youth to experiment with unknown and unclassified substances, and promotes a criminal black market in tainted drugs. It is time for education, and the place for this to start is with parents. My children will be informed and aware, and hopefully wise enough to make the right choices.

Do parents really have the depth of knowledge and relevant facts to accurately educate their children on the dangers? Or do they just class all drugs as the same and say dont do drugs kids, drugs are bad? Im not saying theyre safe for one second, shoudl be legal or should be used, merely that taking a daily mail view doesnt work. If you tell youre kids that all drugs are bad and kill, then they see their friends doing them, enjoying it and not coming to any obvious harm then what are they likely to believe, your naive blanket view or the experiencies of people in their peer group? All this does is ruin your credibility on the issue in the eyes of your children. The answer is to give a balanced, well informed and educated overview of the pro's and con's and then allowing your children to see the dangers based on the facts, and i dont believe many people in our parents generation have the relevant facts to hand, or can differentiate between different substances.

HoveLawn wrote:
There has been very little to no education on the dangers of GBL, its a new drug that hasn't been used as a drug "for decades", you cant group all drugs as being dangerous, people will make a judgement on what to do and what not to do based on the risks associated with that particular substance. To think that someone would think all drugs are bad, i wont touch anything is just naive, very naive. And in case you are missing the point, GBL wasn't even banned.

RUBBISH .. The message is same for ALL non prescribed drugs ...
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Its NOT naive to expect people to use the their common sence.
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The message is that same - if you've not been prescribed it by you doctor and had advice from your local chemist the DONT TAKE IT..

We have to teach our kids that taking any kind of drugs legal or illegal it's a weakness and not an strength and nothing to be proud of.

Rostrum wrote:

HoveLawn wrote: There has been very little to no education on the dangers of GBL, its a new drug that hasn't been used as a drug "for decades", you cant group all drugs as being dangerous, people will make a judgement on what to do and what not to do based on the risks associated with that particular substance. To think that someone would think all drugs are bad, i wont touch anything is just naive, very naive. And in case you are missing the point, GBL wasn't even banned.

RUBBISH .. The message is same for ALL non prescribed drugs ... . Its NOT naive to expect people to use the their common sence. . The message is that same - if you've not been prescribed it by you doctor and had advice from your local chemist the DONT TAKE IT..

But youre missing the point, people do take them, which obviously means this approach isnt working. It is better people choose what to take based on the facts and associated risks, to expect the majority of people to never take them bacause they get told all drugs are bad is naive and I stand by that. This approach isnt new, how many parents up and down the country are taking this approach? With the record numbers of people experimenting it obviously isnt working.
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As much as I would hate it to be true the chances of your kids trying drugs are high, and your naive attitude is most likely further driving them to it.

Txa wrote:
We have to teach our kids that taking any kind of drugs legal or illegal it's a weakness and not an strength and nothing to be proud of.

It may be a weakness and I agree with that, but kids find it fun and thats a sad fact we can not ignore, if it wasnt fun so many wouldnt be doing it. It is a losing battle, kids find football fun but if you told them football was bad would they stop playing? I doubt it. That is why you should educate them and accept they will be exposed to it. Argue as much as you like but the attitude of the adult generation isnt working and that is why there are record numbers of people trying things. And that is clear to see, as much as you hate to admit it

HoveLawn wrote:

Mr Numptyhead wrote:
Drugs ARE dangerous, but we are not being correctly informed about the relative dangers, nor permitted access to the safer variants. I am not pleased by a society which is dependant on alcohol, allows it's youth to experiment with unknown and unclassified substances, and promotes a criminal black market in tainted drugs. It is time for education, and the place for this to start is with parents. My children will be informed and aware, and hopefully wise enough to make the right choices.

Do parents really have the depth of knowledge and relevant facts to accurately educate their children on the dangers? Or do they just class all drugs as the same and say dont do drugs kids, drugs are bad? Im not saying theyre safe for one second, shoudl be legal or should be used, merely that taking a daily mail view doesnt work. If you tell youre kids that all drugs are bad and kill, then they see their friends doing them, enjoying it and not coming to any obvious harm then what are they likely to believe, your naive blanket view or the experiencies of people in their peer group? All this does is ruin your credibility on the issue in the eyes of your children. The answer is to give a balanced, well informed and educated overview of the pro's and con's and then allowing your children to see the dangers based on the facts, and i dont believe many people in our parents generation have the relevant facts to hand, or can differentiate between different substances.

Perhaps you misunderstand mr Mr Lawn... Though it does appear that we are reading from the same page.

I am well aware of the dangers of legal drugs (alcoholism, cancer, jellyheads etc) and illegal drugs, having lost my oldest friend recently.

It is the false messages from government, such as the reclassification of Cannabis, that mean I have to take responsibility for my children's education.

Otherwise they will not be able to tell the difference between one addictive substance that can blight your life and something that their friends are taking, which may or may not be illegal.

I am not advocating drug-taking, but I will not allow false reasoning and miseducation to rule my life.

I agree that many people are not well equipped for this and believe the government should be more open and honest in it's policy of enforcement and education.

I believe in free choice for intelligent people, and if this includes exploring and experimenting with mind altering substances (I'm not talking about chocolate, love, or temperature, all of which can cause people to go a bit loopy!) that is their choice.

What is tragic is the death and overall impact on society from the current failed stance on drugs. When do we admit failure?

HoveLawn wrote:

Rostrum wrote:

HoveLawn wrote: There has been very little to no education on the dangers of GBL, its a new drug that hasn't been used as a drug "for decades", you cant group all drugs as being dangerous, people will make a judgement on what to do and what not to do based on the risks associated with that particular substance. To think that someone would think all drugs are bad, i wont touch anything is just naive, very naive. And in case you are missing the point, GBL wasn't even banned.

RUBBISH .. The message is same for ALL non prescribed drugs ... . Its NOT naive to expect people to use the their common sence. . The message is that same - if you've not been prescribed it by you doctor and had advice from your local chemist the DONT TAKE IT..

But youre missing the point, people do take them, which obviously means this approach isnt working. It is better people choose what to take based on the facts and associated risks, to expect the majority of people to never take them bacause they get told all drugs are bad is naive and I stand by that. This approach isnt new, how many parents up and down the country are taking this approach? With the record numbers of people experimenting it obviously isnt working. . As much as I would hate it to be true the chances of your kids trying drugs are high, and your naive attitude is most likely further driving them to it.

Then why bother to ban any of the?
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Why bother with all the ant drugs adverts?
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Why bother with the anti drug education?
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Just hand them out on street free of charge and let every one see if they like them.
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Let 'Dawin' sort it out

Mr Numptyhead wrote:

HoveLawn wrote:

Mr Numptyhead wrote: Drugs ARE dangerous, but we are not being correctly informed about the relative dangers, nor permitted access to the safer variants. I am not pleased by a society which is dependant on alcohol, allows it's youth to experiment with unknown and unclassified substances, and promotes a criminal black market in tainted drugs. It is time for education, and the place for this to start is with parents. My children will be informed and aware, and hopefully wise enough to make the right choices.

Do parents really have the depth of knowledge and relevant facts to accurately educate their children on the dangers? Or do they just class all drugs as the same and say dont do drugs kids, drugs are bad? Im not saying theyre safe for one second, shoudl be legal or should be used, merely that taking a daily mail view doesnt work. If you tell youre kids that all drugs are bad and kill, then they see their friends doing them, enjoying it and not coming to any obvious harm then what are they likely to believe, your naive blanket view or the experiencies of people in their peer group? All this does is ruin your credibility on the issue in the eyes of your children. The answer is to give a balanced, well informed and educated overview of the pro's and con's and then allowing your children to see the dangers based on the facts, and i dont believe many people in our parents generation have the relevant facts to hand, or can differentiate between different substances.

Perhaps you misunderstand mr Mr Lawn... Though it does appear that we are reading from the same page. I am well aware of the dangers of legal drugs (alcoholism, cancer, jellyheads etc) and illegal drugs, having lost my oldest friend recently. It is the false messages from government, such as the reclassification of Cannabis, that mean I have to take responsibility for my children's education. Otherwise they will not be able to tell the difference between one addictive substance that can blight your life and something that their friends are taking, which may or may not be illegal. I am not advocating drug-taking, but I will not allow false reasoning and miseducation to rule my life. I agree that many people are not well equipped for this and believe the government should be more open and honest in it's policy of enforcement and education. I believe in free choice for intelligent people, and if this includes exploring and experimenting with mind altering substances (I'm not talking about chocolate, love, or temperature, all of which can cause people to go a bit loopy!) that is their choice. What is tragic is the death and overall impact on society from the current failed stance on drugs. When do we admit failure?

On re-reading, it appears that I did misunderstand, my points in general still stand, but I agree entirely with what youre saying and my answer shouldnt have been directed at your post

The situation on reading this report is now an inch away of stupidity. As soon as the word Drugs are mentioned we then get the usual comments. The blame on the parents for "letting it happen". The resolution by the Police to continue their campaign, and add a couple of medics. Stir it all up and you get the same output.
Let them do it... If they are going to they will., In 20 years time it will all be legal as this fight cannot be won.