Friday, October 30, 2009

Re-instate Professor Nutt

It's just a few days since I was denouncing the government on its idiotic approach to drugs and in revenge they've sacked the only sane person they had on the subject, Professor Nutt, who headed up their independent body on drugs policy. Independent in this case meaning if you say things they don't like first they'll ignore you, then sack you if you keep at it.

Nutt was guilty of stating facts about the risks involved in taking drugs. As Nutt stated on the radio tonight if the government want policy to be a moral stance against drugs then they should be honest about it but not expect scientists to back them up when the evidence points to the weakness of their case.

This is another example of when the facts contradict government policy the facts have to be swept away. As Mark says "Perhaps something like this has been necessary in order for the public to start to see government drugs policy for what it is. They are not interesting in evidence, just political posturing."

Johnny Void has got a campaign up and running. Join it. Join the others. This sacking is one part of this government's consistently authoritarian and moralistic approach to social policy. It can't go on like this.

3 comments:

weggis said...

I'm surprised you are surprised.

Simon Grover said...

Not quite consistent with their authoritarian stance - this act takes it to a new level, as never before has a government scientist been sacked for disagreeing with them.

http://greenstalbans.blogspot.com

Jim Jepps said...

The Prof wwrote this in the Guardian today... here

Weggis: I am surprised that the government has been so cacked handed, but you're right - that isn't so surprising really. The important issue to raise is this government's approach to drugs where they reject all evidence based research and rely on knee jerk moralism.