60 minutes heroin madness

[Brash]

Did anyone catch thhis remarkable statement on 60 minutes last week. Here is a snippet of the transcript of the show (LIZ HAYES is the reporter). Full transcript at 60 minutes archived story on 'Reefer Madness':

 

...

JULIE LYNN EVANS: With the skunk, which is 30 to 60 times higher in THC content than the ordinary block or the stuff that was around in the '60s, people are really hurting their brains, particularly, particularly, the young people, whose brains aren't properly formed yet.

 

LIZ HAYES: Julie Lynn Evans is a London-based psychotherapist who is at the front line of what she calls a losing battle. More and more young patients are being sent to her with cannabis-related psychosis. And this is what they've been smoking. It's called skunk, the most potent form of cannabis. Loaded with THC, the component of the drug that gets you high, it's regarded by a growing number of experts as the most dangerous drug on the streets today.

 

JULIE LYNN EVANS: I would prefer to have an 18-year-old hooked on heroin to treat, or crack cocaine, than skunk.

 

LIZ HAYES: That's an extraordinary thing to say.

 

JULIE LYNN EVANS: Yes, I know. Very controversial.

 

LIZ HAYES: That you'd prefer a young person to be hooked on heroin.

 

JULIE LYNN EVANS: Well, as long as they're smoking it. I think once they go into needles, that's a different ball game.

...

I would prefer to see that 'London-based psychotherapist' deregistered and banned from treating anyone else

[Brash]

Mailbag comments (potentially read out on this Sunday's show) can be sent to:

 

60minutesmailbag@nine.com.au

 

my posted comment:

Dear 60 minutes,

I find the statement by alleged health professional JULIE LYNN EVANS that she would prefer an 18 year old hooked on heroin 'as long as they're smoking it', completely outrageous and downright dangerous. This sends the false message that smoking heroin is OK while needles are the killer. It is heroin that is addictive not its route of administration. Fatal overdose can occur whichever means of administration are used.

[billyluke]

She should be deregistered for saying that on tv, i wonder if if she tries to wein her patients off MJ onto crack... fkn idiot.

[Infinitee]

I think 60 Minutes did a find ol' job of finding the most retarded, crack-head psychotherapist in the world to say something controversial.

 

You know, out of those 7 statements, 3 don't state anything and the other 4 contain complete lies.

 

Modern day Skunk does not have 60 times the THC of the stuff from the 60's.

 

Skunk is not the most potent form of cannabis (i don't believe, anyway)

 

You cannot get hooked (physically, anyways) on marijuana and it's better to smoke than heroin.

 

And as Brash said the method of intake of heroin is irrevelant.

 

I wish 60 Minutes would stop doing shows on ridiculous shit like this (it's certainly not the first time) and start talking about real issues. How about why a plant that really IS harmless like marijuana is illegal and how it was made illegal on the basis of racism and profiteering.

 

Kerry Packer............lick my

[dsyfer]

Here is the link to the webchat after, except if you read it there was no chat, just preorganized questions that supported the bullshit propaganda:

 

http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/sixtymi.../story_1507.asp

[dsyfer]

I just searched the 60minutes website, and they used "Reefer Madness" as a headline for a story back in 2001, some bored producer probably was looking through old stories and decided to bring out all the old myths again

[Brash]

Here is the link to the webchat after, except if you read it there was no chat, just preorganized questions that supported the bullshit propaganda:

 

http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/sixtymi.../story_1507.asp

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes I made the mistake of reading through the crap, the whole thing appeared to be more a of FAQ file instead of the alleged chat transcript.

[Hanky]

If you watch 60 minutes you deserve to be exposed to crap like this. This is just another reason why I would rather cut my scrotum off with a rusty knife than watch commercial TV "news and current affairs".

 

The only thing more stupid than the comments of Julie Lynn Evans is that some people actually expect better from a TV show that has always held opinions as more important than facts.

 

I don't think that many of the mainstream, non smoking public are going to believe the claims that heroin is less of a threat than cannabis. Claims like this just make the rabid anti drug lobby look stupid in the eyes of anyone with more than an ounce of brains, regardless of the individuals stance on drug use in general.

 

Let these Idiots have all the rope they need, they'll soon find a way to hang themselves.

[Infinitee]

Heh, you seem to be forgetting one thing, Hanky, the practically universal human trait of stupidity.

 

The day after this show ran, I had a call from my mother and she happily believed it all (then again, she's not the smartest brick in the tree) and raved onto me about how bad it is, quoting the show here and there.

 

Remember the original Reefer Madness, smokers and people with an inch of common sense laughed at it's absolute stupidity, but it was believed by the general public and worked so well that they could ban marijuana with little opposition.

 

I hope your right that the general public won't believed a word of what they're saying, but I would not count on it.

[Brash]

If you watch 60 minutes you deserve to be exposed to crap like this. This is just another reason why I would rather cut my scrotum off with a rusty knife than watch commercial TV "news and current affairs".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I very rarely stray from ABC or SBS but if a pot program is coming up on commercial, I watch purely because its good to know your enemy.