Garrett pressured to take drug test

[WantDaChronic]

FEDERAL Labor MP Peter Garrett is under pressure to take a drug test following claims by Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns that the two smoked joints with U2 lead singer Bono in Sydney.

 

During a radio interview with Triple J yesterday, Johns described how he and singer wife Natalie Imbruglia had been invited, along with the former Midnight Oil frontman, to a house rented by Bono while he was in Sydney in November.

 

"It was really one of the most surreal moments of my life," Johns said.

 

"It was me and Natalie and Peter Garrett and Bono laying on Bono's bed smoking joints, listening to Young Modern demos."

 

Hours later - after being contacted by Mr Garrett's office - Johns issued a lengthy statement describing that claim as a "stupid" and saying "I really should just shut up and stick to singing."

 

"(Bono and Mr Garrett) are both known to be very anti-drugs, so that's why I assumed everybody would know I was joking when I made that comment," he said.

 

"I was fortunate enough to get to play them some of my demos but I swear no joints were involved.

 

"I guess I felt like a bit of a namedropper mentioning them on the radio, so that's why I added a silly throwaway joke."

 

Just a joke

 

A spokeswoman for Mr Garrett yesterday said: "We confirm Daniel Johns' statement saying that it was a joke."

 

Kate Pasterfield later quoted her boss Mr Garrett as saying: "I tried a bit of dope in my 20s but I haven't since."

 

Mr Garrett has been reluctant to discuss whether he has any experience with drugs, refusing to address the issue in a 2004 interview.

 

"That's a part of my life which is closed," he told 3AW.

 

Random drug tests

 

Anti-drugs campaigner Tony Wood, whose daughter Anna died of an ecstasy overdose in 1995, said Mr Garrett could prove his innocence by being tested for marijuana.

 

He also called for the introduction of random drug tests at all levels of government.

 

"These people are our leading figures," he said. "If they're going into Parliament and they're stoned, how can they be making decisions on our behalf?

 

"It's about time we got out and started getting tough on them."

 

Johns "irresponsible"

 

Drug prevention groups slammed Johns' comments as irresponsible.

 

Family Drug Support founder Tony Trimingham, whose son Damien died of a heroin overdose in 1997, said Johns' remarks did more harm than good.

 

"He might see it as a joke, but he should realise that he is a role model and what people like him say influences young people," Mr Trimingham said.

 

"The whole point is, whether it's happened or not, it's the public raising of the act that's irresponsible, as far as I'm concerned.

 

"Peter Garrett should be saying something along the lines of what I'm saying, I would have thought, given that he's now in a position of huge responsibility."

Source: www.news.com.au

 

i bet he wont smoke up with daniel johns again

[Mushaman]

and I bet there is no way he will be taking the gob swab

[jabez]

Yeah, Daniel johns is obiviously a liberal

[ozdaz]

That balded headed prick is just as bigger hypocrite and liar ,as the rest of them .Jumps on the greenies band wagon then sells out too fucking labour, greenie my arse ,he sure might smoke green but that's about it . And nothing good has come out of his mouth since 1982 ,and that was great music ,not some bullshit politics .Go on Pete take the test they'll probably make you PM if you pass .

[freddie]

"He might see it as a joke, but he should realise that he is a role model and what people like him say influences young people," Mr Trimingham said.

Now I've heard everything. Musicians are supposed to be role models????? Why are anti drug campaigners trying to connect ecstasy and heroin with pot. THEY ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DRUGS.

 

I wouldn't like to share a smoke with any of those 4; aw maybe Natalie.

[Stoney]

this was a joke between mif, J and the doctor and daniel johns when he was called to be told he has ben nominated for a J award from then it has been blown out of the water

 

funnily enough there was am email sent out to all media in regards to daniel johns statement and even funnier the email was sent by garrets liberal opponant

 

the origional email was then retracted by a second email that stated the first email was not ment to be forwarded to all the media

 

but of coarse the media like the hungry dog that it is already had its slobbery jaws all over it and run with the story for the past few days

 

to be honest i think its bull shit that people out there think that smoking weed dont happen

 

in the immortal words of bill hicks

 

"If you don't believe drugs have done good things for us, then go home and burn all your records, all your tapes, and all your CDs because every one of those artists who have made brilliant music and enhanced your lives? RrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrEAL fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fucking high they let Ringo sing a few songs."

 

think peter garret dont smoke is like thinking john butler dont smoke come on

 

and BTW ozdaz have you actually heard the new silverchair album pretty dam good in my book and not to mention the disasotives album that was kick ass. give the dude the props he deserves he is getting out there and doing his bit to improve the quality and quantity or aussie music

 

cheerz :Dj:

 

p.s. i also find it utterly hilarious that when it comes to most goverment jobs they drug test you frequently yet for the people running the country to never be tested is a scam

just goes to show they look after each other first and the country second just like there pay packets and benifits scemes

[SmellyArab]

Peter Garrett: What a wang and his music sucked the fricken big one

Dissociatives & Daniel Johns: Props? Props? Fuck that! That music sucks, silverchair has been shit ever since Daniel Johns lost his testicles and started singing 3 octaves higher than he used to.

 

As for your call: telling people about their records being inspired by drugs, have you seen what's popular these days? Because i'm tipping those "artists" know as little about drugs as they do about their music. It's softcore porn not music.

[WantDaChronic]

Peter Garrett: What a wang and his music sucked the fricken big one

Dissociatives & Daniel Johns: Props? Props? Fuck that! That music sucks, silverchair has been shit ever since Daniel Johns lost his testicles and started singing 3 octaves higher than he used to.

 

As for your call: telling people about their records being inspired by drugs, have you seen what's popular these days? Because i'm tipping those "artists" know as little about drugs as they do about their music. It's softcore porn not music.

silverchairs old music is good, but im with you on it going to shit since the lead singer has had his balls in a vice or what ever caused his voice to go way higher, almost sounds like a woman trying to sound like a man

 

you're totally right about the softcore porn *cough* today's music industry knowing very little about drugs, all they are doing is hooking into pharmacuticals and piss while all the time rubbing up and down on people in their film clips...total disgrace imo, but on the bright side of things its the american film clips that are like that, most aussie ones are far tamer in comparison although we do have a few that like to push it a bit

[bufo marinus]

Family Drug Support founder Tony Trimingham, whose son Damien died of a heroin overdose in 1997, said Johns' remarks did more harm than good.

 

"He might see it as a joke, but he should realise that he is a role model and what people like him say influences young people," Mr Trimingham said.

 

"The whole point is, whether it's happened or not, it's the public raising of the act that's irresponsible, as far as I'm concerned.

 

Sorry to hear about his son but these people with axes to grind shit me.

I hope he campaigns as hard against alcohol as he does heroin and Marijuana? for christ sake?? Thats bitter

Peoples performance at work should be the only criteria for emplyer involvment, not some half cocked crusader moaning like a bitch

[iamnotacop]

Sorry to hear about his son but these people with axes to grind shit me.

I hope he campaigns as hard against alcohol as he does heroin and Marijuana?

 

He does, maybe you need to do some research before going off.

 

Maybe we should look at this dudes site, before we blast him for making emotional statements.

http://www.fds.org.au/

 

 

 

At least they tell the truth about Cannabis. They are not overly trying to scare people off of it, and if you look at the Harm section, there is nothing there that I don't believe is true.

====================

Risks and harms

Long-term cannabis use also carries the same established risks as tobacco smoking eg:

developing chronic respiratory problems, or lung, mouth or throat cancer from the carcinogens

in the smoke. It is not wise to use any drugs during pregnancy. There is some evidence that

cannabis used as tobacco can contribute to lower birth weight and slower development in some

babies.

=========================

http://www.fds.org.au/pdf/FactSheet5_Cannabis.pdf

 

As opposed to their view on Alcohol and Heroin

 

http://fds.org.au/pdf/FactSheet2_alcohol.pdf

I wont quote it cause it is too much.

http://www.fds.org.au/pdf/FactSheet8_Heroin.pdf

Same thing, at least they are telling the truth.

 

We should be giving them credit for at least telling the truth, and not perpetuating the bullshit.

 

Unfortunately I couldn't find anything about tobacco.

 

I think people like him need to hear from people like us. He has lost his kid to a drug and therefore thinks all drugs are bad. You can't really blame him, cause he only knows what he has been told. Maybe people like us should tell him some home truths. Like the fact that his son died from Heroin, which was probably tainted, of unknown purity, on a black market run by criminals, which is a direct result of prohibition. Maybe if he realises this one little fact, then he might change his tune.