[BBC News] Coroner's blast after drugs death

[Newsbot]

The Isle of Man is "awash with drugs", says a coroner holding an inquest into a girl's death from heroin.

 

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/6587979.stm

[Amadeus]

The Isle of Man is "awash with drugs",

What's that statement doing in the news section?

[thebees]

It is not awash with drugs - there are drugs here, people who want them can buy them, awash implies that everyone is on drugs and everyone that wants drugs can get them, this is not the case. Educate people in what to do in the event of a person getting into difficulty and these deaths needn't happen.

[Lonan3]

Drugs are available to those who are dumb enough to want them and are willing to pay the price (both in financial and health terms) - but the island is certainly not 'awash' with them. I honestly get sick of people making Douglas sound as if it's a lawless town somewhere in the old wild west - it isn't!

There are some clubs and pubs where people drug users tend to congregate. Unless Mr Moyle's 'local' has suddenly undergone a remarkable transformation, I would gues that it isn't one of them. Therefore, other than the relatively few cases that are brought before him (often people who've been there so often that they receive birthday and Xmas cards from the police), I would suggest that his case is made irrelevant by a stunning lack of evidence.

[TheJudge]

Drugs are available to those who are dumb enough to want them and are willing to pay the price (both in financial and health terms) - but the island is certainly not 'awash' with them. I honestly get sick of people making Douglas sound as if it's a lawless town somewhere in the old wild west - it isn't!

There are some clubs and pubs where people drug users tend to congregate. Unless Mr Moyle's 'local' has suddenly undergone a remarkable transformation, I would gues that it isn't one of them. Therefore, other than the relatively few cases that are brought before him (often people who've been there so often that they receive birthday and Xmas cards from the police), I would suggest that his case is made irrelevant by a stunning lack of evidence.

 

 

This is an excellent reply. I'm afraid Mr. Moyle has no sense of perspective when it comes to making grand statements in open court in front of the media. He really isn't the mouthpiece for society that he thinks he is. I do not doubt his knowledge and skill as a magistrate, but he really should just get on with his job and stop pontificating. In this particular sad case, he should be looking closer at the circumstances which allow a young girl in care to get to the stage where she not only is allowed to take heroin and the means to inject it into a care home, but then takes enough to kill her. Another stunning failure by "the system". If there was a public enquiry into this case (which I think there should have been) then a few people within social services would be feeling distinctly uncomfortable. I recognise they have a very difficult job to perform and very difficult and complicated people to deal with, but very rarely is there a case where more robust action at an early stage may have prevented something disastrous occurring. It's a fine balance, but that's why people have qualifications to deal with these issues.

[Max Power]

This is very unfortunate, and now the Island is getting some undeserved TV coverage for a problem which the police are dealing with very well I believe. What a kick in the teeth, but in the wrong direction as usual!

 

I don't understand how this man is allowed to use the courts as his own personal soapbox? He has done so much damage in the past with his crazy misinformed comments!

[Mr. Sausages]

And, despite being plastered all over the Independent every week, he moans that he doesn't get enough press coverage.

[Tea&Biscuits]

I might be talking crap here, but in my personal experience, i know more people, infact most people i know or grew up with on the IOM have taken class A drugs (at least Ex, Cocaine, Speed) (and still do to this day!!) - I am not sayin the IOM is awash with drugs, but i do really think that it has a slight drug problem that isnt recognised. I konw that people brought up in the UK in similar circs to me the IOM, as in financially, class status etc, would not have been in the position I faced growing up where drugs were freely available, everyone took them, and it was considered somewhat normal - none of my UK mates experienced that.

 

This is just from my personal experience - I could count the amount of smackheads I know on both hands - is this normal? Is it because it is a small Island and you do know people etc - I dont know!

 

Recently I have been thinking about my years of growing up on the Island and I can see now in hindsight just how big the drug culture and drink culture is there. I wasnt brought up in poverty or a sinking estate (as you would expect people inthe UK to be in the same circle of drug culture) so how come drugs were all around me and seemingly normal?

 

Is it like this in many small towns? Maybe?

 

It is such a shame about that girl, a shame that apart from detaining young people in respect of their own safety (which is not really the done thing) that at the end of the day people have their own mind and will do whatever they want!

 

Are there drug rehab places available on the Island?

 

I also think that the IOM is very fearful of bad press, maybe even at the expense of the people living there? I do sometimes think it likes to portray itself as an idylic little place cut off from the social probs of the UK (trying to attract fat cats??) and yet the IOM does have a more sinister side to it that I bet many of us have seen?

 

I dont agree with what Mr Moyle said, it was a bit shoutey and dramatic, but there is no smoke without fire IMO!!

 

I know im gona get FLAMED!!!!

[Lonan3]

And, despite being plastered all over the Independent every week, he moans that he doesn't get enough press coverage.

Why was 'all over the Independent ' in that sentence?

[Albert Tatlock]

Recently I have been thinking about my years of growing up on the Island and I can see now in hindsight just how big the drug culture and drink culture is there. I wasnt brought up in poverty or a sinking estate (as you would expect people inthe UK to be in the same circle of drug culture) so how come drugs were all around me and seemingly normal?

IMO, because most kids here feel they have nothing to do, and all day to do it. Kids are demonised for being on the streets whilst we offer few, if any, alternatives for them. Behaviour will always edge toward the lowest common denominator of the people you are forced to hang around with.

 

...and what is there to do for most young adults on the island brought up this way - except go to the pub - and/or experiment further with drugs?

 

IMO, for a start, we need to bring back that sense of community by providing facilities for kids - such as well equipped youth-clubs, more emphasis on sport and community living etc. IMO, only then will many kids get the knowledge of how to turn a 'boring life' into an 'interesting life' and perhaps learn that you only get out of life what you put into it. There are some damn good parents out there, but there are an ever increasing number of bad parents - themselves brought up the wrong way - often having spent most of their childhood on the street for the 8 hours a day when some kids seem to be not under the control of a parent or teacher. You can only teach your own kids what you know.

[Mr. Sausages]

I konw that people brought up in the UK in similar circs to me the IOM, as in financially, class status etc, would not have been in the position I faced growing up where drugs were freely available, everyone took them, and it was considered somewhat normal - none of my UK mates experienced that.

 

This is just from my personal experience - I could count the amount of smackheads I know on both hands - is this normal? Is it because it is a small Island and you do know people etc - I dont know!

 

The Island is fairly unique in that at any high school, or in any pub, there are a huge mix of people from different classes - and as a rule this isn't a problem and we get along fine. So, KWC aside, you get kids from council estates in the same class as kids with lawyers for parents. Road sweepers sit in the pubs drinking with accountants. We all know drug addicts, because it's a small place.

 

In the UK everyone in your school would be from the same council estate, or the same type of middle class village. The different classes don't mix as much. 95% of kids at a school in Salford will know all about drugs, and 95% of kids in Chester won't.

[Max Power]

I konw that people brought up in the UK in similar circs to me the IOM, as in financially, class status etc, would not have been in the position I faced growing up where drugs were freely available, everyone took them, and it was considered somewhat normal - none of my UK mates experienced that.

 

This is just from my personal experience - I could count the amount of smackheads I know on both hands - is this normal? Is it because it is a small Island and you do know people etc - I dont know!

 

The Island is fairly unique in that at any high school, or in any pub, there are a huge mix of people from different classes - and as a rule this isn't a problem and we get along fine. So, KWC aside, you get kids from council estates in the same class as kids with lawyers for parents. Road sweepers sit in the pubs drinking with accountants. We all know drug addicts, because it's a small place.

 

In the UK everyone in your school would be from the same council estate, or the same type of middle class village. The different classes don't mix as much. 95% of kids at a school in Salford will know all about drugs, and 95% of kids in Chester won't.

 

That's a good point, and I think it generally leads to more rounded people who are in touch with different groups in society.

I have a good friend who, if he had grown up in Liverpool where he was born would undoubtably become a gangster or drug dealer. As it turns out fate brought him here as a kid and he is now a successful businessman and multi millionaire!

[thebees]

So let me get this right Sausages, all people from council estates are on drugs and people from middle class villages like Chester are not?

Did you miss 50 years or something? As far as KWC goes there is a mix of students there too.

I find your class comparrison 'snobby', what difference does your job make to the type of person you are? A road sweeper drinking with an accountant..what point are you making there? to me the road sweeper is just as viable a person as the accountant.

We all know drug addicts because......lots of people take drugs, it has nothing to do with the size of the Island.

[Mr. Sausages]

So let me get this right Sausages, all people from council estates are on drugs and people from middle class villages like Chester are not?

 

All? No. Statistically a higher percentage? Yes. It's a simple fact of life, whether you like it (which you clearly don't) or not.

 

I find your class comparrison 'snobby', what difference does your job make to the type of person you are? A road sweeper drinking with an accountant..what point are you making there? to me the road sweeper is just as viable a person as the accountant.

 

Where did I say that the road sweeper was less viable a person? The point I was making, which I thought was pretty clear to see, was that people on the Island mix with all sorts of different people. And that's one of the best things about the Island. This doesn't happen as much in the UK. Not by a long shot.

 

It's interesting that my acknowledgement of this upsets you. Interesting, and mental.

[Tea&Biscuits]

I think if you were to grow up in an inner city estate you would most definately be exposed to drugs at an earlier age than say someone living in a middle class suburb (dsnt mean to say that one is more likely to take drugs than the other) - this is why the IOM people whether middle class, poor, rich, young or old - all take drugs, we are all exposed to it - thats i guess what i was wondering about.

 

So in that respect the Islands drug "use" wether recreational or serious covers all social groups - if kids from stable backgrounds, good school, home etc are being exposed to drugs (like I was) then I would say that was a problem.