Specious reasoning alert! The ongoing campaign by the media to give drug dealers a new product to sell got another boost today, as yet another death was supposedly linked to the currently legal drug Mephedrone.

A young woman from North Yorkshire was found dead at her home, prompting local police to speak out against the drug. In a damning statement, that conclusively puts the blame on Mephedrone for this tragedy, DCI Nigel Costello said:

“Although at this time it cannot be determined whether mephedrone is present within the deceased’s system or whether the drug played any part in her death, the police would like to warn people about the use of the drug and its potentially lethal consequences.” (My emphaisis, obviously, since he was talking.)

Of course, the story has been written up as ‘6th victim of the killer drug!!11!’ by the hysterical media desperate to milk a good old fashined drugs crusade. This is despite the fact that the only link here is, maybe, according to friends, the victim might have taken Mephadrone (along with other substances) at some point in the two days leading up to her death. Hmmm.

The government has hinted in the media that they may very soon turn Mephadrone into a class B drug, as part of their highly scientific system of having three grades of nastiness based on how much shite has been talked in the papers. That would put it on the same level of harm and illegality as that other noted, scientifically proven killer, cannabis. Possession of a class B drug can be sentenced with up to 5 years in jail, and dealing with 14.

Of course, all the current pseudo-scientific madness will serve to do is hype Mephedrone up to potential users. Meaning there’ll be a lovely pre-existing market when they ban it, waiting to be taken advantage of by professional dealers. But the papers and the government won’t be caring, as they’ll have moved on to whatever next we’re supposed to be terrified of/enraged by/FUCKING BAN NOW, THIS AN OUTRAGE AAAARRRGGHHH!!!11!

Before any of these nutters say anything, Leftfield would also like to express our sympathy for the family of the victim in this tragic death. It’s just we also have no interest in using a tragic death to make a bunch of unproven nonsense that goes on to further a right wing, authoritarian drug war with the aim of putting more young people in prison. That would be a textbook example of being a bastard, tabloids.

Bonus: check out this bizarre Sky News ‘Investigation’, in which they say “nobody knows what mephedrone does to your body”, and go on to say that the main effects are “putting you in a good mood” (holy shit!), but that possible side effects “may include death”.

Who seems more reasonable, the reporter above, or this worker from Drugs charity Release?

(Incidentally, youtube comment of the week has to go to user zonked23, who on the above video writes “Take loads of drugs fuck the system.”)

Double bonus competition: A jiffy bag stuffed to the gunnels with legal highs for anyone who can prove to Leftfield they actually call Mephedrone ‘Miaow Miaow.’

http://www.crew2000.org.uk/glossary/Mephedrone/13.html

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 at 6:58 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.