Thursday, August 05, 2004
British children to be vaccinated against drug addiction?
I can't decide whether the following is satire or true. If true, it is a deadly serious issue with ramifications that should send chills up the spine.
The UK newspaper The Independent on Sunday claims that a radical scheme to vaccinate children against future drug addiction is being considered by British ministers. (Note: the article is listed in Google News, but can only be accessed by subscription to The Independent.)
Under the plans, doctors would immunise children at risk of becoming smokers or drug users with an injection. The scheme could operate in a similar way to the current nationwide measles, mumps and rubella vaccination programme.
Childhood immunisation would provide adults with protection from the euphoria that is experienced by users, making drugs such as heroin and cocaine pointless to take. Such vaccinations are being developed by pharmaceutical companies and are due to hit the market within two years.
Simon Pound has a lengthy blog critiquing the article, and while I don't agree with all his positions, he raises some critical issues which should concern every person, eg: "This is, if you'll pardon a touch of hysteria, the kind of condescending and controlling evil wrapped up in professed good intentions that informed eugenics and the Holocaust."
I can't decide whether the following is satire or true. If true, it is a deadly serious issue with ramifications that should send chills up the spine.
The UK newspaper The Independent on Sunday claims that a radical scheme to vaccinate children against future drug addiction is being considered by British ministers. (Note: the article is listed in Google News, but can only be accessed by subscription to The Independent.)
Under the plans, doctors would immunise children at risk of becoming smokers or drug users with an injection. The scheme could operate in a similar way to the current nationwide measles, mumps and rubella vaccination programme.
Childhood immunisation would provide adults with protection from the euphoria that is experienced by users, making drugs such as heroin and cocaine pointless to take. Such vaccinations are being developed by pharmaceutical companies and are due to hit the market within two years.
Simon Pound has a lengthy blog critiquing the article, and while I don't agree with all his positions, he raises some critical issues which should concern every person, eg: "This is, if you'll pardon a touch of hysteria, the kind of condescending and controlling evil wrapped up in professed good intentions that informed eugenics and the Holocaust."
