Monday's Letters: Public are losers in the anti-drugs strategy

The central problem created by the use of heroin is its addictive power which drives the user to pay for the drug at any personal cost. A drug addict once explained the problem by saying to pay for an expensive heroin habit you can either steal or deal or in the case of some women turn to prostitution. Stealing to fund the habit creates a crime wave and the public suffers the resulting increase in robberies and violence. Dealing to fund the habit draws more people into drug dependency and further increases the problem.

It is no coincidence that the majority of prostitutes, according to statistics, are working to fund their addiction to heroin.

Only one course of action appears to have had any positive effect on heroin dependency and this has been the provision of heroin and clean needles to persons who are heavily dependent on heroin until treatment is arranged.

A trial scheme carried out some time ago in a small area of Liverpool appeared to reduce the need for addicts to deal and steal to fund their heroin habit. This trial was strictly controlled and few people appeared to abuse the ground rules laid down.

The main beneficiaries of the present anti drugs strategy are the increasing numbers of drug dealers who even manage to serve their customers when they are in prison. The losers are the public who suffer the increases in crime generated to fund the purchase of heroin and the taxpayers who provide the enormous sums of money spent on policing drug offences and keeping drug addicts in our prisons.

Heroin addiction could be described as a serious self inflicted illness which in turn creates huge problems for society at large. Many people will understandably regard the provision of heroin to addicts under supervision as unacceptable.

However, unless we can remove the need for heroin addicts to steal or deal to fund their addiction we will continue to pay the ever increasing cost of the war on drugs with no end in sight.

From: John Fisher, Menwith Hill, Harrogate.

The TV shows that repeat themselves

From: Karl Sheridan, Selby Road, Holme on Spalding Moor.

I HAD to smile at fellow reader Austin Holroyd's letter (Yorkshire Post, September 27) regarding the ever-present background music on TV programmes because his comments are quite valid.

In fact, I should like to add a further comment to his plea, and that is for TV producers to realise that the vast majority of the viewing

public does not have a limited memory span of around four minutes.

Just lately it appears that certain documentary or programme producers, even using imports from America, assume that during the commercial-break the poor old viewer is incapable of remembering the previous

part of the programme that he has just watched, and therefore when the next part comes on a few minutes later, will no doubt need reminding of what they have just watched – not only verbally but with repeat film footage too.

I find this just as irritating as does Mr Holroyd and his background music – but of course being of a cynical

nature I think the real reason behind this stupidity is to pad out the programme and thus save film, time and money – in fact it fills a good 10 minutes of the programme if you add it up.

Sorry but it doesn't fool any of us – it merely irritates us. TV chiefs might have short memories (hence all the repeats) but the rest of us do not.

From: Stanley Parr, Maple Avenue, Pershore, Worcestershire.

LIKE many of us older people, I have greatly enjoyed watching the wonderful documentaries and programmes produced recently to commemorate the Battle of Britain – a defining moment in our history, if ever there was one.

The Spitfire rightly steals the show on this occasion and with the incredible Merlin engine – also used in the Hurricane, it certainly ticks all my emotional memory boxes. So why, oh why, do these programme producers insist on adding loud music to the soundtrack and completely ruining it all?

The Merlin engine is a pure symphony to listen to and is the key part of any Spitfire documentary, for young and old alike – yet these obviously young buffoons always insist on drowning it out with music. Stop it – please. My compliments to the producers of these programmes – but throw the sound men to the lions.

Preventing tragedies

From: William Snowden, Butterbowl Gardens, Farnley Ring Road, Leeds.

GORDON Lawrence suggests that Tony Blair was possessed with "pernicious hubris" and ignored "history and tradition" in his "open adventure in the Middle East" (Yorkshire Post, September 24).

If that were true, then it would indeed be a damning indictment, not only of Tony Blair, but of the Cabinet and Parliament that sanctioned the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; and our military allies,

who participated in those actions.

Were they all "vainglorious crusaders?" Of course not.

They were compelled to act by the potent nature of the threat and the perceived intentions of our enemies: al-Qaida's savage intent was to wage "holy war" on "infidels".

Saddam Hussein's insidious and truly pernicious intent was to possess nuclear weapons – which would have jeopardised world peace.

Pre-emptive military action was necessary to prevent greater tragedies from unfolding.

World history reveals that appeasement tends not to deter but to precipitate war, by encouraging the aggressor.

Suburban problem

From: The Rev Allen Bagshawe, Boulevard, Hull.

YOUR article (Yorkshire Post, September 27) made the point that for the second year running Hull was top of the so-called insolvency league. Sadly, as a fact it is probably correct.

You did, however, accompany the article with a large picture intending to illustrate the city when in fact it probably and unwittingly highlighted one of the problems that sees Hull at the top or bottom of such tables. Your picture did not include one square centimetre of Hull. It is a fine picture of the A63 passing by Hessle towards the Humber Bridge, and every bit a part of the neighbouring East Riding.

Where Hull so often suffers is that these apparent suburbs, like Hessle, are sadly not part of Hull. It is like saying Dore is removed from Sheffield, Roundhay from Leeds. Give Hull these natural suburbs and it is unlikely that the city would feature so strongly in the insolvency lists.

When a lack of honesty leads to lessening of trust

From: Mrs Jennifer Hunter, Farfield Avenue, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.

HAVING read the letter by Pat Normington (Yorkshire Post, September 13), and the responses by SB Oliver and CC Grace (Yorkshire Post, September 20), I was reminded of an incident which happened to me over two years ago when I took my elderly sick father for an appointment in Morley, Leeds.

During the last 18 months of his life he relied upon me to drive and accompany him everywhere as he was very weak. He was no longer able to drive a car or walk unaided for more than a very short distance, but he still had valid disabled badges.

On this occasion, I parked in a disabled space in a supermarket car park and displayed the badges. I experienced great difficulty getting my father out of my car and keeping him upright due to very strong winds on that particular day. When I made my way back to the car, I witnessed a traffic warden writing down the particulars of the car and I questioned him. Apparently, the code on the disabled badge was partially obscured. I still believe that the badge moved due to the strength of the wind while the door was open. I removed the badge and showed it to the official who informed me that everything was in order and that I would receive no penalty.

Four months later (by this time I had forgotten about the incident), I suddenly received a penalty letter informing me that I had to pay a fine of 60. I paid the fine, but I was extremely upset and puzzled. Not only had I been hit hard in the pocket, but the official had obviously lied to me.

Perhaps SB Oliver and others may wish to convey their views about members of the public being subjected to deliberate dishonesty. I realise that there are some people who abuse the parking system where disabled badges are concerned and there are others who commit offences and deserve penalties.

Perhaps I did, indeed, deserve this penalty as the code was partially obscured. Regardless of whether or not I deserved this fine, I must express that the official's deceitful statement has made a far greater impact upon me than the actual financial penalty, and I have never been able to forget about this unfortunate set of circumstances. I acknowledge that some parking fines are wholeheartedly deserved and I paid the fine for my offence.

However, I do not believe that members of the public deserve to be told untruths. Dishonesty often leads to loss of trust in and respect for

those in authority and once lost, these qualities are difficult to regain.

Life-long benefit of saving

From: Ms V Lloyd, Westfield Crescent, Kirkhamgate, Wakefield.

THE letter from Stephen Watson (Yorkshire Post, September 24) relates to having a Post Office savings account while at school in the 1950s and saving one shilling a week. That to me would have been heaven as nobody attending our church school in the 1920s even dreamed of such a thing.

I was 22 years of age before I had a Post Office bank book, saving two shillings and sixpence a week out of my

wages of 15 shillings, as during the war years there was nothing in the shops to buy without coupons. This enabled me in 1962 to buy a dilapidated cottage for my widowed mother and myself to live in. But working until I was 66, luckily without state assistance, has helped to formulate an appreciation of life for which I am thankful.

A bee in my bonnet

From: Rachel Maister, Priest Lane, Ripon, North Yorkshire.

I HAVE always read Ian McMillan's column with pleasure, particularly liking his gentle humour. However, on reading his recent column (Yorkshire Post, September 28) I was left shocked.

His father-in-law seems totally unaware of worldwide worry over the decline of bees and did not hesitate to pour boiling water over their nest when demolishing a garden shed. To gardeners, bees nesting are a godsend and for years I have had nests by the door or in my allotment hut and never got stung. This year, a bumble bee made feeble efforts but never seemed to get going.

Surely the correct procedure if a new hut was to be built, was, as suggested by Mr McMillan's father, to contact the council to remove the bees elsewhere.

Dialect's way with words

From: Alma Sanderson, Halifax.

I HAVE been interested in the Yorkshire dialect words and phrases which have appeared in the Yorkshire Post recently. My parents used the word "fruzzins" for the fluff that was found at home under the bed or at work under the loom.

If you got a spell in your finger, you "broddled" with a needle to get it out. One word which I remember being used frequently was "youjarkapiv".

I can only write it as it sounds as I have never seen it written down. It was used when you did not know or could not remember a person's name or who had done what. It was an alternative for "imazaz" – him as has or he who has (imazaz that gurt big dog).

Do any of your readers recognise the word and know of its origin?