Prodi buys drugs

[Relaxed]

liketheroman has (probably) put the centre-right European position on 'subsidsing' opium fields in Afghanistan.

Seems as if "They don't like it". So - what's new?

[liketheroman]

Originally Posted by Relaxed

liketheroman has (probably) put the centre-right European position on 'subsidsing' opium fields in Afghanistan.

Seems as if "They don't like it". So - what's new?

That would be the European parliament's position. An organisation based on the Judaen Peoples Front from the Life of Brian and enough power to vote themselves coffee or tea for elevenses.

I dont think the Taleban will be quivering in their sandals just yet.

[Oneto15]

Further to the discussions within this thread, below is a link to an interesting article by the BBC and gives a little light to one possible benefit from Sig Prodi's suggestions.

BBC NEWS | Health | Afghan poppies 'could help NHS'

[adriatica]

i believe this is a very old policy anyway and that the americans have used it in attempts to decline/control the production at least in south/central america before if not now...

i do recall as well that this was discussed long ago and maybe even implemented before in the afghanistan area as well... so in my mind nothing much new in any case...

off topic but related in a sense is the worry here over the price of drugs in general...ie they cost little and according to most experts here in the field cocaine is becoming one of the most abused substances as prices make it available to all..... florence...i think someone might have mentioned already is the no 1 cocaine polluted river in europe... after recent tests.. there are large amount of citizen lead vigilante groups in various areas of the north that are hitting headlines as they tackle their neighbourhood drug dealing problems...so Prodi needs to be seen to be doing things... as much to try and get a bit of an increase in falling popularity polls as to try and keep his partners in line over the italian presence in afghanistan...

[liketheroman]

Originally Posted by Oneto15

Further to the discussions within this thread, below is a link to an interesting article by the BBC and gives a little light to one possible benefit from Sig Prodi's suggestions.

BBC NEWS | Health | Afghan poppies 'could help NHS'

Missing from that article was statistics. What I mean is you have Afghan poppy fields (vast) and NHS diamorphine requirement (no doubt significant but by comparison?). It seemed valid but surely we are talking about only a very small amount of the crop.

[Oneto15]

Originally Posted by liketheroman

Missing from that article was statistics. What I mean is you have Afghan poppy fields (vast) and NHS diamorphine requirement (no doubt significant but by comparison?). It seemed valid but surely we are talking about only a very small amount of the crop.

Liketheroman.

I Take your point, but the article refers to shortages within the UK NHS system, I do wonder if there are shortages elsewhere and as such whether Sig Prodi's suggestion might not be a possible, if albeit a somewhat flawed solution to the Afghan poppy issue?

[Karina Walderson]

A flawed solution indeed Oneto! In fact, it's the crumbliest suggestion ever made by any politician. What would happen if the NHS seconded all the opium from the poppy fields? Where on earth would Cadbury's film the 'Flake' adverts?

[Relaxed]

I don't see any problems there - the flake ad film crew would have been able to pack up their kit in plenty of time for someone else to collect the sap from the seed heads. They don't make opium from the petals, dear.

[Karina Walderson]

This is very true, but they have to pull the petals off in order to score the poppy head, so the sap may flow, sweetie.

[liketheroman]

Don't they fall off by themselves as the seed head develops