Action, protest, campaigns, demos and issues magazine features, photos, articles, stories photos of London, New York, Wales, England and photography features music, parties, clubs, events, records, releases drug information, harm reduction, no-nonsense guide punch a celebrity football, features, issues, cardiff city games, useless games and diversions technical info, web authoring, reviews and features site news, updates and urban75 blog urban75 community news and events urban75 bulletin boards join the chatroom search urban75 back to urban75 homepage
London features, photos, history, articles New York features, photos, history, articles Brixton features, photos, history, articles panoramas, 360 degree vistas, London, New York, Wales, England Offline London club night festival reports, photos, features and articles urban75 sitemap and page listing about us, info, FAQs, copyright join our mailing list for updates and news contact urban75
back to drugs homepage Drugs homepage


acid, lsd
alcohol
amyl, poppers
benzos
cocaine
crack
cannabis/dope
crystal meth
DMT
ecstasy, e
4MTA
GBL
GHB
heroin, smack
ketamine
methadone
mushrooms
PMA
rohypnol
solvents
speed, whizz
temazepam
2CB
yaba

first aid
drugs & the law
drugs and clubs
drugs bustcard

bulletin boards
drugs: feedback
info & contacts

« drugs home

Share



ketamine
urban75 in the House Of Commons!
Spliffed-up tortoises on sticky buns appear in The Hansard, the government's official journal documenting House of Commons debates!

The story:

The Draft Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2005 was discussed in the House of Commons, with a host of MPs sat around the table.

The assembled representatives were discussing whether the 'dance drug' Ketamine should be made illegal.

The debate was recorded in The Hansard:

Martin Horwood (Cheltenham) (LD): I support my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) and the Minister in welcoming the proposal to add Ketamine to the register.

It is true that there is a great deal of information about the drug and its misuse. I found one disconcertingly well-informed website called urban.75.com, which explained the effects of Ketamine. It stated:

"If you�re on a dance floor music can sound heavy, weird and strangely compelling, lights seem very intense and physical co-ordination can fall apart along with an overall feeling of numbness."

That is not surprising, given that Ketamine is an anaesthetic. The website went on to warn clubbers:

"This may turn you into a gibbering, spaced out bore, mumbling and slurring away while your dancing may begin to resemble Bill and Ben on acid. Your movements may become as swift as a spliffed-up tortoise crawling across an extra-sticky big bun on a very hot day. You may be unable to move at all."

That is humorously phrased, but the serious point is that an anaesthetic is not the best thing for someone�s dancing, and if a person falls as a result of taking the drug and is injured, they may not realise it. For instance, they may be bleeding without realising it. The website warns of the further effects that the Minister and others mentioned: mixing the drug with other drugs may induce serious side effects, including, at its most extreme, heart failure.


top

Pleased as we are to see urban75 described as "disconcertingly well-informed", I can only guess the faces on the MPs when he started quoting our words about "a spliffed-up tortoise crawling across an extra-sticky big bun on a very hot day."

Horwood finished by saying:

"I support my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green in calling on the Government to support education. In that respect, allowing and supporting websites such as urban75.com is essential.

National charities such as Addaction have taken the same approach in pursuing education in media and language that are relevant to young people, which is worth much more than high-profile Government PR campaigns. I am happy to support the order"


All of which reminds me that we started the urban75 drugs section precisely because the government had failed to provide adequate, sensible and impartial information online.



» Our guide to Ketamine

» Ketamine - an unpleasant trip


back to homepage back top next

Special note:
This site is all about harm reduction. We realise that some people will take drugs no matter what advice they are given, so we have reproduced this guide for information purposes only. It is not medical advice. If you are being coerced into taking drugs, or are in any doubt about taking a substance, our advice is to always refuse.


u75 home - action - mag - photos - rave - drugs - punch - football - brixton - useless - boards - search - help/FAQs - copyright statement - design - contact