Benzo campaigner outraged by comparison
with illegal-drug addicts
Oldham Chronicle
December 28, 2006
by Janice Barker
Benzo campaigner outraged by comparison
with illegal-drug addictsOldham Chronicle
December 28, 2006
by Janice Barker
A victim of addiction to drugs prescribed by family doctors has hit out after he says a Government minister compared him to heroin and cocaine users.
Barry Haslam, of Uppermill, was sent a copy of a letter from Health Minister Rosie Winterton after he contacted local MP Michael Meacher.
Mr Haslam is campaigning for better treatment and services for victims of tranquillisers prescribed over decades by GPs.
And he sent correspondence to Mr Meacher who in turn contacted Miss Winterton for her help.
However, in her reply Miss Winterton says that treatment is best done locally, based on the needs of the local population.
And she goes on: "As is the case for those people who misuse drugs such as heroin and cocaine, we would expect those who misuse benzodiazepines to have access to a range of services."
Mr Haslam, organiser of the Beat the Benzos campaign group, was addicted to the prescribed drug Ativan for ten years, before he weaned himself off.
He said: "It is a disgrace to put us on a par with heroin addicts and the illegal side of drugs.
"It would not be so bad if there were services there, but we have tried the services for illegal-drug users and they have just turned us away.
"We didn't misuse drugs - we did it on the advice and prescription of the GP and trying to say it was our fault and we are drug abusers is terrible.
"It is like banging your head against a brick wall with these people.
"When we last met Rosie Winterton, three years ago, she was shocked to hear about the problem (of addiction to prescribed tranquillisers) and said she was not aware of it.
"But they are not prepared to listen to the people who really know the truth about this."
A spokesman for Miss Winterton's office said: "Certainly we were not trying to make any comparison or draw a distinction.
“The point of the letter, which may have been clumsily worded, is that we expect anyone with an addiction to have access to a wide range of services."
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Involuntary Addiction, chaired by Heywood and Middleton MP Jim Dobbin, has formally requested the chairman of the Commons Health Select Committee, Kevin Barron, to hold an inquiry into involuntary benzodiazepine addiction.
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