APPGITA Meeting with the Health Minister of the UK

This will take place in a few days.  It's a pretty important event.  I know its a long ways from home but Im inclined to believe whatever progres is made on the other side of the pond will translate here eventually.  Do we have any Members of Congress involved? Is it even a discussion?  Are we really that far behind here in the states? 

Christopher

H O U S E  OF  C O M M O N S

APPG for Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction

Message from Jim Dobbin MP to APPGITA Supporters,

August 21, 2011

I would like to thank all of those people who are supporting the APPGITA campaign particularly those who have come into the campaign in the last twelve months. Please continue to lobby your MPs, the Department of Health and the media.

Prescription addiction is not only a medical problem it is also political problem and our campaign has come up against powerful opposition from unscrupulous regulators, advisers and doctors who campaign for the continuation and extension of tranquilliser use.

Our campaign has concentrated on asking the Department of Health to introduce specialised withdrawal services for involuntary tranquilliser addicts. We have other campaign objectives and these include the enforcement of prescribing guidelines, quantification of the number of long term tranquilliser patients and of the social cost of the problem, a no fault drug compensation scheme, recognition of tranquilliser addiction for benefit purposes and a public enquiry into the tranquilliser scandal including "benzo babies".

Anne Milton MP, the Public Heath Minister was recently interviewed on BBC Radio 4 and became the first Health Minister to publicly recognise the tranquilliser problem. She said she intended to "get a grip" on the problem. Lord Sandwich and myself have been invited to meet with Anne Milton on September 6th and a report from that meeting will be placed on the APPGITA web site.

Jim Dobbin MP, Chair APPGITA

Thank you for calling this to our attention Christopher. Do you have the link for this?

This is really good news. 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/index.htm

There is a wealth of information on this site.  It also have many links to the benzo world.  Obviously it is a UK website as I have found nothing of substance based out of the US.  Outside of these support groups, there doesn't seem to be a Campaign in Government for this cause.  There has been a lot of work done by members of these support groups in establishing Petitions and Ban requests, however.  They deserve a lot of recognition for their uphill battles.

Christopher

Thanks Christopher, I've been to that site a number of times, but I didn't know they kept up-to-date information on everything that is going on in the benzo world in the UK.

I'm reading their suggestions for policy reform right now, good stuff!