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Sacked drug tsar claims 'no independent scientist could work for Home Secretary'"Drugs of Abuse" "Evidence Based Practice" Politics Legisltion Health News UHN
"Professor David Nutt, sacked as the Government's top drugs adviser last week, has predicted more of his colleagues will resign in response to his treatment and warned that independent scientists will no longer want to work for the Home Secretary. "
Drugs: The 40-year failure - The Guardian 3rd November 2009
"Comparing the dangers of ecstasy and equestrianism was provocative, as indeed was Professor David Nutt's more recent suggestion, which led to his sacking last week, that "politicised" drugs classifications concealed the reality that alcohol does more harm than LSD. To that extent – and to that extent only – the home secretary, Alan Johnson, had a point in suggesting that the top drugs adviser whom he dismissed on Friday had strained the limits of his scientific remit, and was effectively campaigning."
Government orders inquiry into role of drug advisers - The Guardian 2nd November 2009
"The government had already ordered an inquiry into the future operation of the panel of scientists advising the Home Office on drug policy before the controversial sacking of its chairman, Professor David Nutt, the Guardian has learned."
Scientists line up to attack Alan Johnson over sacking of drug adviser - The Guardian 2nd November 2009
"The home secretary, Alan Johnson, is facing growing anger from scientists and government advisers over his decision to force the resignation of his senior drug adviser, David Nutt."
Alan Johnson is right to fire David Nutt - The Guardian 2nd November 2009
"Science is not united around the view that drugs are harmless, and the government has to take health dangers seriously"
David Cameron: Tories would rename Department of Health - The Guardian 2nd November 2009
"Conservative leader promises NHS reforms to cut costs and extend 'patient power'"
Cameron lays out plans to save millions in NHS reform - The Times 3rd November 2009
"David Cameron promised yesterday to cut the cost of running the NHS by a third while handing day-to-day management of the health service over to an independent body.
The Tory leader guaranteed that up to £1.5 billion of savings on bureaucracy would be reinvested elsewhere in the health service. He also pledged to extend “patient power” and to create a rebranded Department of Public Health if his party won the next election. "
Cameron's NHS board is all well and good; where will the buck stop? - The Times 3rd November 2009
"When things go wrong in a David Cameron and Andrew Lansley-led health service, who will carry the can?
Under David Cameron’s blueprint released yesterday, day-to-day responsibility will be removed from ministers and handed to a council of doctors and managers known as the NHS board. Elected Tory politicians will set “strategic objectives”, but it will be for this body, effectively a super-quango, to oversee its £100 billion budget and execute its powers in whatever way it sees fit."
Top 20 most harmful drugs, according to Professor David Nutt - The Times 2nd November 2009
"Alternative list of most harmful drugs, as drawn up by sacked government adviser"
Video: Alan Johnson orders review of expert panel at centre of drugs row - The Times 2nd November 2009
"Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, has ordered a swift review of the body at the centre of a row over the Government's drugs policy.
News that the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) will have its functions scrutinised emerged just three days after Mr Johnson sacked the panel's chairman for comments critical of the Government's policy on cannabis. "
Cameron: sacking of drugs adviser David Nutt was 'unseemly' - The Times 2nd November 2009
"David Cameron called the sacking of the Government’s chief drugs adviser an “unseemly spat” today, but said that his party did not support any relaxation in the penalties for taking illegal drugs.
The Conservative leader said that scientists advising the Government should be able to give advice in a “clear and unvarnished way” but all people in the public eye had to think about the wider implications of what they said, he added. "
Sacking threatens drug panel future - The Guardian 2nd November 2009
"Mass resignations have been predicted from the country's drugs advisory panel in protest at Alan Johnson's decision to axe its chairman for criticising the Government's policy.
At least two members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) have quit since Professor David Nutt was sacked by the Home Secretary on Friday in a row that is threatening the panel's future."
David Nutt's sacking provokes mass revolt against Alan Johnson - The Observer 1st November 2009
"Johnson faces 'collective action' threat from advisers as two resign in protest"
Expert enlisted. Speaks out. Gets sacked. It's a tradition - The Observer 1st November 2009
"David Nutt is the latest in a litany of advisers cast out. It points to a wider puzzle for politicians: how to import talent"
Scientists quit government drugs body over David Nutt sacking - The Times 2nd October 2009
"The Government is facing mass resignations from the official advisory body on drugs after the sacking of its chairman, The Times has learnt.
Two members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs quit yesterday in protest at Alan Johnson’s dismissal of David Nutt in a row over the relative harm caused by drugs and alcohol. "
Penalties for drug use must reflect harm - The Times 2nd October 2009
"In July this year I gave a lecture on the assessment of drug harms and how these relate to the legislation controlling drugs. According to Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, some contents of this lecture meant I had crossed the line from science to policy and so he sacked me. I do not know which comments were beyond the line or, indeed, where the line was, but the Government has lost its major expert on drugs and drug harms and may indeed lose the rest of its scientific advisers in the field. "
Advisers have a right to speak plainly, without being spun against - The Times 2nd October 2009
"This Government is fond of promoting its decisions as “evidence-based policy”, grounded in the findings of research. Civil servants and scientists, however, like to joke that what it really values is something rather different: policy-based evidence that justifies a course of action that has been decided on for political reasons."
Perils of advising on drug policy - The Times 2nd October 2009
"Sir, I was dismayed by the events leading up to David Nutt’s dismissal as chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. It is very disturbing to find, towards the end of my lengthy career in drug abuse research, that the Government places so little value on scientific evidence. During the past 40 years I have seen many decisions by Governments with which I disagreed, but not a single one of them motivated me to denounce it in the media. "
The drugs experts who are standing down - The Times 2nd October 2009
"Les King is considered one of the foremost experts on the synthetic, cannabis-like drug Spice. He is senior chemist on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and a part-time adviser to the Department of Health. He was expected to finish his term in December 2010. He has also advised the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, which among other roles allowed him to provide advice to new member states on drug legislation. "
Home Secretary criticises his former drugs chief for getting involved in politics - The Sunday Telegraph 1st November 2009
"The Home Secretary has accused his former chief drugs adviser of “crossing the line” into politics as he faces a crisis caused by the resignation of another key member of the panel. "
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