Professor Nutt – Matrix of harm

 Professor Nutt and most people know that alcohol / cannabis / tobacco are all  drugs and are mostly taken voluntarily BUT how would they deal with organophosphates which are taken involuntarily by aircrew and passengers?

 

Professor Nutt and others have been arguing over the classification of alcohol, cannabis and tobacco and their relative effects. Professor Nutt argues that horse riding is more dangerous – ‘as it kills more people’.

A  ‘matrix of harm’ is used to measure the relative risks but it is all based on known abuse – what about the drugs that are taken involuntarily or are not even known about by aircrew and passengers?

Most never know that the air they breathe is laced with organophosphates and other toxic chemicals during ‘fume events’. That’s why the airlines don’t tell people afterwards. That’s why there are no toxic fume detectors fitted…..

So how is the matrix made up?

1. The physical harm to the individual.
2. The tendency of the drug to induce dependence.
3. The effect of the drug use on family and community.

So lets see how the effect of tricresyl phosphate TCP – a drug – affects victims…

1. TCP turns ‘normal’ people into an intoxicated, vegatable state.
2. Aircrew have no escape, they are frequently exposed to the drug. Passengers have no protection on board the airliner to a fume event.
3. Aircrew lose flying jobs, respect, health, family, house…….

So Professor Nutt, when you have completed your studies on the people who choose to abuse their health – perhaps you will turn your attention to those who have their health trashed by the airliners that they innocently fly on.

People deserve the choice – at least they should be told when they have been exposed to ‘drugs’.

 

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