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FURY OVER MINISTER'S DRUGS PLAN

Oldham Chronicle
January 27, 2004

Barry Haslam
Long struggle
beginning
to pay off

Drugs campaigner Barry Haslam has criticised Health Minister Rosie Winterton's recommendations for treating benzodiazepine addiction as too weak.

The measures were outlined in a letter from Ms Winterton to John Grogan MP, a trustee of Mr Haslam's Beat the Benzos charity, after a meeting in October to discuss the drug.

Mr Haslam, who successfully beat an addiction to Ativan, secured the meeting to push for a pilot project for the treatment of tranquilliser addicts to be set up in Oldham.

He said: "I am blazing mad. The letter is a disgrace. The Government can't just ignore our drug-induced injuries."

Ms Winterton, who does not mention any moves to bring in the treatments proposed by Mr Haslam, wrote: "We have to work with the levers that are available to us."

Mr Haslam countered: "There should be an inquiry into the use of the drug by the Commons Health Select Committee."

See also:

Health Minister Rosie Winterton's letter to John Grogan MP, January 11, 2003.

Professor Heather Ashton's Reply to Health Minister Rosie Winterton, January 30, 2004.

Ł48,000 eases addiction pain, Oldham Chronicle, January 30, 2004.

Media Archive · Beat The Benzos Campaign

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