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People set to take drugs live on Channel 4


MrDoovdeHaxorz

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Here's a story I'm shocked Viv hasn't posted yet... and I can't be arsed coming up with a Daily Fail headline for the thread title.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/12/channel-4-set-to-broadcast-class-a-drug-use-on-live-television-115875-23124067/

Channel 4 set to broadcast Class A drug use on live television

by Simon Boyle, Daily Mirror 12/05/2011

CHANNEL 4 yesterday announced controversial plans to show hard drugs being taken live on television.

The four-part series, Drugs Live, will track the effects of the substances on the user.

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The broadcaster’s chief creative officer Jay Hunt vowed to bring a “sense of mischief” to the channel.

Producers claim the show would “bring much needed clarity to a social issue often mired in controversy and confusion”.

But campaign group Mediawatch’s director Vivienne Pattison last night blasted the programme. She said: “Clearly there is a roll for educational broadcasting but this programme sounds very alarming.

“Allowing drugs to be taken on live television is seriously irresponsible and sends out the wrong messages.”

Ms Hunt confirmed Drugs Live would see people take a variety of drugs, including those in the most lethal Class A group, live on television. It was not clear which would be used – but Class A includes heroin, cocaine, crack, ecstasy and LSD.

She said: “I believe Channel 4’s future lies in pieces that take risks.” She insisted that drugs would not be administered in a TV studio but a safe environment.

Ms Hunt added: “The Class A drugs thing is something that I think is an incredibly thought-provoking social policy, which I think Channel 4 can be at the forefront of and actually provide some interesting and useful data on.

“There are environments in which you can legally test Class A drugs, supervised, monitored, and with the proper medical support to look at the impact that they have on individuals.”

It is possible for medical institutions and universities to apply to the Home Office to get permission for experiments on a controlled drug.

And Channel 4 producers said they were in talks with centres worldwide.

The show is being planned for later this year but a Home Office spokesman said: “Class A drugs are illegal. Channel Four must be aware of its responsibilities as a public service broadcaster.

“If a criminal offence takes place, it will be a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.”

Reports that Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (which also contains graphic scenes of drugtaking and it's effects) will be shown directly after are thought to be wide of the mark...

I find it ironic that it's Channel 4 who are broadcasting this, when it's ITV that drives people to drugs really. I also think this will be like the Derren Brown Russian Roulette thing, it will happen outside of the UK (maybe somewhere like Amsterdam) so the program makers would not really be subject to UK law, regardless of what the Home Office says.

Professional eater of puppy dogs, baby heads and killer of grannies...

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I think it will also be anti-drugs, as it will show the immediate and possibly longer term negative effects. I think it will also bust some of the bullshit myths about certain drugs that are less dangerous than the government would have us believe (but won't make legal because they can't find a way to tax them. I bet a lot of things would become legal if the govt could find a way to tax them).

Professional eater of puppy dogs, baby heads and killer of grannies...

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I'm fairly anti-drug as well, but we all know that there are people who do them in their various forms anyways.

If they are pay very close attention to not glorify it or condone it, then I say let them make the program and show it. Like with everything else, if people don't like the subject matter or think they are likely to be offended by the content but choose to watch it then they don't really have a right to complain, nobody makes them watch it.

Not impressed with censorship

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Well they already showed the moment a guy died on BBC1 this week, which is basically a snuff movie when you think about it. That was bad enough even I turned away at that point... I was watching the show but didn't realise that bit was coming up til about halfway through.

Professional eater of puppy dogs, baby heads and killer of grannies...

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  • 2 weeks later...
What show was that?

It was called Inside the Human Body. Also showed a birth but wasn't quite so graphic about that. It did show how seeing fictional death in violent movies etc does NOT desensitise someone to seeing a real death.

Professional eater of puppy dogs, baby heads and killer of grannies...

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I find it ironic that it's Channel 4 who are broadcasting this, when it's ITV that drives people to drugs really. I also think this will be like the Derren Brown Russian Roulette thing, it will happen outside of the UK (maybe somewhere like Amsterdam) so the program makers would not really be subject to UK law, regardless of what the Home Office says.

Was the Derren Brown thing real?

*cough* Programme.

OMASM. Radio presenters are like fruit. Matt is my kumquat and Scott is blatantly my orange.

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