Letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Therese Kennedy

                                                                                                        1,Abbotsford Terrace

                                                                                                        Lanark ML11 7EG

                                                                                                        Scotland

Prime Minister Gordon Brown

10,Downing Street

London SW1A2AA

20/4/2008

 

Dear Sir

Involuntary Tranquilliser Addiction

I would be grateful if you could provide me with your views on this subject

There are thousands of people across the United Kingdom addicted to prescribed drugs who have little or no support to withdraw from these mind altering drugs which doctors prescribe often unnessary and we know from research that these drugs are much harder to withdraw from than narcotics,I think if doctors are allowed to prescribe these drugs they should have a structured withdrawl programme in all practises,such as Professor Heather Ashtons Plan

I have had personal experience trying to find support for my husband who in 1968 was prescribed valium and told he would need to take it for the rest of his life the side affects of this drug changed his life completely he has been through painful withdrawl programmes which affected our whole family and now in 2008 he is down to a very low dose of valium,sadly through no fault of his own he is addicted

I know these are powerful drugs  if used in the proper way but doctors are prescribing too many for minor complaints all to often to young people and mums in charge of small children after all the side affects of these drugs can sometimes cause suicidal thoughts ,tiredness etc,I think there should be more research done to see how many of these drugs are being prescribed on repeat prescriptions this is a world wide problem for so many people with little or no help available

Barry Haslem  has campaigned for government help for more than 10 years in Oldham for some 5,000 long term addicts of prescribed benzodiazepine he has helped set up Oldham’s first withdrawl service and is urging MP’s and MSP’ from all over the UK to come and see how it is run.

Here in Scotland there is no support at all plenty for alcohol and narcotics but nothing for what Doctors are prescribing there needs to be services and properly trained counsellors for the management of legal prescribed drug addiction

In the past I have contacted various Mp’s,MSP’s and also the RT Hon Alex Salmond with little or no help I feel very frustrated that nobody is paying attention to how vast this problem is.My local MP Mr Jimmy Hood has been a great help he seems to understand the situation

I have enclosed a copy of my husbands story

Regards

Therese Kennedy

Action Against Tranquilliser Addiction

www.aata.org.uk

Response from Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office.

Reply from the Department of Health