When you've done some basic research into addiction get back to me Shadow Minister.

As to your comment, 'Heroin is a far more effective pain killer than morphine, but is almost never used because of the rapid onset of addiction.' No, it isn't used because it is illegal.

Anyway, thanks for showing us your ignorance.

Minotaur,

I would strongly advise that you do some basic research into addiction as clearly you know bugger all. Heroin, (medically known as diamorphine) is a far stronger painkiller than straight morphine due to its ability to cross the blood brain barrier, and is used as a pain killer in cases of severe pain.

I suggest you read the following articles, and after doing so and feeling appropriately stupid you can reply.

http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/heroin https://patient.info/medicine/diamorphine-for-pain-relief

"What is heroin? Heroin is a drug made from morphine, which is extracted from the opium poppy... When morphine is made into heroin to be used as a medicine, it’s called diamorphine, and is stronger than morphine or opium. Like many drugs made from opium (called opiates), heroin is a very strong painkiller. It is still just the same street heroin but some people mistakenly think it's not as addictive.

Here are some of the main effects and risks of heroin:

A small dose of heroin gives the user a feeling of warmth and well-being, bigger doses can make you sleepy and very relaxed.
The first dose of heroin can bring about dizziness and vomiting. Heroin is highly addictive and people can quickly get hooked."

Ahh, yes Shadow Minister, I clearly know nothing despite having been researching addiction for over two decades. In addition I have first hand experience of addiction. I've attended detox and rehab facilities and been to many, many AA and NA meetings.

I've lived with addicts (both practicing and recovering) of many persuasions (in various situations), interviewed them and got their stories first-hand. None of them were 'bad' people...indeed the opposite was true. The vast majority of addicts I've known were amazing and wonderful people. Many of them had tragic life circumstances that led to them making poor decisions in seeking relief from those situations. When you find out about people's lives and how they ended up spiralling out of control you have an appreciation of how addiction 'works or is created'.

I also don't rely on basic webpages for information and my research uses reliable research that is peer reviewed and published in reputable journals or texts.

All you have presented is some basic information about heroin, which as I have stated has been illegal in any form in Australia since 1953. And the ban was not based on evidence. It was done due to external pressures.

Addicts, regardless of the substance, cannot be pigeon-holed into a generalised group, which is what you have done. Many addicts, including those whose drug of choice is heroin, are functional and lead otherwise 'normal' lives. There was a great first-hand account of such an addict in some of the major daily Fairfax papers recently. He was a well-respected university lecturer and expert in his field. He was also a family man. He 'managed' his addiction for over two decades until he was finally able to become a 'recovering addict'.

People like you gall me. You have the temerity to pose as some sort of expert and think that directing me to some rather basic websites is some sort of show of authority. Get back to me when you have some real world knowledge of addiction. Although I do hope that that real world knowledge doesn't involve anyone you personally know (or even yourself).

My only inquiry of you MINOTAUR... is why do you seem to be such a committed apologist for those who choose to use heroin as an illicit drug of addiction? Moreover you claim to be a dedicated researcher of this and similar opiates, yet you seem to downgrade it's level of importance in determining the risk for those individuals who may wish to try it, even merely 'dabble' with the stuff. Whenever it's available, or the pace of the 'party' appears to be inescapable waning, into a state of arrant tedium and dreariness.

There's been more savage assaults upon the person; more sexual deviancy, in exchange to obtain heroin; and murders (both in and outside of gaols), associated with the use of heroin; than perhaps before the advent of ICE became the hard drug of preference. And I'm very glad indeed to see the 'gloss' of heroin use, has irretrievably faded significantly. If for no other reason, it might curb the regular need to attend the 'Division of Forensic Medicine's facilities' at Arundal Street, GLEBE. For awhile it was the preferred venue of choice, when the 'Boob' at Long Bay had a decent spike of fatalities, all of which had our 'innocuous little ol' heroin' as it's root cause!

All your research will never prepare you, or eclipse the desolate duty, to 'bag 'n tag 'n search', the bodies of deceased, 'intelligent' young men and women, reckless enough to involve themselves with this insidious poison, together with those maggots who emerge from the stinking sewers of inner Sydney, who peddle the stuff.

With respect MINOTAUR, you've much to learn my friend, about the end product of heroin use, and those sorry/silly/unfortunate souls, who for whatever reason, allow themselves to become addicted to the stuff without any regard to their own, or their parents humanity, they just die. Often in the most disgusting conditions of dregs and detritus, devoid of any human dignity one can possible imagine.

Lufeng is China's Party drug profit-centre based on British opium in Canton. Rabbit dealers in Britain were flogged , exported and flogged at Port Jackson or Brisbane river but rum profits were protected as military security in the war on cheap plonk. The Rum Corps weren't flogged and almost had a closed shop on Australian opium imports to be flogged to gold miners and Chinese take aways . Aboriginals were shot on islands at midnight or any time of day , whether drugged or drunk , except Muslims who wanted to hang rum squads .

M,

I have never claimed to be a medical expert, similarly I am not an expert in astrophysics but feel competent to challenge someone that claims the earth is flat.

If your personal experience and decades of research have led you to equivocate alcohol and heroin addiction, and claim that heroin (diamorphine) is not used for clinical treatment of severe pain then I suggest you take up something less challenging.

If you have any of your peer reviewed research to support your absurd claims feel free to provide links to it.