I announced during today’s GrodsCast that I’m giving up my filthy habit of reading insane wingnut blogs. Barely half a day has passed, and while I’m pleased to say I’m still clean, I must admit I’m struggling.

I’ve been keeping the withdrawals at bay by snacking on a fine, tahini-like paste of shit and gunpowder, but it’s a poor substitute for the real thing.

Thank heavens I still have this picture to remind me of better times.

Pray for me, friends.

John Howard’s latest “zero tolerance” drugs policy:

People convicted of criminal offences involving heroin, cocaine or amphetamines would have welfare payments quarantined under a new scheme announced by Prime Minister John Howard today.

Mr Howard says under the plan, payments would be quarantined for at least a year and the Government would fund extra job training for people with substance abuse problems.

Let me just get something straight before I drown under the avalanche of “latte lefty” insults: drug addiction is a terrible problem in our communities and we must do all that we can to prevent the crimes that result from drug addiction.

BUT!

Drug addicts deserve all the help that we can give them to beat their addiction and rejoin mainstream society in a mutually productive fashion. Cutting off welfare payments, in isolation, does nothing to increase their chances of doing so. Instead of throwing a few extra dollars at Job Network why don’t we boost funding to medical programs that specifically work to beat drug addiction and make welfare payments conditional on participation in those programs?

UPDATE: The Australian National Council on Drugs is also sceptical about JHo’s dog whistle stupidity.

Australian National Council on Drugs executive director Gino Vumbaca says there is a risk that drug users would resort to crime or other means to pay for their habits.

He says if the policy is to be effective it would need to be accompanied by extra funding for treatment and rehabilitation programs.