Mephedrone and the Media’s Ignorance

There is a growing media furore around the ‘legal high’ mephedrone following the deaths of two Scunthorpe teenagers who took the drug on a night out. While the media reports around the deaths usually mention that the two lads took a cocktail of drugs which also involved alcohol and the heroin substitute methadone, none of them seem to point out that this combination is likely what killed the two lads.

From the reports I’ve seen, it seems that the two most probably died from Central Nervous System depression, almost certainly due to combining alcohol and methadone, two depressants (or ‘downers’). The dangers of combining alcohol and methadone are unbelievably high, given this fact. Mephedrone, on the other hand, is a stimulant (or ‘upper’) and, while it’s still not advisable to go combining it with any other drugs, would not have contributed to CNS depression.

On the contrary, it’s likely that the mephedrone is the reason one of the two made it into work the next day before going home because he felt ill. Once the effects of that wore off, the deadly combination of methadone and alcohol would have had nothing to counteract it, with the results we’ve all seen.

The Timesonline stories all seem to come with the video from Nick Smith’s family, which is touching, but I am amazed at their naivety. I don’t blame them, because the media has been relentlessly banging on about the fact that they took mephedrone, so they’re naturally going to assume that this was the culprit. It must also be difficult for a family to admit that their son has died from taking a Class A drug, rather than because he tried one that was legal.

I can’t help but be reminded of the Leah Betts saga, which was billed initially as an MDMA overdose, but turned out to be caused by water intoxication. Of course, the coroner’s verdict was reported far less than the initial ’18 year-old dies from single ecstasy tablet’ line.

There also seems to be an element of denial from the boys’ family and friends.

Family and friends of the two teenagers who died after taking mephedrone insisted yesterday that both were strongly opposed to the use of illegal drugs.

If the two lads were ‘strongly opposed’ to taking illegal drugs, why had they both taken methadone, which is a Class A drug? I understand the reluctance of family and friends to come to terms with the fact that those close to them are using such substances, but at some point they have to accept that the two boys made a few bad decisions, not just the “one tragic mistake” Smith’s boss referred to.

Residents of the north Lincolnshire village of Winteringham, where Mr Wainwright lived and Mr Smith worked, insisted that neither remotely fitted the image of “a typical druggie”.

I’m wondering precisely what a “typical druggie” is like nowadays? From my own experience, most druggies are pretty well-informed about the stuff they take and know the risks associated with mixing drugs, especially with alcohol. in this sense, they don’t seem to have been “typical druggies”.

Unfortunately the real debates that these deaths should be triggering, about the neglect of proper drug education in schools and the scaremongering that seems to replace it, have been derailed by the inclusion of mephedrone in the initial police report.

None of this takes away, of course, from the tragedy of these two deaths – a friend of mine in university knew both the victims and I have nothing but sympathy for those affected by the loss.

With regards the death in Sussex of a 46-year-old man, which is also being attributed to the drug, the news report mentions that 2 men have been arrested in connection with supply of Class A drugs. This suggests to me that mephedrone has been part of a combination of substances taken by the gentleman in question. Given that he suffered a cardiac arrest, it’s quite possible that he has combined it with one or more stimulants (most likely cocaine or ecstasy, possibly amphetamine). Having said that, mephedrone alone is probably capable of killing someone in high enough quantities, but the arrests over Class A substances belies something different.

Shy Child – Liquid Love

This fourth studio album from the New York-based duo is out on Monday. It’s a very polished piece of electronic synthpop (I was never much good at pigeonholing bands), as befits a band that have been on the scene for the best part of the last decade.

I must admit that I hadn’t heard anything from these guys before this album, but I’ve throughly enjoyed dipping my proverbial toe into what they’ve done. It’s delectable at its best, and forgettable at its worst, but this is true of a lot of contemporary electronica, to be quite honest.

Jon’s Rating: 68%

The album peaks early, and thereafter tails off a little, but this doesn’t subtract from the undeniable catchiness of the first half of the release. The vocals are delivered well, and while the lyrics won’t keep you up thinking all night, they at least avoid being cringe-worthy. Behind it all the synth and percussion parts blend well, with hooks and intriguing melodies throughout.

Track 1: Liquid Love | For some reason, I’m always suspicious of albums that lead with the title track, but this one is a nice airy number, with bass confined to a largely supporting role until the tail end of the number. Builds steadily, which is always good in an opening track.

Track 2: Disconnected | The lead single is predictably shorter than most of the offerings, but also validates this choice by adding an infectious chorus and quick-fire vocal delivery. What Late of the Pier would sound like if they calmed down quite a lot, I suppose.

Track 3: Take Us Apart | An early contender for my favourite song, it rolls in immediately and flows beautifully. There’s punchy percussion here along with interesting melodies, and you’re kept guessing about the direction it will take next.

Track 4: Criss Cross | This is the free song the band are giving away to promote the album, and in some ways it’s a weird choice, being over 7 minutes long, with a pretty strange sample halfway through. However, the more I hear it, the more I feel it’s a good choice. It has a driving quality to it that is absent from quite a few other contenders from the release, and showcases many of the band’s qualities. The track ends as a crashing wave that threatens to knock you backwards if you turn it up too loud.

Track 5: The Beatles | This sounds more like Empire of the Sun than anything else on the record (If you listen to this and Walking on a Dream back-to-back, you’ll see what I mean), and has cemented its place as my personal favourite track here. If anything, it succumbs to the house-style thumping bassline that in some ways has been waiting for an appearance. That it doesn’t take away from the elegance of the synth parts is a testament to the band’s experience and talent. As the song asks, “If it feels so right, how can anybody call it wrong?”

Track 6: Open Up the Sky | Kicking off with more thudding bassline, this is a more conventional electro-house number that for me personally is a disappointment, after The Beatles whets my pop appetite. Nevertheless, it is a glorious piece of music that succeeds, in that it does make me picture a wide expanse when I hear it.

Track 7: ESP | This seems a melding of the previous two tracks – while I wasn’t so keen on my first few brushes with this ‘un, it’s a grower, and well worth persevering with if, like me, you’re prone to chop up albums into good/bad after a couple of plays through. A grimier overtone here, but an effective change-up.

Track 8: Depth of Feel | I certainly feel this one deep down somewhere, with a bassline seemingly dragged from somewhere below the Earth’s crust. It’s a dark one, to be sure, and if I’m ever looking for something to soundtrack the Apocalypse to, this will crop up somewhere in the shortlist.

Track 9: Strange Emotion | More of the downtempo vibes here – I must say that for me it’s the weakest track on the album. It’s not bad, per se, but just lacks a little something that I can’t quite put my finger on.

Track 10: Dark Destiny | If Depeche Mode ever wrote a last-song-at-the-prom, this would be it. Redeems the album wonderfully. An expansive, yet mournful number in a minor key, with the kind of crashing percussion I’d normally associate with overly-dramatic ’80s film endings. It really rounds things off nicely.

Official Website

Pre-order the album on iTunes and get two bonus tracks!

An Ominous Announcement From Hague

I meant to blog on this yesterday, when I first read it on the BBC Website, but events have conspired to delay it until now. The article is taken from an interview in the FT with the Shadow Foreign Secretary.

The Great Waffler, William Hague, has said that under the Tories Britain would pursue “close” ties with the US, and expressed concerns about the EU’s direction. Now, I have my own reservations on the EU’s direction, but I suspect that myself and Mr. Hague have slightly different thoughts on the matter.

The inference that the Conservatives have made what he calls a “strategic decision” not to pick a fight with Europe from the off suggests that they would love to indulge in a little Euro-bashing, but can’t afford to given the political landscape.

He blames the financial crisis for diminishing the UK’s infuence in the world, conveniently sidestepping one of the major events which opened the nation to criticism from all quarters, namely the country’s support for the invasion of Iraq. Of course, it’s sheer coincidence that the Tories supported the invasion too, invalidating it as a political bat with which to beat Labour. Economic policy, on the other hand, is a favourite line of Conservative rhetoric at the moment, even if they are hopelessly confused about specifics.

The reason that the UK’s economy is suffering is because we have moved away from being an economy that produced things, and become an economy that relies too much on The City to use financial jiggery-pokery to make it seem as though the economy’s growing, whereas in fact the only growth is in share prices. Dr. Paul Cockshott has published an excellent critique of the current financial situation over at Though Cowards Flinch (the comments sections of the two posts on Keynes are particularly enightening).

However, Hague pins the blame on Labour’s over-borrowing while its been in power. While this has impeded any government attempts to intervene in the current situation, it is not a cause of the economic situation. Germany has functioned reasonably well with a sizeable budget deficit for years now, and Greece would have been fine  if its credit rating had not been downgraded, thereby increasing the cost of borrowing.

Hague maintains that if Labour triumphs, Britain will be taken “backwards towards a Seventies-style model” in terms of economic policy, but his refusal to cooperate with Europe will move Britain back to a foreign policy which hasn’t been seen since the 1930s – obsessed with international prestige and a global superpower status despite the challenges it faces, to the detriment of other, far more important issues.

Britain, as a nation of 60 million, has vast disadvantages just in size when it comes to competing economically with the big boys, but the Tory obsession with maintaining the UK’s place in the sun could lead to a Britain that is isolated from Europe, and overly-reliant on a United States that, economically and politically, is increasingly marginalised on the international scene.

Why I hate Glee

This week I’ve been bombarded by Glee – my housemates have been blasting the piss-poor cover of Journey’s anthemic Don’t Stop Believing, and they had a massive Glee night a few days ago, which resulted in me leaving the house for several hours to get away from the awfulness of it all. So I’m in a bad mood.

But none of these things are the reason I really hate Glee, deep-down. I’ve had the misfortune to be subjected to a few episodes, which in itself is a testament either to my mental endurance or to my laziness in not leaving the room while it’s on. I watch a lot of crap TV after all – students are supposed to. Whether it’s a daily dose of Neighbours at 1.45 every afternoon or watching Take Me Out every Saturday it was on, I can quite happily sit through plenty of arse-clenchingly bad television. Why, then, does Glee rile me so much?

I think it might be because it’s American, but then I have no trouble watching Desperate Housewives or even 90210 at a push, and both those shows are equally vapid, pointless piles of shit. It took me a while to realise why I hated it, and then I realised that it wasn’t the musical numbers or the terrible jokes.

I realised that the reason I hated it was because it was trying to make me feel good. Deliberately setting out to say, “Hey, look – life’s not so bad!” And I hate it when anyone tries to say that to me. Because Glee takes place in an American high school, that most awful of environments for teenagers, where judgement is superficial and a strict caste system exists, with very clear winners and losers. The glee club is supposed to consist of losers, very few of which might just end up trumping the popular kids at some later date if they make it as an actor or musician or whatever. But the stark truth is that most of its members won’t. They are, as a general rule, not thin enough, not good-looking enough, not straight enough, or not white enough, to make it in that culture.

And then, the storyline of the show goes, the meathead jock joins the club, along with his missus, and all of a sudden everything’s much better. Of course, the storyline has to focus on the good looking, white cast members for the most part, but there is the occasional metaphorical bone thrown to the others. The cheerleader gets pregnant (predictably) and decides to have the baby (predictably), although she plans to give it away.

I think what really annoys me is that the show has the potential, behind the gloriously over-the-top musical numbers, to explore real issues about the problems within American high schools. Instead, the operation of the hierarchy (and the arch-villain, Sue Sylvester) is shown in a light-hearted way. The show neglects the often very real problems of identity and self-worth that most teenagers go through and seems instead to yell, “You can do it!” at the top of its lungs. While I’m sure this gets a good reaction stateside, where life’s all about getting yourself out there and living the American dream, I’m saddened that a British audience manages to swallow this kind of tripe without choking, or at least without it leaving a nasty taste in their collective mouth.

But maybe it’s me being too cynical. Maybe a bit of escapism is nice, once a week. Perhaps that’s all Glee’s supposed to be – an hour to forget reality and curl up with a big duvet of suspended cynicism around you, basking in the warm glow of a universe where things aren’t decided for you, and you really can do it if you B&Q it believe in yourself.

But I still won’t be watching it. And if people do, they shouldn’t let it affect their lives. Because it’s bollocks through and through.

“Duh Yoof” and, like, voting, yeah?

I’ve just read Dave’s rant over at Though Cowards Flinch on this piece of utter bollocks on the Comment is Free site. I feel obliged to post something, given that many will no doubt read the piece and assume that Sian Anderson is speaking for a generation.

Personally, the thought of walking into a polling station, tattooed up to my neck, piercings all over my face and wearing my comfortable-yet-dreaded-by-the-government “hoody” to be judged and looked down upon is cringeworthy. Well, I assume that’s what happens – I’ve never voted before.

Oh yes, because that’s what us 18-24 year olds do, isn’t it? We go and get those fancy piercings and get tattooed up to the doo-dahs. I suppose we’re also all ‘hip’ and ‘with it’, and we all listen to that rap music they have nowadays. Christ. Did you order that description from Idiotic Stereotypes Ltd or did you get it free with a copy of the Mail on Sunday?

I’d guess it’s the same for a majority of young people today who are also unaware of where to turn in order to actually comprehend what voting means and what the parties are promising…

I know plenty of young people who know exactly what the main parties stand for – not manifesto details, but their general standpoint – the issues many I speak to refer to is that the parties never keep their promises, or that none of them represent a real choice, both of which are valid criticisms of contemporary British politics. This avoids completely how pointless it is for many people (not just youngsters) to vote, given our first-past-the-post system and its countless safe seats.

…a political correspondent on a news channel beginning their report with “41% of local authorities’ electoral registration officers …” means losing your average teenager in seconds.

What exactly should we be starting news reports with, if not the kind of language you expect to hear on the news? If I turn on the 10 o’clock news tonight to see Huw Edwards dressed like Ali G, opening the news with, “Aight blud, it’s 10pm on Friday night, why isn’t you out clubbing? But if you’s keepin’ it on the D/L tonight, get wiv some facts yeah – over to our main politics geezer Nicky R, outside the PM’s crib on Downing Street” then I will actually vomit. If people want rubbishy soft-news they can tune in to the spectacularly awful One Show every night.

Take down your billboards, give up the fancy speeches and get to the core of what young people are engaged with these days. Whether it’s music, EastEnders or sport – use it. If you’ve got the balls (Ed), brief rapper 50 Cent to talk to young people about the importance of voting in a way they can understand.

I really don’t think this gives young people enough credit – they have no problem getting involved with stuff they actually give a shit about, no matter who they have telling them to do it. The campaign underway at the moment to save BBC 6music and the Asian Network, which has attracted a great deal of support from young people, has its star faces, but they’re not necessarily the driving force behind it.

In addition, the situation has allowed me opportunities to talk to people about what will probably happen to the BBC under a Tory government. It’s events like this that allow young people to talk to their peers about politics in terms that are easy to understand, on issues close to them. The trick is not 50 Cent or Lily Allen standing on a stage saying, “Vote”, but showing young people that the government affects them on a daily basis. Celebrities playing at politics, and the sheer hypocrisy it so often promotes, makes me sick.

What you should be doing is ensuring the education system is equipped to the fullest and that this generation are having politics slapped into the back of their heads from primary school days.

This suggestion makes far more sense, and since 2002 schools have been obligated to teach “citizenship” in the curriculum. In my secondary school, this took the form of a lesson once a fortnight, but at no point were politics or political parties discussed. Most of the lessons focused on issues such as domestic abuse, drugs or employment. In later years, the focus shifted towards university application or exam techniques. The truth seems to be that schools are reluctant to teach politics for fear of angering parents. However, not all schools are terrified of political issues. A recent visit by the local MP to the sixth form at my old secondary school led to a barrage of questions, from both students and teachers, on Afghanistan and the decision to invade Iraq, which he was completely unprepared for. My younger sister (who still attends the school) called him “useless”. Apparently, most of his answers consisted of telling people they were “just wrong” and of saying that we were “defending democracy” even when the question directly queried this very assertion.

However embarrassing for the MP in question (who shall remain nameless for now), this has piqued my sister’s interest in politics, as she “can’t vote for him” after that performance. She’s started paying more attention to the news and, of course, I’ve been gently nudging her towards the right kind of reading, but even if she decides to vote Conservative I’ll be happy that she’s come to an informed decision.

This kind of engagement between schools and the political establishment can be the foundation of young voter interest and participation in politics, even when the reasons for it are negative rather than positive. When the devil is often in the detail of what parties stand for (especially when confronted with the kind of marginal choice between two or three centrist parties), a concert which says little more than “end poverty”, while commendable and of obvious benefit in the short-term to those affected, has very limited political potential, not to mention how offensively patronising the message usually is.