Ups and downs 2

From today's online Guardian; http://society.guardian.co.uk/socialcare/story/0,,1987681,00.html

"The government was defeated in the House of Lords last night over legislation to strengthen powers of compulsion in the treatment of mentally ill patients in England and Wales...........

The Department of Health said later: "The needs of patients and the risk posed must determine whether compulsion should be used - not their decision-making ability. The amendment places patients' decision-making ability above the imperative to protect them and others. It risks excluding them from legislation that should protect them."

I'm waiting for the DoH to apply this rather new and startling principle of compulsion to other areas such as treatments for giving up smoking, losing weight, taking medication for epilepsy or heart disease, vitamin supplements and so on.

Of course the big difference is that smokers kill other people in a gradual and easily overlooked way. Mad people, it is generally known, are inclined to wave axes around, even when they appear to be sane and able to make their own decisions. This has nothing to do with protecting us, and everything to do with protecting you from us.

Polar Bear Girl may be paying a visit to the Health Minister......