Once Again, Regulate it, Regulate it…

Every time there is a tragedy, instead of accepting that this was a personal tragedy, there is always someone who seeks to use ever more regulation as a sledgehammer to deal with what is usually a one-off or at least a small minority of people. So it is with laxatives. Yup, you got it right, someone actually wants to regulate laxatives. When the sniggering at the back has ceased, thankyou…

Policing laxative abuse isn’t straight-forward or easy. It could be argued that a person driven by anorexia or bulimia will find a way to obtain them anyway and so what’s the point in trying, but that kind of attitude is neither constructive nor helpful.

Helpful or not, that is the correct response precisely because sufferers will find a way. In the meantime, normal folk do not need ever more regulation to dance around, intruding into every crevice of our lives.

Personal responsibility; that is what matters. The addicted will find a way no matter what –  going from outlet to outlet to get their fix. And, yes, how do you police it without going all totalitarian? Because you cannot, is precisely why we should not. This death was a tragedy. There will always be such tragedies from time to time. It does not mean that we need more regulation to protect people from themselves. It is none of the state’s business how many laxatives people buy.

7 Comments

  1. Regulate laxatives? Oh tempt me not. You’re shittin’ me, right?

    Sorry. Couldn’t resist it. /cruelsandsenselesswisecrackmode

    Seriously, trying to use legislation as a means of preventing people in self destruct mode has about as much point as something so pointless it’s flat. The mere suggestion is ludicrous. Those who wish to die will always find a way. If not by pills and potions, thence by other means. As an aside; isn’t attempted suicide still illegal? By whatever means?

  2. For some reason I couldn’t get the link to work, I think that the problem might be with my computer. From this post I am infering that there are people out there who are mis-using laxatives as a slimming aid, and that one, and only one, person has died as a result. That the powers that be want to use this unfortunate death as an excuse to come up with more regulations is no surprise, it is rather depressing though.

    With the usual apologies for being off topic, but as a driver trainer I thought that you might be interested in the following.

    In the last couple of days I have come across drivers who seem to be incapable of performing an overtaking manouver. In both of the following cases the road was a single carriageway two lane road, a mixture of bends and straights, sixty MPH speed limit.

    The first case involved a Ford Transit Pickup travelling at 35mph. I was at the front of the queue that, over the twisty part of the road, had built up behind it. Once we reached the straight part of the road, which was clear of oncoming traffic, I overtook. The straight was long enough for at least another four vehicles to pass, but as I checked my mirror, I saw that the rest of the queue was happy to sit behind this dawdling vehicle.

    The second case involved a tractor and trailer that was travelling at about 20mph. When I caught up with it there was one car held up behind it. When we got to the straight bit, with no oncoming traffic, I gave the car in front the opportunity to pass before making my own overtaking manouver. Once it was apparent that (s)he had no intention of passing the slow moving vehicle, I passed them both. Again, checking my mirrors, I observed several other vehicles passing the tractor and trailer while the original car was still stuck behind it.

    I would be interested to read your comments on this issue.

  3. No doubt the EU and Big Pharma are behind this attempt at regulation. Why else did the EU claim back in 2011 that prunes were not a laxative? 😈

  4. She goes on to show the flaws in her own scheme: “I do, however, have personal experience of laxative abuse and know for a fact that if one shop had have stopped me in my desperate, manic tracks, I would have made damn sure someone, somewhere would supply me with what I ‘needed’.”

    🙄

    • Julia, hence my cruelandsenseless humour tag. People who wave the victim flag so earnestly, while so overtly contradicting themselves, deserve to have every fluid ounce of urine possible extracted.

      I’m not a cruel man (Honest guv), but sometimes the temptation is simply too much.

Comments are closed.