Will you drop this whole young players will think its ok to dabble nonsense please Popman. Young players have the common sense not to use the drugs if there doing it just caus a well known rugby player does it its sad and pathetic and they need too get a grip. Yes he should be punished but 2 years is too excessive for this drug. And cociane doesnt go into t5 its more like whizz t5s if cociane was mixed with t5 you wouldnt be able to work never mind get ya energy levels up lol

As it goes, most of the problems associated with illegal drugs arise because they are illegal, in three ways:

- illegal means expensive, so users will go to any lengths to fund a habit (usually nicking stuff)

- expensive means markets are valuable, nd most drug-related violence is between dealers and gangs fighting over territory

- illegal means unregulated, and most drug fatalities come from overdoses caused by untested and unknown drug potency, or from poisoning associated with cutting drugs with other chemicals.

The authorities know this. Prohibition of alcohol in the USA fueled the rise of the mafia and caused huge social problems. Cocaine, marajuana and Heroin used to be available in the UK but the power of the alcohol trade had them banned. Queen Victoria was a laudenam addict (an opiate, sister-product to heroin), as was the fictional Sherlock Holmes (the basis for 'House' - Holmes/House, Watson/Wilson etc etc). Diamorphine is the medical name for pharmaceutical grade heroin. If it were given out free on the NHS, there would be no overdoses, no drugs turf wars, and no addicts robbing people.

None of which is relevant. The rules of RL make it a proscribed substance. If Hock's B sample tests positive, he's broken the rules and need to take the punishment.

Which manual did you lift that from .. The Utopian guide to a good life in ????? ........... After all we don`t have any problems associated with Methadone addicts do we ....

He's a professional sports person and IS thereore by that nature looked upto by Children, thus he DOES have a social resposibility in staying "clean" playing a family sport more than "Joe Bloggs".
If he chooses to become a bum and take drugs then he can do so outside the sport as other people do and stay out the public eye.

A life ban for any professional sports player dabbling in drugs is justified for me as he's indirectly supporting the drugs industry by buying it thus helping keep the scum that sell this crap on mine and your streets (with the associated problems EVERY town & city now has because of it).

having lectured in the subject for 8 years I can assure you I am right, what procedures the police take is down to them but it is still possession of a class a substance, the case law is there and in place.

think he was referring to hock actually

in the 60's and 70's the hippies were on acid

then in the late 80's and 90's the ravers were on extacy

now, you'd be surprised how many youngsters are "white liners!"

especially the young girls, wish i had a pound for every stupid girl who says " i do it, cos it keeps me thin"

A great post indicating the bigger issue that some seem to think is bizarrely irrelevant and of no consequence.

Not wishing to defend him or any other players that fall into the Charley trap but I can understand why they do it .

As full time professional athletes they cant go out and get rat ar$ed like we can , so they choose another option to have a good time , be it weed or coke to get off their face .

It just shows how random the drug tests are when an experienced International who knows the risks thinks its worth taking a chance and hope that they dont get caught .

Is it worth it for one nights so called pleasure buzz ?

.....you can understand why people take cocaine????? Just say no

Do all those who think that he's a role model and so should be banned therefore think that Amy Whithouse, Pete Doherty and the rest should be barred from earning a living as musicians? Or that the works of The Beatles, Bob Marley, Charlie Parker, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, Ray Charles The Sex pistols and the many hundreds of other known drug users should be wiped from the face of music history?

Gareth Hock is an entertainer, and thats what he gets paid to do. There is nothing more cringe inducing than professional sprtsmen trying to paint themselves as whiter than white.









Granted, having heard Babyshambles, there is a good reason to ban Doherty. It did occur to me that if there was ever a good and valid excuse for banning someones works on the grounds of drug abuse, that was it.

Thats an unfair post in view of my comments I didn,t say I approved all I said was it,s none of my business if players choose to take recreational drugs that don,t increase their playing performance.

Anyone who thinks youngsters or indeed adults will be influenced by finding out Hock has taken cocaine now that is bizarre.