A few people seem to be missing the point here. Cocaine in its most pure form probably won't kill you. What will kill you is the Daz, rat poision, brick dust, Persil or whatever lethal substance it is 80% cut with. I wouldn't touch drugs, but have studies there effects and different forms, and I can't understand why anyone would touch Cocaine. Most takers probably don't realise it, but the high they feel after ingesting the drug won't be anything to do with the narcotic they think they are taking. Its folly to trust any drug dealer - they are in it to make as much money as possible and not to worry about their clients health.

Probably both, whether we agree with it or not HMG have decided its an illegal substance, and therefore the RFL are correct in banning anyone found to be using it, for whatever reasons.

I enjoy a drink, and I smoke. I have NEVER taken drugs, even in the 60's when they were just as available as they are now .... Alcohol and cigarettes are legal, a lot of drugs are not. You can argue all you like about the morals, the fact is, that some substances are illegal, and if you take them and get caught, then you pay the penalty. YES, I have always known the dangers of both alcohol and cigarettes, but I'm still kicking around at 60, so am I worried? If they made alcohol and Fags illegal, then I'd stop using them ....

Not comparing Keith but Alcohol wrecks far far more lives than Cocaine and has in fact been around for a long long time there has been traces found in Egyptian mummies which is strange as it originates from South America?????
Yet alcohol in excess is seen as being acceptable amongst all strata of society.
And as I write this i'm just about to open my third can of Bud (which these days is my limit as I don't like being out of control) but wouldn't think of snorting a line, or shooting up some H or rolling a joint or popping an E etc..., Why? because one is legal and the others are not.
If you take into account the sportsperson any expert will tell you that none of them are good for the body but again four as above are illegal substances and one is not.
WHY is a completely different argument and users of any substance will argue that theirs is less harmfull than the next, but isn't it important that people know the differences that all substances have on the body so at least they can make an informed choice as the old adage 'JUST SAY NO' has never worked.

Well Fred reading your posts about cocaine makes me wonder why it is illegal and why cigs and alcohol aren't.

Anyways for what it is worth I really cannot see what buisness it is of mine if people want to indulge in any of them always provided the only person put at risk of the indulgence is the person consuming the particular substance.

If cigarettes or alcohol were 'invented' tomorrow they would almost certainly be made illegal, as many similar (and arguably lesser substances are at present).

However, as they have both become part of our culture (and a major income-generator for the Govt!) it's almost impossible to treat them in the same way as a other drugs.

Whatever you think of the classification of different drugs, Gov knowingly broke the rules and took a banned substance.

FWIW I think the RFL/Sport England are right to ban athletes for use of recreational drugs, partly because of their position as role-models (if Govin and others were at it for so long, why would East/Miners plays think they shouldn't do it?!) and partly because recreational drugs CAN have an impact on your performance on the field, even if only psychological.

Do feel sorry for Govin but he only has himself to blame.

While I agree with most of your post, why don't the Governing body follow a similar stance on GBH or other criminal acts (of which there are plenty).

blimey,what would you do if they banned alcohol frank ?

Toulouse still hasn't recovered from the last Leyth visit......

Well that is my point Peter I think it should not be banned and be left to the individual.

how would the rest of the sporting world behave towards rl if they refused to enforce bans that all other sports enforce?.

Dico you are dead right about the GBH thing but did'nt a Leeds player get 12 months in the nick for it. The thing about health related problems is they can't compare it with alcohol as people who use drugs only go to hospital when they are really in trouble with their problem. Two last questions if you were an employer and you caught an employee drunk at work what would you do? If you were an employer and you caught someone doing coke at work what would you do?

sack them both

Quite easy Frank Cocaine heroin etc... were made illegal after a multi country meeting on drug controls in the early 1920's (I think it was), and alcohol and tobacco was not on the agenda because at that time the trade in the other drugs was not controlled by multi millionare companies and countries got no tax from, I bet if the same meetings were held now things would be quite different.
All the 'natural' Narcotics have been around for centuries and both heroin and Cocaine were freely available and legal for a long long time in this country.

Some of you are wrongly thinking Im advocating Cocaine use I'm just giving an alternative argument than the 'hang em high' brigade also a lot of you are mixing Cocaine use/abuse with Crack-cocaine use/abuse which is a totally different 'animal' and is highly dangerous and addictive - it is said that Crack-cocaine addiction can be 'caught' by just one try of the substance, and is taken in a very different way than powdered Cocaine.

Pretty sure not many people wanted Hock counselled more like banned for life!!
One thing that needs to happen his hes needs supporting and not being ignored and left to rot!