I for one am very worried about these unproffessional comments on Wiredin.:
I’m suspicious of data being handled by the NTA. Good science should involve a totally independent organisation collecting and analysing data – there is too much vested interest involved at all levels in this study and too much money concerned to those involved (NTA, DAATs). And we have had too much PR from the NTA, which leads many people to question the veracity of all that they have to say.
I would love to see an independent commission set up to look at this and other NTA studies (some of which have been very iffy) with independent scientists brought in to look at the study at all levels (including interviews with people who have given up cocaine).
I’ve heard horror studies from services over time about outcome measuring, including if we don’t see the client we count them as having given up drugs. We are under pressure to perform (i.e. we lose money if we don’t get positive outcomes, and this means our jobs are potentially at risk). Can we really trust all data in these sorts of situations? I’m sure there is a huge story here for an investigative journalist.
It is such a sad situation.
