This presumes that a drug addict making this decision will have decided that they will never cease to be a drug addict, which is a very negative attitude to life.

On the news this morning it showed a quick interview with this womans first taker in England.
A young man was given £200 to have a vasectomy.

When I have seen this woman talking on television I have been struck by how clear cut she is.
So black and white. Simple easy answers. Certain she is right.
I am sorry madam, but life is not like that.  Life has many more grey areas than this woman is prepared to admit.
I think she is probably dangerous.
She also appears to be targetting people who are obviously vulnerable and who are probably at rock bottom. That in itself is wrong.

On the plus side we would never have had the Osborne children 

But back on plant earth NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am finding the comments of the DM readers just as alarming TBH

Especially the ones that want to stretch the idea to those who dont have perfect lives with perfect jobs Issy! Scarey stuff!

And those darn ummarried mothers

Yes *runs*

 Pamoola! How dare you have a differing opinion  

No, unless we want to become like Germany in the 30s and 40s.

LOL Ferny soz, but it is my own

Ones own is the best one to have IMO Pam


She has been likened to a Nazi by some Americans Cologne

Just read through the comments, what was more interesting was the amount of 'likes' for those in support of the project and the amount of 'dislikes' for those who presented arguments against. A prime example of the mindset of the DM demographic

Hmmm I don't agree with it. Sure, there are some people who should never be allowed to reproduce and drug addicts who do not want the help on offer do fall into that arena, but equally there are drug addicts who DO get the help they need and turn their lives around (Davina McCall is a classic example). What about the women who are forced in to prostitution and/or who are under the control of someone else (i.e. a pimp)? Those who really do want the help to get out of a situation and get clean?

To me, as it's a voluntary option, it's clearly targeting those who are most vulnerable. Drug addiction seems to have been generalised far too much with this idea and mitigating circumstances have been ignored. Seems like this woman just assumes that all babies born to addicts are done so through purely selfish reasons. Not denying that there are situations like this, but on the flip side there are situations that are not.

She must have done her homework to come up with such an idea, but the smart addicts are not gonna bother with £200 when they can get £500 just for giving birth.

It would be so very easy to look at the agonised body of a baby born with an addiction & Slap a prohibiton on all addicts!

I wish someone would pay me £200 to have a vasectomy!

Why's that Crunchy ?

pretend to be a drug addict?

I agree Fern and in principal it sounds like a blanket problem solving option. I just think that there will be those who are not a 'classic' case, especially the teenage girls who might not be in the right state of mind to make such a life-changing decision but could be forced into it.

I'd take your kneecaps off for a tenner

Cos £200 is better than nothing

I tend to think that most addicts wouldn't be of the right mind to make such a life changing decision Karma. I'm wondering if this Harris woman has anyone governing her movements ?

It is that!...but why do you want a vasectomy ?

I think it's a disgusting idea.

They said on the news that her idea of 'long-term' contraception is sterilisation for women and vasectomy for men.

Don't particularly want one, but because I hate the idea of having children, £200 for that seems easy money. Obviously my perspective may change and I may want kids one day and if so then I can get it reversed, but at the moment I cannot see me ever wanting to have kids. I'm far too selfish.

Reversal isn't guranteed to work Crunchy!
Like you say though, you have plenty of time yet to change your mind several times

The end of civilisation. Yay. Now I've read this I think the woman needs a good kick up her chuff from a size 12 doc marten boot. Then again it might not break through her shield of steel hymen

I said much the same further up.

Well said 

So we just keep carrying on breeding drug addict babies?

It would be easy if all a person was was a drug addict but they are not. and where do you draw the line. Heroin coke hash co-codamol cigarettes?

I used to work with kids who were "drug babies" and kids with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  Not only are the kids developmentally delayed, but they are never able to learn the difference between right and wrong.  I'm not talking about which is the correct fork to use, but whether it's right to steal or kill.  Even when the kids is taken away from the parent, and adopted by a decent family, the kids just can't function normally.

It's a very gray area, when the rights of a person nfringe on the most vulnerable of society, there is never an easy answer.

Its just on the news now. Another point,  I would think offering them money for sterilisation,is feeding their drug habit, they are also at their lowest point and maybe are not in their correct frame of mind to make this decision.

Of course it's feeding their habit.  However, the guy who was the first to take up the offer said he would make a terrible father.  Frankly, he probably would.  How many  kids are born each year that don't have their benefit monies spent on food for them and the like?

Perhaps I just watch too much Jeremy Kyle.

So therefore the money shouldn't be paid directly to them, rather their debtors

Who says they have debtors? 

's into fred...

I dont see there being a solid right or wrong answer, but i doubt what they are offering in this way is the right one.