As the manager of a peer-led national charity that supports people either in, or wishing to access drug treatment, I have to say that I'm not convinced that contingency management is such a good, workable idea either. When people get to the point that they need to ask for help then they should receive services that are responsive and supportive to their complex, individual need - if they get that, then there is every opportunity that they will stay in treatment. It really can be that simple.
What concerns me most are the comments from the Patients Association. Such discriminatory comments as these only highlight the difficulties that many drug users face when trying to acess 'support'. Maybe the organisation should change its name to the Patient's Who Don't Inflict Harm On Themselves Like Drug Addicts, Cake-Eating Diabetics, Smokers With Lung Cancer Etc., Association. Everyone is entitled to quality healthcare in this country aren't they, or are we now denying drug users citizenship?

Daren Garratt, Dudley, UK

Watch out, if you have a iPod, people will think that you are an addict.

Helena Mathys, Hameenlinna, Finland

Where do you buy the "stuff?! " I'm not an addict ... yet, but can do with a new TV and an Ipod :-)

Sam, London, UK

One thing for sure is the drug addicts will be laughing at Nice as we do because their reasoning power is much superior than Nice. They knew they need coersion in quitting their abuse but they do not want to. If we want the drug addicts to have a new life, we must not be lenient in treating their drug problems and they will be say thank you to us eventually.

Ray, Cardiff, UK

Every day that passes there is yet something else that has convinced me (and many other people I am sure), that this once 'great 'country has lost the plot and we have a bunch of lunatics in positions of authority in every organisation. We mere 'plebs' could do a better job in governing this land. The comments made show more commonsense than we hear out of the mouths of those who have somehow got themselves in to these high positions - but will our voices be heard? - I doubt it, and even if they are heard , they will be ignored. Where are the rewards for those of us who do not get ourselves into difficulties, and try and live decent, lawful, moral lives - we are penalised from every angle, and unable to get essential treatment for life-threatening illnesses etc. The people in power are the criminals in all of this.

J.Barker, Perth, UK

As someone who has a lot of physical and mental pain the temptation to use drugs [prescription] and alcohol to quell the pain is very strong. No amount of ipods can make the slightest difference. Obviously this scheme was thought up by someone with no conception of the problems people face. Yet another waste of government money.

charon, axminster, england

A small wrap of heroin costs £10. A drug addict can easily work themselves up to a £500 per day habit. I can hardly see them getting excited over a voucher worth £5

David Davies, St Albans, UK

This just goes to show how out of touch and how misunderstood addiction is. I am a recovering alcoholic, addict and have some years sobriety behind me. I also have an i-pod I bought because I wanted one more than drugs or booze, not because of any idiotic incentive. The only incentive to an addict/alcoholic to stop is enough pain, and that i'm afraid everybody is that. Send them to prison you may be saving their lives. Stupid incentives aren't going to make a scrap of difference to a desperately craving addict. Anyway they sold their computers to get drugs, so the i-pod would be useless - couldn't download the music!! And to all of you out there who would love to see the likes of us hung, drawn and quartered I remind you of the Harlem witch trials. People didn't understand, so persecuted. The NHS in my experience have never understood (or much cared) and always treated me with contempt. I am a human being with a proven chemical difference in my brain. Addicts have to WANT to stop!!

Chris B, Cheshire, Cheshire

Cancer patients in the UK denied basic life saving treatments standard in civilized nations. Perhaps these folks should pretend to be crackheads, so they can trade their NHS-supplied i-Pods and TVs for proper medical care.

Edward Sodaro MD, Amityville, NY/USA

Amazing, the NHS is in massive debt, so we give people who take drugs prizes! I'm sorry but people have to accept responsibility for their own actions. If you take drugs its going to be hard to come off of them. As a society we say that once born we become a person with Autonomy, well autonomy brings with it responsibility and we seem to casually forget about this. I'm for cold turkey all the way!

John Paul Ritchie, Edinburgh, UK

Well, I suppose the difference between being given an Ipod as an addict, and a Ministerial position, when you have tried it. and not become one , is very narrow!

Mrs Maggie Snook, wool wareham, Dorset UK

Completely aggree with Subin Paul. Scrap NICE as it is a big waste of time and money for the UK.

Paul, London, uk

I'm beggining to hate this counry more and more. One minute they are letting out burgalars and petty theives early with a cash bonus so they can find digs on release, now they reward junkies for going clean. What about some kind of reward for all the decent law abiding citizens of this land the hard working tax payers who are constantly let down by cretins in think tanks who throw the ultimate insult at them with initiatives like this ??

Ron burgandy, salisbury, uk

What about giving them the incentive to stay out of jail for being a drain on society?

Karen, Adelaide, South Australia

About seven or eight years ago Tony Blair came up with the idea of giving Videos and CDs to young offenders if they did not re-offend. The idea was soon dropped.
Hence, not a new idea, but absolutely loony. What about all those people, who never take drugs in the first place? And what about all the seriously ill people who desperately need modern drugs (MS sufferers, people going blind, cancer patients, the list goes on and on) and who cannot get them because they are deemed to be too expensive?
I'm beginning to feel, this country is run by lunatics!

Ruth Schanz-Harper, Devizes, Wiltshire

Once again the twisting of this story is pathetic and partisan.

Why not try using the carrot when the stick clearly does not work? And please tell me where I can buy an IPod or Plasma TV for £100.

or does the part of the guidance which mentions a draw with £100 on offer not suit the agenda of those who can't think beyond their own prejudices? The stick doesn't work and we need to somehow break the dependence and crime cycle of addiction.

Roy E, Salford, Lancashire UK

If your 'drug problem' has so small a grip on you that it can be cured by the offer of a free iPod, you haven't got a drug problem. If however, you really do have a drug problem, I guess you could always sell the iPod on eBay and buy more drugs...

Catriona Hallett, London,

Scrap NICE, follow FDA guidelines. If it is good enough for use in the US or the Nordics, it is good enough for use here. And if I didn't and will not have an option to decide whether or not I pay my taxes based on my assessment of the quality of work it enables the state to carry out, who are a bunch of committee members at NICE to decide if a medicine that could save my life or improve its quality too dear for the state? I pay my dues and I expect the state to do so, if an when such time comes.

Subin Paul, London, England

Since every problem drug addict costs the state around 36k a year, a figure which excludes the cost of any crime they commit to businesses and private citizens, I'd have thought that an investment of a few hundred quid in a ipod would make good sense and leave the state 35k up on the deal. Maybe it's simplistic to say that that cash could be spent on the drugs we can't currently afford, but if it actually works then why not give it a try? Something needs to be done to address this problem, whether it be this or just giving addicts the heroin on prescription. Time to be a bit pragmatic and put some funding and political clout behind measures that make a difference, regardless of whether they're popular or not.

Emma, Cambridge, UK

If this idea is accepted by this Joke of a Government then there is no hope for this Country .Nice can look after Drug Addicts but won't do anything to assist people with Cancer or Alzheimer's. Drug addiction is self inflicted,Blindness,Cancer and Alzheimer's isn't, Where's the Justice in this Country.

AMAC, St.Helens, England

The lunatics are on the grass and in control of the asylum. Yet another prime example of the asylum being run by its inmates. Bribery to stay clean of drugs??? How long until a former junkie sells his gift I pod to buy a few lines of coke? Get real NHS, the only way to get them clean is to get them into rehab.

Tom Hreben, Eastbourne, England

So anyone who does wrong get's rewarded. Absolute rubbish when they are making nurses redundant all over the country due to the cuts in NHS.

Joe, Sunderland, Tyne&Wear

It woul dhave been nice (no pun intended) if you had reported NICE's rationale.
Since they seem to do a good job balaning the competing costs of a treatment to society it is a fair assumption that this idea is well-founded.
The USA is not known for being soft on anything, let alone drugs, but do tend to welcome ideas that work. The British, to their discredit, tend to be far more negative.

eddie reader, bimingham, uk

The lunatics have taken over the (NHS) asylum.

Mike, London, UK

Complete madness. Twisted thinking by a government unable to provide rational solutions to the problem has inevitably led to spiralling costs and hospital closures. This government has made us the jackass of the western world.

howard, london,

Dear Gordon,

If I voluntarily decide to become a drug addict and then happen to quit after one week, will I still be eligible for this prize scheme?

Regards,

Martin, Liverpool, UK

Dear Gordon,
you can test me every day. And every time l am clean of drugs l will get something nice, yes? Or is it not good enough that l am drug free all the time? (or, l cold pretent to be an addict and go for tests. Clean, hurray, new phone)

Helena Mathys, Hameenlinna, Finland

Dear Gordon,

Now that the Government is going to sack me and 600 of my colleagues from the Scarborough Hospital, can I have a free IPod when I turn to drink and drugs in my unemployment.
It will give me something to do.

Many thanks

Jason, Scarborough, Yorkshire

This is a load of crap, let people take reponsability for themselves. Reward people that deserve. My mother is a nurse and is treated like a 2nd class citizen - reward them with decent pay and benefits. Disgusting!

Noni, Edinburgh,

Might help the crime figures though; if they get them for free they won't have to mug innocent kids on the street to fund their habit...call me cynical.

Gordon (not that one, honest), kent,

If this wasn't so serious it would be hilarious! I can't believe that the cash strpped NHS is being told to give prizes to these people for staying off drugs. The lunatics are clearly running the asylum. I have been drug free since I was born, do I win a house or Ferrari for my efforts?
I am over the moon that I no longer live in that nut house we call the UK!!!!!!!!!!

Nick Rourke, Perth, Australia

Great, sell the ipod, get more drugs!

P Wilson, Brighton,

Dear Gordon,

If I go to the pub and get a glass of juice instead of a beer cam i have a HD TV? I will also cycle to work if you'll throw in a swanky new mountain bike.

Hugs and kisses.

Justin, London,

Dear Gordon,

If I give up smoking can I please have one of those cool iPhones?

love

Elizabeth Garlick, Brussles, Belgium