Tipping point

Even people in acute mental distress are having to wait to see a psychologist.

- Marc Wilson

Ashley Bloomfield was instrumental in my first ever research grant. In 2006, PhD student Kate Bryson and I got some cash from the National Drug Policy discretionary grant fund to investigate how people thought about benzylpiperazine (BZP)-based "herbal highs”. We convinced Dr Bloomfield of our mettle and, among other things, we found that people assumed putting the word "herbal” in front of something meant it was safe - and that if it wasn't safe, surely the government would tell them to be careful. In 2008, BZP sales were banned.

More recently, I have been impressed by Bloomfield's response and demeanour as the country's top public health official, in the face of Covid-19.