Rapid Responses to:

EDITORIALS: Jonathan Shepherd and Iain Brennan Tackling knife violence BMJ 2008; 337: a849 [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

Tackling knife violence

edwin n wardle   (29 July 2008)

Tackling knife violence 29 July 2008
edwin n wardle, retired physician SG7 6SY Send response to journal: Re: Tackling knife violence	Somebody has to say it.It is time that the Dept.of Justice woke up to the fact that the threat of the birch is a very effective deterrent.If there are persons who carry a knife with the possible intent of inflicting hurt on others,then the deterrent should be a hurt,eg 10 lashes for a first offence of carrying a knife.It is true that it has not been used for over 220years ,but it is also true that damage inflicted by persons with immature brains is very serious.The threat of such retribution would send a clear message to those in gangs.Clearly it would obviate the need for prison before damage is done.There is no point in being nice to young people who are not nice.We can be nice to them,once they have seen the error of their ways. Competing interests: None declared