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John Petro was a doctor who gained notoriety for prescribing controlled drugs in 1960s Britain.
Petro was one of the first doctors to administer penicillin with Alexander Fleming. In 1966, he was injured in a traffic collision and faced bankruptcy, resorting to writing prescriptions to drug addicts for controlled drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Petro did not have an office and worked out of coffee bars and cafes. His practice was widely covered by British tabloids for months. In January 1968, Petro was invited on David Frost's television program to discuss his practice. He was immediately arrested after the broadcast.
In 1968, his name was struck off of the Medical Register. Petro continued working with drug addicts after no longer being able to prescribe drugs.
Petro was discussed in the House of Commons by Alexander Lyon, Edward Short, and Cranley Onslow during a debate about trial by television.
See also
References
- ^ "When Boots Prescribed Heroin, the UK Did Drug Policy Right". Vice News. 4 October 2018.
- ^ Dynamic Dualities: The ‘British System’ of Heroin Addiction Treatment, 1965–1987 (PDF).
- ^ "Dr. Petro to be struck off Medical Register". The Guardian Journal. 29 October 1968.
- ^ "Petro Injects "Fixes" for West End Drug Addicts". The Daily Telegraph. 11 November 1969.
- "Dr. Petro fined £1700 for drug offences". Evening Standard. 14 February 1968.
- "Orders Of The Day. Volume 759: debated on Tuesday 27 February 1968".