Channel 4 is to screen people taking class A drugs live as part of a science series. The Media Guardian reports that the channel's chief creative officer Jay Hunt says it is part of a drive to 'bring back a sense of mischief' to the network. Science series Drugs Live will take place under strict clinical conditions, with programme makers working 'closely with leading research institutes from around the world to bring much needed clarity to a social issue often mired in controversy or confusion'. "The issue of class A drugs is something that I think is incredibly important and an area of social policy that Channel 4 can be on the front foot about and provide some interesting and useful data," said Hunt. Hunt added you 'can legally test class A drugs on an individual', but warned there were 'huge duty of care and legal issues' surrounding the show. "It will involve people taking drugs in a clinical environment live on TV," she said. The broadcaster is billing the four-parter as a radical new science series, which aims to examine "the claims and counterclaims made about the effects of recreational drugs by testing them on live television". "Under strict medical supervision and in a controlled clinical environment, individuals will be filmed as they use different substances. Their physical and psychological effects will be monitored, as will their social interaction with others as the drugs enter their systems," said Channel 4.
