Difference between revisions of "Team:Edinburgh/Practices/Morality/Play"

Technomoral Scenario Play Script

Synthetic Biology has the potential to revolutionise the biosensor by utilising cell-free systems that can be freezed dried onto paper. This simultaneously reduces the price of large scale manufacturing and the bureaucracy involved with implementing devices with GMO’s into the environment. The applications of these biosensors are vast, but Edinburgh iGEM has focused on their potential to reduce illness and death associated with contaminated, and high purity, drugs. The following is a hypothetical scenario that takes place five years into the future, where Scotland has just introduced a harm reduction measure called ‘The Biosensor Project’. The Biosensor Project is similar to the real current-day Naloxone Program, as both are being implemented under the control and supervision of the UK government before their sale is made legal on the free market, and both are individual-based proactive measures intended to prevent overdose.

Two men are meeting at an apartment. The first, Philip, is a recovering heroin addict who has just relapsed. The second, Adam, is a low level drug dealer who has approximately 50-60 clients in Edinburgh’s north-east end - an area known as Leith. They are well-acquainted, perhaps even friends, if the term is used loosely enough.

This particular meeting would be one of familiarity but for one difference; this time, Adam requests that Philip brings a biosensor that has been recently implemented in the UK. He makes this request based on the fact that these biosensors are distributed at health and social outreach centres, and, given Philip’s recent attempts of recovery, Adam postulates the likelihood of Philip having one of these devises as being quite high. Initially puzzled by the request, Philip agrees; however, he would soon question Adam’s morally suspect motivations.

“Philip! Wonderful to see you, come in come in.” Adam said grinning, as he opened the door to usher in Philip, whose eyes appeared tired and face worn, into his apartment.

“Can I get you something to drink? Tea, coffee, bee…” Philip interrupted before Adam had time to finish.

“Please, can we get on with it.” said Philip, clearly running short on patience and even shorter on energy.

“Straight down to business, a man after my own heart.” replied Adam, who was careful not to allow Philip’s uncharacteristic behavior to alter his own upbeat demeanor. For it was no mystery why a man who recently relapsed was not in the best spirits, and Adam wanted something from Philip just as much as he from him. “Now, before we get started, I wanted to ask you about the thing on the phone, cuz it’s a healthy little discount off your bill if you came through.”

Recalling their previous conversation, Philip replied hesitantly. “Yeah, I remembered… and I have it. But why is it you asked me to bring you one?”

“Don’t worry mate” Adam said with a laugh “I’d not be much of a cop, seeing as I’ve already been selling you drugs for 8 months” he continued, searching the table for a tie for the bag he just finished preparing. “Besides, even if I was, there’s nothing illegal about what you got there”, nodding his head to gesture towards the device clearly being gripped tightly in Philip’s coat pocket.

“Well I know that, I think I deserve a bit of credit” scoffed Philip, as if it was absurd to even suggest such a thought could pass through his mind. “But why do you want one… I mean, look at you - you deal the stuff but I doubt you’ve ever touched it”. It was with this last statement that Adam knew he couldn’t avoid what he so desperately wished - a discussion of his intentions.

Taking a long pause to light his cigarette, Adam responded after a long drag “you know, it’s just good business to know exactly what it is you are selling. I mean, you wouldn’t want someone selling you a car full of parts he knew nothing about.” He continued, careful to avoid eye contact “Now the big boys, the ones at top, they know exactly what they’re selling. But by the time my distributor hands down to me, I could be selling brown sugar for all I know.”

Peering through the thinly veiled attempt to justify his desire for the device with a business-man spiel, Philip knew exactly what Adam planned to do with the biosensor “you're going to use it to separate the good stuff from the bad stuff, aren’t you?”

Adam knew that this may very well be a touchy subject for Philip, and it was. He has been in and out of recovery programs. Until this recent relapse, he had been 2 months sober. He battles with addiction, and has a deep motivation to quit - it was simply not that day. With that being said, he was taking steps to reduce the chances of overdose before he could recover, as he knew many who missed their opportunities. Picking up this biosensor at his local NHS clinic was one of these steps. Now, however, Philip feared that this device might have potential for harm if it fell into the hands of the black market. Returning to Philip’s question, Adam responded “like I said, business is business”.

WIth that, Philips suspicions were confirmed. Growing increasingly perturbed by each questioned answered, he dared to venture further “So, what? Once you know what’s good and what’s bad, you just gunna mark up the prices on the good stuff and leave the rest of them to squabble in the mud for the crumbs?” Philip knew this was a problem. In the case of heroin, if Adam were to get a particularly pure batch one week, he would mark up the price, leaving it available to only those with enough money to afford it. Those who could not afford it would have to wait, turn to other drugs or potentially illegal means of attaining money. When Adam would receive a particularly weak batch, he could sell to those with lower income, but would know full well that the drugs are cut with potentially harmful substances that could make the user very ill.

“Look” Adam said “if I don’t do it, someone else will, and you know there are a lot worse people out there than me…”

Philip knew this was true; Adam was a smart guy after all. But what was he meant to do? If he gave Adam the biosensor, he knew that Adam would use it to separate the market, further marginalising those who were supposed to benefit the most from its use. However, he knew Adam would easily find another way to get his hands on one, as would any dealer.

Realising that the situation he was in was in no way unique to the many similar instances that would follow the widespread use of the biosensor, Philip began to question whether the world would be better off without the biosensor. On the one hand, its intended purpose is to save lives and reduce harm caused by overdose. This is why Philip himself had one. On the other hand, it has the potential for misuse, such as the way Adam intendeds to use it to separate the market. How, then, Philip thought, do we reconcile these seemingly disparate positions? Perhaps we are better off for it so long as the total good it causes outweighs the harm caused by its misuse. Yet this is very difficult to measure, and we may never have a way to accurately quantify the good or bad effects of the device.