UK - Drugs 'legal in 10 years' claim

[pipeman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7166748.stm

 

Drugs 'legal in 10 years' claim

 

Richard Brunstrom, who has campaigned for drugs like heroin to be made legal, says he believes the move towards decriminalisation is "10 years away."

 

The chief constable said repealing the Misuse of Drugs Act would destroy a major source of organised crime.

 

He also said he thinks ecstasy is safer than aspirin. Drugs charity DrugScope said legalisation is "unlikely".

 

Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, the controversial chief constable acknowledged that his was a minority view, but he said attitudes were changing.

 

"I'm certainly out of step with the majority of senior police officers, but not all of them," he said.

 

 

Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance - it's far safer than aspirin

Richard Brunstrom

 

"But in terms of society, public attitudes change quite rapidly and you need look no further than drinking and driving: in the space of my lifetime drinking and driving has gone from being socially acceptable, almost the norm, to being socially unacceptable.

 

"I think that the legalisation and subsequent regulation of proscribed drugs is now inevitable, and I think it's ten years away, not ten months away."

 

He went on: "It has already happened in for instance Portugal, a full member of the European Union, decriminalised under the existing international treaties.

 

"The same sort of thing is being talked about across the world."

 

He said levels of drug misuse across the country might be falling because of better treatment programmes, but the problem was still acute.

 

'Prohibition doesn't work'

 

"We're still causing something like £20bn worth of damage to our society every year," he said.

 

"More than half of all recorded crime is caused by people feeding a drugs habit.

 

"The government wants evidence-based policy; the evidence is very clear that prohibition doesn't work, it can't work, an enforcement-led strategy is making things worse, not better."

 

Mr Brunstrom was invited onto Radio 4 by three members of Dyfed-Powys Police, who were guest editing the New Year's Day's edition of the programme.

 

He also said there was a lot of "scaremongering" and "rumour-mongering" about drugs.

 

"Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance - it's far safer than aspirin," he said.

 

"If you look at the government's own research into deaths you'll find that ecstasy, by comparison to many other substances - legal and illegal - it is comparably a safe substance."

 

A spokesman for DrugScope, the UK's leading independent centre of expertise on drugs, said they believe the legalisation of drugs within the next decade is "unlikely".

 

"Neither the current government nor the leaders of the other parties show any inclination towards drug law reform in the near future," he said.

 

"And in fact this government has already suggested its desire and its looking closely at reclassifying cannabis from class C to B."

 

In October, Mr Brunstrom said drugs laws were out of date and that the police are engaged in a battle which they cannot win.

 

He said he is now campaigning for drugs to be legalised, and for the class A, B and C system to be scrapped.

 

The police chief's suggestions were criticised by some politicians.

[elbhar]

I remember seeing a show in the late 80's early 90's where ex pollies were saying the drug laws will fall like the Berlin Wall did in no more than 10 years. Hate to say it but the drug laws are even worse now all the world over

[bufo marinus]

I think 9/11 fucked up lots of things. Drug law reform/tolerance was one.

The world needs Arnold Swhartznegger to save the day and become the next president nah fuck that, hang on, California needs to take over the rest of America with Arnold at the wheel just a thought

[leafy]

Arnie is a toker, I remember watching one of his party videos, I saw him getting baked on a joint in a bathtub with a few girls.

 

 

Come to think of it the video was on the David Letterman show!

[Alison Myrden]

This man is amazing!

 

Kudos to him and others who want to repeal all drug laws!

 

Legalize and regulate ALL drugs - THAT is the only answer!

 

Drop by www.leap.cc for more info...

 

 

Alison Myrden

Speaker for LEAP

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition