Ainsworth signs drugs letter
By Tony Grew - 2nd June 2011
Dame Judi Dench, Sting, Kathy Burke, Julie Christie - stars of stage and screen.
All four are among the signatories of a letter to the PM calling for the decriminisation of drugs.
Also signed up is Bob Ainsworth, the former defence secretary who caused a bit of a Westminster sensation at the end of last year when he called for a change in drugs policy.
"It is time to replace our failed war on drugs with a strict system of legal regulation, to make the world a safer, healthier place, especially for our children," he said in December.
Ainsworth's words carried particular weight as he was the minister in charge of drugs policy under Tony Blair.
And he is by no means the only parliamentarian to have signed the letter.
He is joined by MPs Caroline Lucas, Nic Dakin, Tony Lloyd and Paul Flynn, Baroness Blackstone, Lord Layard, Lord Ramsbotham and Baronesses Lister, Meacher, Murphy and O'Loan.
The lettter, which was organised by drugs charity Release, marks the 40th anniversary of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
"In the past forty years use of illicit drugs in the UK has grown rapidly," it states.
"It is clear that the present system of applying the criminal law to the personal use and possession of drugs has failed in its aim.
"Conversely, the harms caused by pursuing this approach to drug use have been significant.
"In the last year alone nearly 80,000 people in the UK were found guilty or cautioned for possession of an illegal drug - most were young, black or poor.
"This policy is costly for taxpayers and damaging for communities.
"Criminalising people who use drugs leads to greater social exclusion and stigmatisation making it much more difficult for them to gain employment and to play a productive role in society. It creates a society full of wasted resources."
The home office was unmoved by their plea for the decriminalisation of drug possession.
"We have no intention of liberalising our drugs laws," a spokesman told the BBC.
"Drugs are illegal because they are harmful - they destroy lives and cause untold misery to families and communities."
Article Comments
I totally agree with this petition. The Home Office saying that 'drugs are illegal because they are harmful they destroy lives and cause untold misery to families and communnities' is total and absolute balderdash. Acohol does worse than this and is so legal. Of course the Government gets a pay off in tax for alcohol. The Home Office is two faced and out of touch. Way out of touch.
Gerald Phillips
3rd Jun 2011 at 2:36 pm
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