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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Illegal drugs 'are a fact of life' in the UK Jon Land Press Association Monday 14 Aug 2006 are here to stay, a new survey has found. According to a YouGov poll of nearly 3,000 people, 89% believe "whether we like it or not, there will always be people who use drugs and the aim should be to reduce the amount of harm they cause themselves and others", But despite the pragmatic view, there is a clear distinction between views on hard drugs, such as heroin and soft drugs like cannabis. Almost three quarters of the general public (73%) said the sale and possession of hard drugs should remain criminal offences, whereas just over a third, (38%) believe the same about soft drugs. A total of 15% of people reckoned both the sale and possession of soft drugs should not just be decriminalised, but legalised. There was also a contrast between the views of people born since 1960 and older generations. Younger people are more likely to believe in decriminalisation, with a total of 60% in favour of legalising possession of soft drugs for personal use, or treating it as a lesser offence, like illegal parking or speeding. Amongst the pre-war generation (those born before 1945) that figure falls to 48%, with just 8% in favour of legalising the sale and possession of soft drugs. When it comes to drug problems in Britain as a whole, just over half (53%) agreed "there is a serious problem affecting practically the whole country" whilst 39% said the problem is "largely confined to certain neighbourhoods and kind of people". Just 5% said they thought there was "not really" a serious drugs problem in this country. The poll, for the Daily Telegraph and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, also looked at the harm caused by alcohol and tobacco. The responses showed that the majority of people (78%) believe that consumption of alcohol causes "most harm to the largest number of people and their families". Smoking tobacco was second with 60% and taking illegal drugs third with 55%. Respondents were also asked if there should be a Class D classification covering some of the less harmful drugs which are currently illegal, as well as alcohol and tobacco. Fifty-six percent said they would be broadly in favour of such a classification, whilst 30% said they were broadly opposed. The survey also found that overwhelmingly, the public believe heroin and cocaine are the drugs which are most likely to "cause harm to individuals and their families." Ninety-seven percent agreed injected heroin was likely to cause "a great deal" or "some" harm. Smoked heroin and crack cocaine were joint second with 96%, followed by powder cocaine at 94%. Another feature of the poll was that whilst people believed the sale and possession of most drugs should remain illegal, criminal law is not necessarily the most effective way of dealing with the problem. Sixty-two percent said people who used illegal drugs but have not committed any other crime should be treated "as people who may need treatment and other forms of support". Just 30% said they should be brought before the courts. In addition, most people believe that the link between drugs and crime, apart from the fact that the drugs are illegal, is mainly down to money. Eighty-nine per cent said drug users are more likely to commit crimes than non-users because they "steal to get money to buy drugs". The poll surveyed 2,938 people online across Britain.
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