Subj: UK: Legalising drugs might be the only answer, say police



Source: Daily Mail, UK



Pub Date: Monday, January 24 2000



Author: Steve Doughty, Social Affairs Correspondent







Legalising drugs might be the only answer, say police



Chief police officers from one of Britain's busiest forces have claimed

that drugs laws don't work and say legalisation is 'the obvious alternative

approach.'



Officers in Cleveland, which covers Teeside, say in a report to the force's

civil police authority that the drugs trade is growing in the face of the

Government's tough anti-drugs stance.



The authority is now calling for a Royal Commission to review drugs laws in

the light of the findings.



The move makes Cleveland the first police force to come out publicly

against drugs laws   Although a number of chief constables are believed

privately to back a more liberal policy, none has yet called for legalisation.



But the Cleveland report - written by its former assistant Chief Constable

Richard Brunstrom and endorsed by Chief Constable Barry Shaw - openly

describes Tony Blair's 'fight against drugs' as a failure.



While it insists that the force will remain loyal to the Government's

strategy to cut drug abuse, it states: 'If there is indeed a war on drugs,

it is not being won - drugs are cheaper and more readily available than

ever before.



'Attempts to restrict availability of illegal drugs have failed so far

everywhere.



'There is little of no evidence that they can ever work within acceptable

means in a democratic society.



'Demand for drugs seems still to be growing, locally and nationally.  There

is little evidence that conventional conviction and punishment has any

effect on offending levels.'



The damning report comes at an increasingly difficult time for the Government.



Yesterday a Cabinet Office statement insisted that the Government is

'steadfast' behind current laws after Minister Mo Mowlam - who masterminds

its anti-drugs drive but admitted having smoked cannabis in the past - was

reported to have differences of opinion with Tony Blair over drugs policy.



Next month an inquiry by the highly-influential Police Foundation think

tank is expected to suggest relaxing the laws against cannabis and ecstasy.



It is thought that the group, which is backed by a number of senior police

officers, will recommend that drugs use be 'de-penalised', with only

trivial penalties for those caught instead of jail terms or fines.



The report for the Cleveland force goes even further, however, concluding

that decriminalizing drug use is one of the only realistic ways forward.



'If prohibition does not work, then either the consequences of this have to

be accepted, or an alternative approach must be found,' the report states.



'The most obvious alternative approach is the legalisation and subsequent

regulation of some or all drugs.'



It adds that the implications of such a policy are serious but claims they

have never been properly thought though.



Cannabis laws are especially illogical, it argues, with many scientists

regarding the drug as less harmful than alcohol.



The law, it said, seemed to be based only on 'historical accident', leading

many to level charges of hypocrisy.



But the report contains further embarrassment for the Government in claims

that Britain has the highest level of illegal drug use in the EU.



'Illegal drugs are freely available, their price is dropping and their use

is growing.  It seems fair to say that violation of drug laws is endemic.'



Only about 20 per cent of drugs imported into Britain are intercepted, it

says, and even if police and customs doubled their efforts, 60 per cent of

all drugs brought in would still reach users.



The call for a Royal Commission from the Cleveland Police Authority, which

saw the report last month, is itself expected to fail, however.



The Prime Minister has so far refused all pressure for such a high-profile

review, instead appointing former police chief Keith Hellawell as 'drugs

czar' to lead its efforts to reduce drug use.