|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
UK: Coroner questions drugs policy
The BBC
Tuesday 26 Jun 2001 Birmingham's high-profile coroner Dr Richard Whittington has spoken out against people being "criminalised" for taking soft drugs like cannabis. The coroner, who retires at the end of this week, warned that the battle against hard drugs was being lost. He called for a complete re-think of the way society tackles illegal drugs. Dr Whittington, who has led numerous campaigns during his 25 years in office, said cannabis was only as dangerous as alcohol. "I don't believe we are winning this war and it is a war," he went on. "It is too much for police and society. "It is certainly not the sole responsibility of the police, it is society's responsibility and I don't believe society is in a position to control this. "I don't think I have an easy answer to it, that would be very conceited of me. "But I do question the fact that we turn all these people into criminals. Drug trafficking "Certainly in the case of soft drugs I don't believe it is any more dangerous than alcohol, if not less dangerous," he said. The calls comes just weeks after the new Home Secretary, David Blunkett, pledged to "mobilise" the country to help cut crime and named drug trafficking as a priority. Mr Blunkett said he was pleased the prime minister had given his department responsibility for co-ordinating the fight against drugs, calling them "the biggest scourge of the modern era".
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!