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UK: Drugs tzar backs verbal warnings for cannabis users

Jason Beattie

The Scotsman

Friday 03 Aug 2001

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THE drugs tsar Keith Hellawell yesterday backed the experiment in south
London where police are not charging people found with small amounts of
cannabis.

Mr Hellawell called for more consistency in the way officers were allowed
to use their discretion with cannabis smokers, but insisted that there
should be no national move to decriminalise the drug.

Police in Brixton, south London, last month abandoned arresting people
found with small amounts of the drug, giving them a verbal warning instead.

"I see nothing wrong with it," said Mr Hellawell, whose responsibilities as
UK anti-drugs co-ordinator are being taken over by the Home Secretary,
David Blunkett. "We have a commitment internationally that cannabis will
remain an illegal drug. It is not going to be legalised.

"There is a concern that the discretion is used with a degree of
consistency, and I know the government is still interested in making that
balance."

Mr Hellawell also warned that cocaine had become the "aspirational" drug of
choice as statistics showed a sharp rise in the number of teenagers using
the Class-A substance.

He said the exclusivity of cocaine, which he claimed was once the "toffs'
drug" used by the "rock stars and chattering classes", had made it more
attractive to a younger generation accustomed to experimenting with narcotics.

"This is the drug to aspire to. If you look at the good families that have
destroyed themselves and the chattering classes, cocaine has been their
drug. It's been exclusive and expensive," he said at the launch of his
third and final report as the UK anti-drugs co-ordinator.

Mr Hellawell conceded that there were "worrying signs" that use of cocaine
was becoming more common, and he said the "small but consistent increase"
in the number of 11 to 15-year-olds using drugs was of "particular
concern". The government has come under increasing pressure to review its
position regarding soft drugs, with the Commons home affairs committee
announcing last month that it would investigate the case for the
legalisation of cannabis.

Earlier this month former Tory minister Peter Lilley joined calls from Sir
David Ramsbotham, former Chief Inspector of Prisons, and Keith Morris,
former ambassador to Colombia, for cannabis to be made legal.

But Mr Hellawell stood by his claims that in certain circumstances cannabis
could lead to people experimenting with hard drugs.

Mr Hellawell's report showed that there was a 4 per cent rise in seizures
of Class-A drugs in 1999, the most up-to-date figures available.

There was also a 17.5 per cent increase in the number of people supplying
Class-A drugs, more than 10 per cent above target.

Helen Liddell, the Scottish Secretary, paid tribute to Mr Hellawell and the
work done by the government and the Scottish executive in tackling the
country's drug problems.

 

 

 

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