Pubdate: Tuesday January 23, 2001

Source: Oldham Evening Chronicle (UK)
Website: http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/
Address: P. O. Box 47, Oldham, Lancashire, England OL1 1EQ
Contact: editorial@oldham-chronicle.co.uk
Fax: 0161-652 2111
Author: 'Go Dutch'

Note: The Oldham Chronicle allows pen names if the author provides their name and address.

DRUG TSAR POLICY

The news that Oldham is to have its very own drug tsar from April is an interesting development in drug policy. Even more interesting is that this will be a political appointment, an existing councillor no less.

So who will the drug tsar be? More importantly, who is to decide who gets the job? I suggest that the tsar be directly elected by the public of Oldham, possibly through the local area committees. This would make the tsar more acountable to the people of Oldham and, hopefully, more accurately reflecting the public's views on drug policy.

Certainly the last thing Oldham needs is an Anne Widdecombe style zero-tolerance zealot in the post. We shall see.

GO DUTCH