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NORTH WEST EURO-MP DEMANDS RETHINK OF DRUGS LAW
August 4, 2005 9:18 AM
A North West Euro-MP is demanding a rethink on Britain's failed drugs
strategy, which he claims is putting billions of pounds into the pockets of
criminals and funding terrorist activities.
Writing in this month's Brussels-based political magazine The Sprout,
Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies says that prohibition of illegal drugs
should be replaced by government regulation.
His comments follow publication of a report in which the prime minister's
special adviser, Lord Birt, concluded that there is an "inexhaustible"
supply of drug traffickers and policies designed to cut the supply of
illegal drugs into the UK since the early 1990's have had no significant
impact. Real prices of heroin and cocaine have halved over the past ten
years, indicating a significant increase in their availability.
The cost of crimes committed by heroin and cocaine addicts to fund their
habit is said to amount to £16 billion per year in the UK alone. In his
report to Tony Blair the prime minister's adviser claims that this figure
would actually increase if more traffickers were arrested and drug prices
rose.
Lord Birt concludes that government interventions against drug dealers
amount to "a cost of business, rather than a substantive threat to the
industry's viability".
The dilemma for lawmakers, claims Chris Davies, is that the greater the
effort made by police and customs officers the more profitable the illegal
drugs business will become.
Mr Davies writes: "Taking a small percentage of the drugs off the market
simply forces up the price, adding to the already vast profits made by the
traffickers and providing a stronger financial incentive for others to get
involved. It's a vicious circle."
The MEP, who leads the British Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament,
claims that governments across Europe have "ignored realities" and failed to
face up to the problem.
He said: "Far from preventing the use of illegal drugs the policy of
prohibition creates the profits which drive the growth of the trade. It
leads to the corruption of our institutions and provides funds for
terrorism.
"These views used to be controversial but now that the prime minister's
personal adviser says that existing policies are doomed to failure it is
surely time for all responsible politicians to consider whether alternative
strategies could do more to curb crime, reduce harm and save lives".
Mr Davies believes the introduction of a legally regulated market in drugs
like cannabis and heroin could reduce crime affecting society and release
huge sums of money to pay for drug awareness programmes and rehabilitation
schemes.
He said: "Taken in excessive quantities all drugs are dangerous and no-one
wants a free-for-all but many of the problems stem directly from the
criminality involved. At present, drug users can never be entirely sure
just what they are putting into their bodies."
"The debate now should be about how to destroy the criminal trade by
providing for regulated legal sources while discouraging giving the
impression that this would create a green light for drugs use.
"I accept that it will not be an easy balance to achieve but critics should
first explain why many decades of criminal sanctions against drugs has
simply led to an explosion in their use."
In his report to the prime minister, Lord Birt states that more than three
million people in the UK use illicit drugs every year. He compares the 749
deaths annually from heroin and methadone misuse with the 6,000 deaths from
alcohol and 100,000 from tobacco.
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