DRUG REFORM 'NOT LIMITED BY TREATIES'

THE claim that drug laws could not be reformed without breaching
international treaties was challenged yesterday by a leading drugs charity.

The Government could easily abolish imprisonment for drug possession and
replace it with fines or other civil punishments, said Drugscope in a
report European Drugs Laws: The Room for Manoeuvre.

Small-scale drug suppliers could also be dealt with by civil measures, it said.

The report said that in the UK possession of drugs carries a maximum of
seven years in jail. In The Netherlands possession is not punished. In
Italy it is not a criminal offence, and is dealt with by civil penalties.
In Spain possession is punished by a fine.

"For many years a major impediment to drug reform has been the belief that
UN conventions restrict change," said Roger Howard, the charity's chief
executive. "This study dispels the view. The Government needs to decide if
allowing otherwise law-abiding citizens to get caught up in the criminal
justice system for possessing drugs such as cannabis is a proportionate
response."