LAWS ARE 'DOING MORE HARM THAN DRUGS'

A Labour MP claimed yesterday that "British drug laws are doing more
harm than the drugs themselves".

Paul Flynn (Lab, Newport West), who called for cannabis to be
available on prescription, blamed recent governments for not tackling
the drugs issue properly. "The message has been clear for many years:
our drug laws are not working so the Government, governments, refuse
to fix it."

He proposed that all soft drugs be legalised so that they could be
"licensed, controlled, policed and regulated" and for hard drug
addicts to be treated as patients not criminals. Turning to Charles
Clarke, a Home Office minister, Mr Flynn said: "Don't you blush with
shame that The Daily Telegraph is providing a progressive line on
drugs against the forces of conservatism that are represented by your
Government?"

The newspaper has said the drug should be legalised for an
experimental period. Mr Clarke replied: "It is the ultra-libertarian
wing of the Conservative Party that is now running The Daily
Telegraph, which was why it has taken the stance it has." He said he
did not believe that decriminalising or legalising soft drugs would
reduce the market for them or the harm they caused.