SINGER HEALY SAYS BAN ALCOHOL NOT CANNABIS

THE Glasgow-born lead singer of Britain's most popular rock band called
yesterday for cannabis to be legalised - and for alcohol and tobacco to be
banned.

Fran Healy, whose band Travis are at the top of the charts with their
million-selling album, The Man Who, said the current laws on drugs were
"stupid". He claimed the courts were going soft on cannabis because nearly
everyone in Britain smokes it.

He said that alcohol, and not drugs, caused most crime in Scotland.

Healy made his comments in the music paper New Musical Express. When asked
if he thought cannabis should be decriminalised or legalised, Healy said:
"Of course, but I'd be much more impressed if they criminalised alcohol and
cigarettes. Nearly everybody in Britain smokes hash, do you know what I
mean? So whether or not it's legalised or not legal, you're just going to
get a caution if you get done for it."

He went on: "I know someone who's a prosecutor for the state in Scotland,
and she says all crime they deal with is drink-related and never, ever
cannabis-related.

"I think you're letting people get mad drunk and fighting and all that kind
of stuff, but that's law. Law is stupid."

Healy said of banning alcohol: "People would not be happy, but I don't
care. In 100 years, you'd be thankful for it."

However, Healy's remarks were criticised yesterday by Robert Bissett, whose
son, Richard, died after taking ecstasy and heroin at a party in July 1998.

Mr Bissett and his wife, Margaret, who live in Stenhousemuir, run a support
group for drug addicts and their families. He branded the singer's comments
"irresponsible" and claimed that many people who start taking cannabis end
up moving on to hard drugs, such as ecstasy and heroin.

He said that, instead of relaxing the drug legislation, the government
should crack down harder on drug users.

Mr Bissett said: "Alcohol and tobacco cause a lot of problems already, so
why would we want to add to the list of dangerous substances?

"For Fran Healy to say that cannabis should be de-criminalised because
everybody uses it is completely irresponsible, because he is someone who
the youth of today are listening to.

"I don't think for one minute that the majority of people would want it
decriminalised or legalised."

Alastair Ramsay, the director of Scotland Against Drugs, also criticised
Healy's comments. He said recent studies had shown that more young people
are contracting lung cancer as a result of cannabis use.

He said celebrities should think twice before advocating the use of drugs.
Mr Ramsay said: "It's unfortunate that cannabis is being portrayed as a
relatively harmless drug by someone who has such a high profile."

A spokesman for Travis said the band were touring Europe and unable to
comment.