TOO DANGEROUS TO IGNORE

AS THE parent of two children, I am increasingly concerned at the
possibility that the use of cannabis may become legalised or
decriminalised to the degree that the police may soon turn a blind
eye.

Our children's school was recently visited by former drug users Phil
Cooper. He was able to communicate the pitfalls with a range of
anecdotes to both children and parents.

Cannabis isn't what it was 25 years ago when Mo Mowlam 'gave it a go'.
It's often a mixture of compounds and we don't yet know the long-term
physiological effects of the use of these 'soft' drugs.

We were horrified to learn that dealers often blend their drugs with
other bulk compounds which may be innocuous but are often lethal.

Ecstasy pills containing strychnine have been found in the
North-West.

Phil shows how drug users can never be sure of the purity of the
substance they're buying and demonstrates how a police caution or
conviction for drug offences limits a person's job prospects and can
affect their ability to obtain visas to foreign countries.

The police are testing a kit to use after driving offences which
indicates when drugs are in a driver's bloodstream. This will surely
result in an increase in cautions and convictions with all the
implications for the offenders.

Mrs Jane M. Saxon,
Whitehaven
Cumbria