LEGALISING DRUGS MIGHT BE THE ONLY ANSWER, SAY POLICE

Chief police officers from one of Britain's busiest forces have
claimed that drugs laws don't work and say legalisation is 'the
obvious alternative approach.'

Officers in Cleveland, which covers Teeside, say in a report to the
force's civil police authority that the drugs trade is growing in the
face of the Government's tough anti-drugs stance.

The authority is now calling for a Royal Commission to review drugs
laws in the light of the findings.

The move makes Cleveland the first police force to come out publicly
against drugs laws Although a number of chief constables are
believed privately to back a more liberal policy, none has yet called
for legalisation.

But the Cleveland report - written by its former assistant Chief
Constable Richard Brunstrom and endorsed by Chief Constable Barry Shaw
- - openly describes Tony Blair's 'fight against drugs' as a failure.

While it insists that the force will remain loyal to the Government's
strategy to cut drug abuse, it states: 'If there is indeed a war on
drugs, it is not being won - drugs are cheaper and more readily
available than ever before.

'Attempts to restrict availability of illegal drugs have failed so far
everywhere.

'There is little of no evidence that they can ever work within
acceptable means in a democratic society.

'Demand for drugs seems still to be growing, locally and nationally.
There is little evidence that conventional conviction and punishment
has any effect on offending levels.'

The damning report comes at an increasingly difficult time for the
Government.

Yesterday a Cabinet Office statement insisted that the Government is
'steadfast' behind current laws after Minister Mo Mowlam - who
masterminds its anti-drugs drive but admitted having smoked cannabis
in the past - was reported to have differences of opinion with Tony
Blair over drugs policy.

Next month an inquiry by the highly-influential Police Foundation
think tank is expected to suggest relaxing the laws against cannabis
and ecstasy.

It is thought that the group, which is backed by a number of senior
police officers, will recommend that drugs use be 'de-penalised', with
only trivial penalties for those caught instead of jail terms or fines.

The report for the Cleveland force goes even further, however,
concluding that decriminalizing drug use is one of the only realistic
ways forward.

'If prohibition does not work, then either the consequences of this
have to be accepted, or an alternative approach must be found,' the
report states.

'The most obvious alternative approach is the legalisation and
subsequent regulation of some or all drugs.'

It adds that the implications of such a policy are serious but claims
they have never been properly thought though.

Cannabis laws are especially illogical, it argues, with many
scientists regarding the drug as less harmful than alcohol.

The law, it said, seemed to be based only on 'historical accident',
leading many to level charges of hypocrisy.

But the report contains further embarrassment for the Government in
claims that Britain has the highest level of illegal drug use in the
EU.

'Illegal drugs are freely available, their price is dropping and their
use is growing. It seems fair to say that violation of drug laws is
endemic.'

Only about 20 per cent of drugs imported into Britain are intercepted,
it says, and even if police and customs doubled their efforts, 60 per
cent of all drugs brought in would still reach users.

The call for a Royal Commission from the Cleveland Police Authority,
which saw the report last month, is itself expected to fail, however.

The Prime Minister has so far refused all pressure for such a
high-profile review, instead appointing former police chief Keith
Hellawell as 'drugs czar' to lead its efforts to reduce drug use.