JOHN HUMPHRYS (Comment, last week) joins the swelling chorus crying
that the drugs tsar has no clothes. The tsar seeks to postpone any
intelligent comment on drugs for 10 years. Then we will have proof
that the government's strategy of prohibition has failed again. Also
in 10 years the tsar will have retired, Tony Blair will be Lord
Sedgefield and at least 1,000 avoidable deaths from heroin will have
occurred.

This week there is new evidence that the United Kingdom has the worst
drugs problems in Europe. We continue to imitate the drug solutions of
the United States, which has the worst drug problems in the world.

It's time to blame timid politicians who refuse to learn the lesson
that prohibition kills. The irresponsible deadly criminal trade in
drugs can be collapsed only by replacing it with a regulated licensed
market that can be effectively policed and controlled.

Humphrys need not despair, parliament is not entirely silent. On the
day of the Queen's speech 13 backbenchers in early day motion number
12 said: ''That this House regrets that the present government will
suffer the fate of all other governments of the past 30 years by
ending their term of office with illegal drug problems at a higher
level than when they were elected; and calls for a fresh judgment of
the futility of drugs prohibition, and consideration of the successes
of policies of regulated decriminalisation of soft drugs and the
treatment of addicts as patients not criminals.''

MPs who continue to deny an intelligent debate must share the guilt
for Britain's increasing drug tragedies.

Paul Flynn MP,
Vice-chair, Parliamentary Drugs Misuse Group