David Macauley's article explaining why he quit as the director of
Scotland Against Drugs (Comment, 4 September) said nothing new
("education has to be at the forefront, availability must be reduced,
must shift the culture" etc) and quitting is not going to help.

We must get away from the "war on drugs" and get into the field of
"peaceful negotiation", as in Northern Ireland. Education has failed
our children, who are dying.

Reducing availability has failed.

Changing the culture is a long-term goal, which might ultimately
succeed.

We must listen to our youngsters who want desperately to get out of
the grip of heroin and other drugs but cannot, largely because of the
illegality of their action.

We must consider providing locally based, user-friendly, legal,
controlled, specialist outlets for these drugs so that young people
can get and administer their drugs in clinical and social safety.

And then we must provide the rehabilitation facilities in which they
can be guided back into society and in which they can be trained in
the skills which will enable them to make a positive contribution.
This approach will immediately reduce the crime rate, it will put the
current providers out of business and it will reduce the appalling
mortality rates from drug use. For the sake of our children and
grandchildren, let's talk about it.

-- Dr Nick Maurice, General Practitioner, Marlborough, Wiltshire