RADIO 1 LISTENERS WANT RIGHT TO USE DRUGS

A BBC Radio 1 poll has found 84% of listeners who took part said they should
have the right to use drugs.

About 15,000 people voted in the telephone survey during the four-and-a-half
days lines were open.

A Radio 1 spokesman said: "Obviously this is not a scientific opinion
survey, but it is interesting and we decided to give the result a full
airing.

"Our audience is heavily weighted in the 15 to 24 age range and there is no
reason to suppose that those who took part were not mainly from this group."

Most recreational drugs, including cannabis, remain illegal in the United
Kingdom.

But considerable evidence exists that police in some regions are more
lenient than others when it comes to dealing with offenders.

The first of two programmes on Radio 1 on Sunday evening looks at this
situation. Sorted - the Drugs Lottery claims to reveal exclusive research
into the discrepancies in drugs sentencing across Britain.

Radio 1 reporter Danny Shaw said: "The whole area is shrouded in confusion
and misunderstanding. A lot of users don't realise how severe the law can be
and some police and courts have absolutely no understanding of the culture."

The second show, Drug Taking - Law Breaking takes the form of a debate on
the telephone poll results. After more than four out of five of listeners
who called said "yes" to the question: "Should people have the right to use
drugs?". A guest panel will have the chance to argue over the results.

Pressing for a change in the law will be the founder of Creation Records,
Alan McGee, who is a recovered cocaine addict; the former head of the
Metropolitan Police Drugs Squad, Edward Ellison and the writer Sheryl
Garratt.

They will be opposed by the lead singer of the band Gene, Martin Rossiter;
DJ Dave Clarke and a consultant in the Accident and Emergency department of
the Royal Liverpool Hospital, Chris Luke.

The programme is hosted by Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq. Inviting listeners to
vote last week, he said: "Young people in the UK take more recreational
drugs than anywhere else in Europe. This is the first national radio drugs
poll of young people."

The recently-appointed drugs czar, Keith Hellawell, will also feature in the
show in a pre-recorded interview where he will set out his reasons for
opposing giving people the legal choice to take drugs.

A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office, which oversees Mr Hellawell's role,
said: "This is a self-selecting survey. The government position is clear -
it remains opposed to the decriminalisation of any illegal drugs."

The producer of the Radio 1 special, which starts at 2100 (GMT), defended
the attempt to stimulate debate on the controversial topic.

"We hear a lot about the rights and wrongs of drug-taking, but very rarely
is much light shed on what young people are actually thinking or
practising," Jo Pilkington said.

"Drug Taking - Law Breaking will draw together the Radio 1 listeners' views
and lay them open to cross examination by advocates from across all strand
of youth culture, both for an against."