Let Drug Addicts Die, Peeress tells Government

By David Perry.

A NorthEast Conservative peeress told the Government last night that it
might be better to let drug addicts die to discourage youngsters from
experimenting.

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy questioned at the start of a Lords debate on drugs
in Scotland "whether it would be better in the end to let a huge increase in
drugrelated deaths to act as a deterrent?"

Lady Saltoun, of Cairnbulg Castle, Fraserburgh, said: "Many doctors are fed
up with spending more time on drug addicts than on people who are genuinely
ill."

She said 25% of babies born at the special maternity unit at Aberdeen Royal
Infirmary were affected by drugs at birth and up to 78% of crime was thought
to be drugsrelated. And former Labour Scottish minister Lord Hughes called
for the courts to treat drug peddlers as severely as murderers.

In the same debate, former Tory Scottish Minister Lord Fraser urged the
Government to withdraw it's objection to mandatory sentences for thirdtime
drugs trafficking offences.

New Scottish Lord Advocate Lord Hardie ignored Lady Saltoun's proposal, but
admitted the drug problem was worse than many people feared, with figures
suggesting the situation was deteriorating further. He pledged Government
backing for the allparty Scotland Against Drugs campaign launched by
defeated Tory Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth.

Lord Hardie insisted no decisions had yet been made as to who may be
appointed to the drugs czar post proposed by Prime Minister Tony Blair in
Aberdeen during the general election campaign. Lord Hardie said a small
group of ministers had been set up to discuss the appointment.

He brushed aside former Trade Minister Lord Fraser's warning that the war
against drugs may be hit by the Government's decision to press ahead with
plans for Scottish home rule.
Lord Fraser said the crackdown on drugs had to be on a UK wide basis.

Shug

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