ECSTASY: HARMLESS DRUG OR DANGEROUS KILLER?

LATER this month the body which advises the government on illegal
drugs is likely to call for ecstasy to be downgraded from a Class A
to a Class B drug.

But what would reclassification mean?

Ecstasy is the third most popular illegal drug in the UK and is used
by eight million people world-wide.

In Britain it is a Class A drug, along with LSD, heroin and cocaine.
Those caught in possession could face up to seven years in prison, an
unlimited fine or both.

However, later this month the Advisory Council On The Misuse of Drugs
(ACMD) will publish a report which is expected to recommend the
government relax the law on ecstasy and reclassify it as a Class B narcotic.

Home Office sources suggest home secretary, Jacqui Smith, is likely
to ignore such advice.

But what would it mean if the government did reclassify ecstasy?

Well, while the potential prison time for possession would go down
from seven to five years, those caught with it could still face an
unlimited fine.

Meanwhile dealers would see their potential sentences reduced from
life to 14 years, but they too could still have to pay an unlimited fine.

However, it is rare that such punishments will be meted out.

This has been illustrated by a host of celebrities over the years,
including superstar singer, George Michael, who was caught in
possession of crack cocaine last year.

Michael's misdemeanour did not even reach court and he escaped with a caution.

This prompted questions over consistencies within the law and
undermined the way in which drugs are classified.

"There's a problem with consistency," explains Superintendent Stuart
Katon, head of crime and operations for Bournemouth and Poole.

"If somebody was in possession of crack cocaine in Bournemouth they
wouldn't be cautioned, they would be charged.

"George Michael should have been charged. I don't know this but I
would imagine they are bending their force policy around that, and it
doesn't send out a very good message."

Assuming that the possession offence does go to court, there are
likely to be inconsistencies here too, as the guilty party will be
subject to the court's discretion, depending on previous convictions
and other variables.

However, while reclassification might not mean much in terms of
punishment, some think it shouldn't be downgraded.

"I think it would [send out the wrong message]. To me it's a Class A
drug and should remain a Class A drug," says Supt Katon.

"There have been instances where people have died as a result from
taking so-say one pill. You don't know what's in the drug and you
don't know how your body going to react to it. Everyone is different."

However, there are those who disagree, including North Wales chief
constable Richard Brunstrom, who provoked controversy last year by
claiming ecstasy was safer than aspirin.

There are also people who don't believe the classification of drugs
would make a difference to users or potential users.

"I take ecstasy and so do my friends," says a Bournemouth reveller,
who didn't want to be named. "You know it's illegal, you don't think
about what class it is or what punishment you would face and I don't
think downgrading it to a Class B drug would encourage people to take it."

What is likely to encourage people to take it however, is the price
of ecstasy which has tumbled from around UKP10 per pill in the
nineties to as little as UKP1.

"It is cheaper to take ecstasy than drink alcohol," says Supt Katon,
who admits that they have fewer problems with ecstasy users than they
do with other Class A users and even drinkers.

"The difference from our point of view is that the chaotic users of
heroin are desperados that are committing crime to fund the habit.

"Generally speaking people that use cocaine or ecstasy work for a
living and pay for their drugs, so there's not the crime association
with that. We don't come across many instances where a person has
behaved outrageously due to taking drugs, it's usually due to alcohol."

The latest debate on ecstasy classification comes after cannabis was
reclassified from a Class B to a Class C drug - this caused confusion
for the public and police alike, who didn't understand the changes in the law.

The final report on ecstasy will be published at the end of the month.