DRUGS SURVEY - LEGALISE AND CRACK DOWN ON DEALERS

THREE out of five people believe cannabis should be legalised. That is
just one of the findings of the Evening Mail's online drug survey,
part of our week-long investigation into illegal drug use in South
Cumbria. Organised to coincide with National Drug Week, we asked
readers to tell us how drug misuse should be dealt with. NEIL SANDERS
reports.

DRUGS should be legalised to crack down on dealers. That is just one
of the suggestions to come from the Evening Mail's online drug survey.

Three out of five people who filled in our survey believe cannabis
should be legalised in a bid to crack down on dealers.

One in five believe the same should be done with heroin, cocaine and
ecstasy.

Participants were asked how they thought the drug problem in Britain
should be dealt with.

As well as stricter punishments for possession and more searches in
nightclubs, many people thought that the way to stop drug abuse was to
legalise them and follow the example of countries such as the
Netherlands.

One person said: "By making drugs legal the government can tax and
regulate them. This would take the drugs out the hands of the dealers.
You could also combine this with education to prevent misuse."

The survey, which has been running since last week, was undertaken to
investigate our readers' reactions to illegal drugs sold in the area.
Hundreds of people voiced their opinions on a variety of drug-related
questions.

Heroin was shown to be the biggest problem drug in Cumbria, with 58
per cent of participants believing it is being used in their area,
just ahead of cocaine with 56 per cent.

But others believe illegal drugs are not the problem, and said alcohol
and alcohol related violence are much bigger concerns in the community.

One respondent said: "Alcohol and tobacco are far more dangerous than
many 'illegal' drugs. People who have problems with these legal drugs
cost the NHS millions of pounds each year."

Families were targeted as the main group that should be responsible
for reducing the misuse of drugs, with the government and police
coming second and third respectively.