ILLEGAL DRUGS TRADE NOW WORTH UKP200BILLION

THE worldwide illegal drugs trade is now worth an - estimated
UKP200billion - bigger than the entire output of Denmark and Portugal.

But experts said clamping down on drugs like cocaine and cannabis
makes crooks richer as it raises the price.

They looked at hundreds of studies and found that, in most cases,
crackdowns on illegal drugs were - also associated with more violence.

Co-author Dr Evan Wood, of the International Centre for Science in
Drugs Policy, Vancouver, said: "Prohibition drives up the value of
banned substances astronomically."

He added: "Drug violence in places like Mexico and the US, as well as
the persistent gun violence we are seeing on city streets in other
countries, appears to be directly linked to drug prohibition."

The International Journal of Drug Policy report said governments
should warn of health effects, rather than pay for "counter-productive
law enforcement".