STARS URGE 'SWIFT REVIEW' OF DRUG POLICY IN LETTER TO PM

Dame Judi Dench, Sting and Julie Christie have urged David Cameron to
decriminalise possession of all drugs.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, they called for "a swift and
transparent review of the effectiveness of current drug policies".
"Should such a review of the evidence demonstrate the failure of the
current position we would call for the immediate decriminalisation of
drug possession," they wrote.

Sting added: "Giving young people criminal records for minor drug
possession serves little purpose - it is time to think of more
imaginative ways of addressing drug use in our society."

The letter, which is also signed by former defence secretary Bob
Ainsworth, actor Kathy Burke and three former police chiefs among
others, comes as the Global Commission on Drug Policy, whose members
include entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, said the war on drugs has failed.

They also called for an urgent review of drug policy, with Sir
Richard saying a new approach "that takes the power out of the hands
of organised crime" was needed.

Regulation and decriminalisation have been shown to work, he said.

The letter, which was published by the campaign group Release, said:
"The failure of the current UK system of criminalisation is clear.

"It is time for the UK to review its policy and adopt a
health-focused, evidence-based approach to drug use."

It went on: "In the past forty years use of illicit drugs in the UK
has grown rapidly. "It is clear that the present system of applying
the criminal law to the personal use and possession of drugs has
failed in its aim.

"Conversely, the harms caused by pursuing this approach to drug use
have been significant." It said that nearly 80,000 people in the UK
were convicted or cautioned for possessing an illegal drug in the
last year alone and "most were young, black or poor".

"This policy is costly for taxpayers and damaging for communities," it added.

"Criminalising people who use drugs leads to greater social exclusion
and stigmatisation, making it much more difficult for them to gain
employment and to play a productive role in society.

"It creates a society full of wasted resources."