DRUG CALL CHIEF 'SHOULD QUIT'

A CONTROVERSIAL former Cleveland Police chief was facing calls to
quit today after claiming ecstasy is safer than aspirin.

Anti-drugs campaigners condemned the comments by Richard Brunstrom,
pictured, the chief constable of North Wales and former assistant
chief constable of Cleveland Police, who advocates the legalisation
of all drugs.

Challenged about the dangers of drugs like ecstasy, he said that
Government evidence demonstrated it was actually safer than many
legally-available substances.

"Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance - it's far safer than
aspirin," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"But if you look at the Government's own research you will find that
ecstasy by comparison to many other substances, legal and illegal, is
a comparatively safe substance.

"Ecstasy is not a safe substance and I'm not suggesting that it is.
But it's much less dangerous than, for instance, tobacco and alcohol,
both of which are freely available."

Peter Stoker, of the National Drugs Prevention Alliance, said: "Mr
Brunstrom should resign. His comments are increasingly incompatible
with his position.

"The danger from illegal drugs isn't just a question of how poisonous
it is in the short-term - although any dose of ecstasy can kill - it
includes the damaging behaviour which people are sucked into and the
harm it does to those around them, particularly their families."