DRUGS MINISTER SAYS SHE TOOK CANNABIS AS STUDENT

Caroline Flint, the Home Office minister responsible for drugs policy, has
revealed that she once experimented with cannabis but stressed that its
illegal status prevented her from taking it again.

Ms Flint, 41, who was appointed to her first ministerial job less than a
fortnight ago, admitted that she tried the drug more than 20 years ago as a
student. Her remarks came as Iain Duncan Smith pledged that the next Tory
government would guarantee a drug rehabilitation place for every young
addict in Britain. The Conservative leader promised a tenfold increase in
the number of treatment places as he underlined his party's "tough but
tender" drugs policy for the general election. Those who refused treatment
would face jail.

David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, made clear his support for Ms Flint
last night after her past drug use was revealed and insisted that cannabis
would remain illegal.

The MP for Don Valley, who will oversee the downgrading of cannabis from
class B to class C next year, admitted using the drug when questioned by a
BBC reporter. Danny Shaw, Radio 4's home affairs correspondent, said: "I
got the impression she didn't like it. She didn't like the fact that other
people smoked it all the time. She said she was put off because it was
against the law. She said that being illegal acted as a brake on her taking
any more of it."

A Home Office spokesman said: "She was chosen because she is the best
person for the job. Everyone has full confidence in her. The minister was
asked if she had ever taken drugs. She gave an honest answer. She fully
supports the Government's policy that cannabis should remain illegal. The
Home Secretary is very supportive of her."

Mo Mowlam, the former cabinet minister in charge of drugs policy, admitted
once smoking cannabis, and eight senior Tories revealed their own use of
the drug after Ann Widdecombe proposed a crackdown on all users.

Under Mr Duncan Smith's ?482m initiative announced yesterday, the number of
rehabilitation places for those hooked on heroin or crack cocaine would be
increased from less than 2,000 at present to more than 20,000. Young people
caught with drugs would be given a choice of either going to jail or
accepting treatment in rehabilitation centres, most of which would be
provided by community groups rather than the state.

In a speech in Leeds, Mr Duncan Smith also highlighted his party's pledge
to put 40,000 more police on the streets, claiming that the extra officers
will tackle not just serious crime but also vandalism, petty crime and
antisocial behaviour.

"Crime is infecting our nation and hard drugs are making our condition
worse. It's no longer good enough simply to contain the problems of crime
and drugs," he said. "We have to defeat them. We want to give a fair deal
for victims of crime, and a fair deal for victims of drugs."

Roger Howard, chief executive of the charity DrugScope, said the Tories'
plans may prove prohibitively expensive. "Their original figures were about
UKP147 per patient per day. In fact, for young people's treatment, the cost
is probably over UKP300 per day. There are nowhere near enough treatment
workers, nurses, doctors and psychiatrists available to provide the care
that these young people will need."