NO TIME TO EASE UP ON DRUGS

HOME Secretary David Blunkett was accused of giving mixed messages
yesterday when he announced, as expected, that cannabis was to be
downgraded from a Class B to a Class C drug.

Former so-called drugs czar, Keith Hellawell reacted by saying drug-dealers
would be "euphoric" about the news.

"The perception... is that the Government doesn't care about personal
possession of cannabis, which gives a totally misleading message to
parents, children and the public as a whole."

Mr Hellawell, whose role as an adviser on drugs policy had already also
been down-graded by the Government, has resigned over the issue.

Hardly surprisingly his decision, and comments, were seized on gleefully by
those who oppose any relaxation in drug controls, and Conservative leader
lain Duncan Smith said Hellawell's resignation was "a clear signal to Tony
Blair and his ministers to think again before it is too late."

Certainly it seemed as if only the legalisation lobby was wholeheartedly
welcoming Mr Blunkett's announcement.

Further embarrassment for the Government came from former sport minister
Kate Hoey who warned that the long-term effects of the Metropolitan
Police's "softly, softly" approach to cannabis (on which the new strategy
is based) were not yet known. She was afraid that in TO or 15 years, "we
might look back to this day and say: why did we do this"?

There is no denying it was time for a rethink on drugs legislation. The
present laws are flouted by literally millions of people, and have become
unenforceable. At the same time, there is widespread concern about
increasing levels of drug abuse par-ticularly among the young and all the
attendant social problems.

Clearly something has to be done, but what?

The package of measures out lined by the Home Secretary yesterday includes
welcome new emphasis on drug treatment and reducing the harm drug users do
themselves.

Many people will agree with Mr Blunkett that it is better to devote limited
police time to tackling the supply of the most serious drugs, like heroin,
cocaine and ecstasy rather than focusing on cannabis.

However smoking cannabis is at least as dangerous as smoking tobacco, and
should certainly not be encouraged.

That is why many influential commentators, including Keith Hellawell and
Kate Hoey feel that the Home Secretary has taken a step too far in changing
the classification of the drug, which does indeed send a mixed message.

Only time will tell how effective the new strategy will prove in practice.

But we hope the Home Secretary will heed Ms Hoey's plea that police time
freed by taking a more relaxed attitude to cannabis really will be devoted
to tackling hard drugs.