LEGALISE ALL DRUGS SAYS MILLIONAIRE TIEFENBRUN

ONE of Scotland's most prominent business leaders has called for all
drugs to be legalised.

Ivor Tiefenbrun, founder and managing director of hi-fi firm Linn
Products, said he has held the view since watching close friends die
from heroin overdoses or battle their addictions.

The millionaire entrepreneur revealed that as a youngster in
Govanhill, on the south side of Glasgow, three of his neighbours died
from fatal doses of the drug.

Tiefenbrun added that he was "deeply unimpressed" by the Scottish
Executive's stance on drugs and accused them of lacking vision.

He told Scotland on Sunday: "Three of my immediate contemporaries
died of heroin abuse. It was terrible to have that happen so near to
us. Another three friends managed to survive their addiction. There
was nothing that could be done to help them. The only thing was for
them to decide for themselves that they wanted to stop.

"Drug abuse is a lottery. I have never taken drugs and it is only by
the grace of God that I did not turn to them. Their prohibition gives
them a taboo quality and makes them attractive.

"I am just so disappointed and deeply unimpressed by this government.
They are driven by pragmatism rather than taking a stand on the
issue, having the confidence to do what needs to be done."

Tiefenbrun concluded: "They must be legalised. I believe that passionately."

But a spokesman for the Scottish Executive said it was "unrealistic"
to consider that drugs would be legalised. He added that ministers
were increasing their commitment to the problem by providing
"high-quality evidence-based information" for young people.