DRUG POLICY TO BE OVERHAULED

"Just say no" style anti-drug campaigns are to become a thing of the past
in Scotland, following a change of heart by the Scottish Executive. More
resources will instead be devoted to telling people about the risks of drug
taking and the help available for addicts and their families.

The move follows research which suggests the just say no strategy, which
has been used for many years, has failed.

Full details of the new strategy are still to be revealed, but an executive
spokesman said it should not be seen as a sign that the authorities are
"going soft on drugs".

Dr Richard Simpson, the deputy justice minister, told the Sunday Herald
newspaper: "The only time you will hear me use terms such as 'War On Drugs'
and 'Just Say No' is to denigrate them."

It is thought the executive will focus on harm reduction programmes and
revisit the country's methadone system.

Dr Simpson told the paper: "I've never used the term 'teach children how to
take drugs', but what I would say is that we need to provide them with
information.

"We need to say 'we'd rather you didn't take ecstasy, but if you make that
decision, here are the risks'.

'Got to be realistic'

"We have to give them all the information they need to take responsibility
for themselves."

He added: "It's not about us wagging a finger at young people as they won't
pay attention to that - so it's not worthwhile.

"We've got to be very realistic and not say 'you're going to die if you
take ecstasy', what we will say is 'some people do die when they take
ecstasy but we don't truly know why'."

As many as 60,000 people have died drug related deaths in Scotland in the
past 20-years.

In November last year a study revealed that there are almost twice as many
people with drug problems in Scotland as had previously been estimated.

Earlier estimates suggested there were 30,000 people misusing drugs such as
heroin, temazepam and cocaine.

But the new research, commissioned by the executive, revealed that the
figure is likely to be closer to 56,000.

It is based on research carried out by Glasgow University's Centre for Drug
Misuse Research in conjunction with the Scottish Centre for Infection and
Environmental Health.