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Ex-minister Bob Ainsworth: Make drugs legally available | Ex-minister Bob Ainsworth: Make drugs legally available |
(40 minutes later) | |
An ex-minister who had responsibility for drugs policy has called for all drugs to be legally available. | An ex-minister who had responsibility for drugs policy has called for all drugs to be legally available. |
Bob Ainsworth, a Home Office minister under Tony Blair, said successive governments' approaches had failed, leaving criminal gangs in control. | Bob Ainsworth, a Home Office minister under Tony Blair, said successive governments' approaches had failed, leaving criminal gangs in control. |
The Coventry North East MP wants to see a system of strict legal regulation, with different drugs either prescribed by doctors or sold under licence. | The Coventry North East MP wants to see a system of strict legal regulation, with different drugs either prescribed by doctors or sold under licence. |
Ministers have insisted they remain opposed to legalisation. | Ministers have insisted they remain opposed to legalisation. |
Media backlash | Media backlash |
Mr Ainsworth is the most senior politician so far to publicly call for all drugs, including heroin and cocaine, to be in any way legalised. | Mr Ainsworth is the most senior politician so far to publicly call for all drugs, including heroin and cocaine, to be in any way legalised. |
He said he realised while he was a minister in the Home Office in charge of drugs policy that the so-called war on drugs could not be won. | He said he realised while he was a minister in the Home Office in charge of drugs policy that the so-called war on drugs could not be won. |
The Labour backbencher said successive governments had been frightened to raise the issue because they feared a media backlash. | The Labour backbencher said successive governments had been frightened to raise the issue because they feared a media backlash. |
But he predicted in the end ministers would have no option but to adopt a different approach. | But he predicted in the end ministers would have no option but to adopt a different approach. |
He said: "Politicians and the media need to engage in a genuine and grown-up debate about alternatives to prohibition. | |
Billions spent | Billions spent |
"Leaving the drugs market in the hands of criminals causes huge and unnecessary harms to individuals, communities and entire countries, with the poor the hardest hit." | "Leaving the drugs market in the hands of criminals causes huge and unnecessary harms to individuals, communities and entire countries, with the poor the hardest hit." |
Mr Ainsworth said billions of pounds was being spent "without preventing the wide availability of drugs". | Mr Ainsworth said billions of pounds was being spent "without preventing the wide availability of drugs". |
"It is time to replace our failed war on drugs with a strict system of legal regulation, to make the world a safer, healthier place, especially for our children," he said. | "It is time to replace our failed war on drugs with a strict system of legal regulation, to make the world a safer, healthier place, especially for our children," he said. |
"We must take the trade away from organised criminals and hand it to the control of doctors and pharmacists." | "We must take the trade away from organised criminals and hand it to the control of doctors and pharmacists." |
BBC Home Editor Mark Easton said under such a system heroin and cocaine might only be available on prescription from registered doctors, while cannabis might be sold in a similar way to tobacco. | BBC Home Editor Mark Easton said under such a system heroin and cocaine might only be available on prescription from registered doctors, while cannabis might be sold in a similar way to tobacco. |
"Under such a system, those who supplied or sold drugs without the requisite licence would still be operating illegally, in the same way as those who sell tobacco, alcohol or prescription drugs without a licence or proper authority would be currently," he said. | "Under such a system, those who supplied or sold drugs without the requisite licence would still be operating illegally, in the same way as those who sell tobacco, alcohol or prescription drugs without a licence or proper authority would be currently," he said. |
However, all three main parties at Westminster remain opposed to legalisation, with a Labour spokesman saying Mr Ainsworth's were "not the views of Ed Miliband, the Labour Party or the public". | However, all three main parties at Westminster remain opposed to legalisation, with a Labour spokesman saying Mr Ainsworth's were "not the views of Ed Miliband, the Labour Party or the public". |
Last week, Home Secretary Theresa May said the government's drugs strategy would remain focused on rehabilitation and reducing supply. | Last week, Home Secretary Theresa May said the government's drugs strategy would remain focused on rehabilitation and reducing supply. |
Crime Prevention Minister James Brokenshire said: "Drugs are harmful and ruin lives - legalisation is not the answer. | Crime Prevention Minister James Brokenshire said: "Drugs are harmful and ruin lives - legalisation is not the answer. |
"Decriminalisation is a simplistic solution that fails to recognise the complexity of the problem and ignores the serious harm drug taking poses to the individual. | "Decriminalisation is a simplistic solution that fails to recognise the complexity of the problem and ignores the serious harm drug taking poses to the individual. |
"Legalisation fails to address the reasons people misuse drugs in the first place or the misery, cost and lost opportunities that dependence causes individuals, their families and the wider community." | "Legalisation fails to address the reasons people misuse drugs in the first place or the misery, cost and lost opportunities that dependence causes individuals, their families and the wider community." |
'Change needed' | |
However, former chief constable of Cambridgeshire Police, Tom Lloyd, said something had to change. | |
"We've got so used to 40 years of prohibition which, in my experience of over 30 years of policing, has led to massive cost, a failure to achieve the primary aims, which is the reduction of drug use, and a range of unintended harmful consequences," he said. | |
Former Criminal Bar Association chairman Paul Mendelle QC called for a full examination of the evidence which supports drugs policy. | |
"Illegalising [the drugs trade] is the legislative equivalent of putting a sheet over your head and hoping it will go away," he told BBC Radio 5 live. | |
However, anti-drugs campaigner Debra Bell, whose eldest son William began smoking cannabis at 14, believes that he would have progressed to taking class A substances had they been legally available. | |
"Just the fact that Bob Ainsworth is talking in this way will send strong signals to some children - a green light - to start experimenting and I really don't think that's the way forward in a civilised society," she argued. |