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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. |
Crime Prevention Minister James Brokenshire said it was "not the answer" to drugs which ruin lives. | |
"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." | |
Poor 'hardest hit' | |
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 when Home Office minister in charge of drugs policy that the so-called war on drugs could not be won. | |
The Labour backbencher said: "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. |
Mr Ainsworth insisted he was "not a libertarian" and that people should not be encouraged to use substances. | |
But he said: "We must take the trade away from organised criminals and hand it to the control of doctors and pharmacists." | |
However, when pressed, he was uncertain as to how any policy might work. | |
Asked where people might buy cocaine on a Saturday night, he replied: "Maybe at a chemist". | |
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. |
"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. | |
'Irresponsible' | |
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". One party source described Mr Ainsworth's comments as "irresponsible". | |
When asked why he did not make the call while in government, Mr Ainsworth said: "I did what I could within the confines of collective responsibility." | |
He said David Cameron had called for examination of alternatives to prohibition when a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee but dropped the suggestion on becoming Conservative leader. | |
Fear of a media backlash prevented politicians from arguing for a change in policy and a "grown-up debate" was needed, said Mr Ainsworth. | |
"As you can see from the reaction this morning, if I was now a shadow minister, Ed Miliband would be asking me to resign. If one of David Cameron's ministers - despite the fact [the prime minister] probably agrees with me - agreed publicly with me, he would have to resign." | |
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. |
'Change needed' | 'Change needed' |
However, former chief constable of Cambridgeshire Police, Tom Lloyd, said something had to change. | 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. | "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. | 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. | "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. | 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. | "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. |