No link between tough penalties and drug use.

There is "no obvious relationship" between tough laws and levels of drug use, a government report has suggested.

The research compared the UK with countries like Portugal, where possession of small amounts of drugs no longer carries criminal sanctions.

Liberal Democrat Home Office minister Norman Baker said the findings should prompt the end of "mindless rhetoric" on drugs with a new focus on treatment.

The government said it had "no intention" of decriminalising drugs.

MAJOR opinion poll shows a total of 71% now believe that the 40 year fight against illegal drugs has failed - and 65% back a Government review of all the drug policy options

"Conservative Home Secretary Theresa May has made clear no major changes are on the agenda, maintaining that existing approaches are working."

Our policies towards drugs have always been bizarre. Mostly because the government usually refuses to have any sort of reasonable debate about it. If we have such good policies towards drug use why refuse to have a discussion?

Bear in mind that our policies differ no more than that vast majority of other countries.

Society (in general)has said that drugs should be illegal. And therefore laws are passed to legislate for that desire.

The problem is that for political parties there are little to no votes to be won from liberalising drug laws, but PLENTY of votes to lose from the "won't somebody think of the children" and Daily Mail brigades who would vehemently oppose such a policy.

Legalising drugs would be a benefit to everyone. Less crime for a start. Users are getting their stuff now anyway so why not have official control of it. Legalisation will eventually happen but not soon because the whole idea is a vote loser for any political party.

The problem is that your average drug addict will continue to carry on and use them. There's the death penalty for drugs in many country's, but the desire to take, and supply, is not going to impact on the desire.

Do you think that might have something to do with the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs?



And now society (in general) is saying that hasn't worked and we need to do something different, so I guess we can expect an imminent change in laws?

one week there is one piece of research, the next week another which contradicts it... so it goes

Society in general can say that any law that is passed that isn't 100% effective hasn't worked.

The options are:-

Acknowledge that its not working and legalise

Try an new approach

Do nothing

Actually, thinking about this story it's a non story. It's a bit like saying rake laws having stopped tape so they're ineffective.

Accept that laws aren't 100% effective.