Is a frank debate too much to ask?

Ex-minister Bob Ainsworth: Make drugs legally available

The Crime Prevention Minister, James Brokenshire is sadly trotting out the same predictable lines that so frustrates Bob Ainsworth and people like him that want an honest and open discussion of the drugs problem. James Brokenshire's dismissal of decriminalisation as a step forward actually illustrates *his* lack of understanding of the complexity of the problem. All serious harms of drug taking are currently under his system of illegality:

• A system which means people can have little surety of what they are taking either in terms of strength or composition
• A system which forces uses to buy from criminals
• A system which fosters ruthless gang protection of markets and helps fund terrorist organisations

Despite all the risks and illegality people continue to take drugs and will continue to do so either by choice or addiction. There is no silver bullet to the drugs problem, not even close. What we can do is provide a safer supply to users and put criminals out of business.

Drugs are ruining lives under the policy of illegality, not under a policy they have yet to try. What other aspect of Government policy would be allowed to be so broken and yet so consistently defended?

Drugs legalisation is not the solution by itself, of course it isn't, there needs to be a whole range of policies dealing with all the issues. We do though have to stop kidding ourselves that people will stop wanting to use drugs any more than they will stop drinking alcohol or smoking, both of which cause massive harm and yet are treated differently.

We also need to get past the misconceptions that decriminalisation is an endorsement or would lead to greater availability. Drug decriminalisation is no more an endorsement than selling cigarettes that say "smoking kills." Similar health warnings and guidance would need to be mandatory on any licensed drugs. Bob Ainsworth has also pointed out that despite huge effort drugs remain widely available. The Police in the past have said nothing they do has any material impact on supply or demand. So whether drugs are legal or illegal is not going to prevent people wanting drugs or procuring drugs.

Theresa May said the government's drugs strategy would remain focused on rehabilitation and reducing supply. Why does she think it's possible to have any impact on supply when for decades we've failed and the financial rewards are so great? Would it not make more sense for the State to reap the financial rewards of supply so that much more could be spent on rehabilitation, rather than helping to sponsor terrorism?

Licensed safer drugs would over time put the criminals out of business and it surely has to be better that responsible people run the drugs market, rather than criminals?