KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS ?

Former Minister Bob Ainsworth wants to legalise all drugs as he believes existing policies have failed and this is the only way to introduce control in this area. Various organisations already put enormous pressure on Government aimed at making alcohol and nicotine less accessible, not more; Mr Ainsworth's approach seems to fly in the face of this pressure.

At first glance, part of Mr Ainsworth's thesis may look to be at least partly valid. He believes that legalisation will rid us of the criminal gangs who currently rule the drugs underworld and there could be some truth in this,

however, will it rid us of the mindless morons who take to using drugs in the first place ? Would the drugs be provided free of charge ? What would be the cost to the nation of this policy ? If 'drugs on prescription' is made dependent on users embarking on a course of treatment designed to wean them away from their substance of choice, what will be done if they stop the treatment or simply fail to respond ? Would drugs such as ecstasy be available under the scheme and, if so, on what basis and for what reasons ?

The more I think about this, the more I am forced to the conclusion that Ainsworth is well-meaning, but naive and muddled. Those who control the current drugs' trade are far too unpleasant and devious to allow a little thing like legalisation to stand in their way. New and more exciting drugs will be manufactured; vicious punishments will be meted out to those who try to move to legal channels; many of those already 'hooked' will be unable or unwilling to stop; there will always be a new trade of younger people to be enticed, and so on. Will we be dishing out drugs, willy-nilly, to prisoners, all paid for by the State ?

The real way to deal with this problem is to crack down very hard on both dealers and users. In the same way that traffic accidents considered to have been aggravated by drug or alcohol use attract harsher penalties, so should other crimes that are similarly induced. Possession of hard drugs, should, once again, be treated as a serious offence, and dealers and suppliers should be imprisoned for lengthy periods.

It is only by making the trade sufficiently unattractive to all of those involved that it will be curtailed, not by namby-pamby, socially conscious and, effectively, defeatest actions such as suggested by Mr Ainsworth.