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BRITAIN’S DRUG POLICIES are not working and the government should launch a full review of the issues, including the possible decriminalisation of cannabis, MPs said in a new report published today.
Parliament’s home affairs committee called for more action to combat the use of drugs in prisons and to help addicts when they leave jail, and to clamp down on dealers by prosecuting senior staff at banks that launder their money.
It wants retailers selling untested psychoactive substances – so called ‘legal highs’ – to be held liable for any harm the products cause, as well as a greater focus on the rising dependency on prescription drugs.
The MPs also said they were ‘impressed’ by the decriminalisation of drugs in Portugal, saying it “merits significantly closer consideration”, and urged the government to monitor the progress of new US state laws legalising marijuana.
“After a year scrutinising UK drugs policy, it is clear to us that many aspects of it are simply not working and it needs to be fully reviewed,” said committee chairman Keith Vaz, a member of the opposition Labour party.
We cannot afford to kick this issue into the long grass. We have recommended that a royal commission [public inquiry] be set up with an end-date of 2015.
However, the government rejected the recommendations.
“Drugs are illegal because they are harmful – they destroy lives and blight communities. Our current laws draw on the best available evidence and as such we have no intention of downgrading or declassifying cannabis,” a spokesman said.
“A royal commission on drugs is simply not necessary. Our cross-government approach is working.
“Drug usage is at its lowest level since records began and people going into treatment today are far more likely to free themselves from dependency than ever before.”
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People are causing dangerous conditions, not ice. Conditions are conditions.
Don’t make unnecessary journeys. Please take care on treacherous roads.
No. Icy conditions ‘slow things down’. Things like not indicating properly or not watching your mirrors, or unrestrained children, or worn tyres, now that’s what creates dangerous driving conditions.
Dublin City roads icy?
Main roads seem to be ok but there is some ice on smaller roads and in estates.
So much for commuting to Dublin for all the jobs that have created in Dublin in recession years ” gatzos vans , ice,snow, floods, tailbacks, parking, clamping,blood pressure,stress,long days ,poor quality of family live,tiredness, etc,
It would do you well to spend some time living outside Dublin and then you’d realise how easy you really have it. There were no buses running from my hometown in Cork this morning…think of all the people who rely purely on that bus (because we they don’t have the transport options you have) to get to work. And that happened every icy day in the past few years when I was living there.
We’re not all commuters. People drive in the morning for all sorts of reasons, not just to work.
Footpaths and roads (Cork) very bad walking the dog this morning, usual 25 minute route took us 40 minutes!
Thankfully I work from home on Fridays so that’s all I had to deal with.
Maryborough Woods is like an ice rink. Crash on Carr’s hill earlier due to ice. Traffic very slow on N28 from Douglas to Shanbally
Thanks, I’ll add that in to the liveblog now.
A lot of accidents around Cork this morning.
have your say