cannabisnews.com: A Fresh Approach To Clubbers' Drug 





A Fresh Approach To Clubbers' Drug 
Posted by CN Staff on May 21, 2002 at 20:39:35 PT
By Alan Travis
Source: Guardian Unlimited
It was the evidence from Commander Brian Paddick, the suspended head of Lambeth police, that persuaded the MPs to call for ecstasy to be downgraded from a class A drug (the most dangerous) to class B (the same as cannabis now). "If I felt my officers were going into nightclubs looking for people who were in possession of ecstasy then I would say to them, and I would say publicly, that they are wasting police resources," he told the MPs. 
"I would say there are far more important things which cause real harm to the community." MPs were also heavily influenced by the independent Police Foundation inquiry which pointed out that, although deaths from ecstasy were highly publicised, the drug probably killed fewer than 10 people each year. And while this was deeply distressing to family and friends, this was a small percentage of the many thousands of young people who took the drug every week. The independent inquiry added that often the causes of death had as much to do with environmental aspects of the dance club scene, such as overcrowding and overheating, as the drug itself. Official estimates say that 12% of 16 to 29-year-olds have tried ecstasy and unofficial sources claim that two million tablets are taken every weekend. The MPs say that ecstasy is clearly a dangerous drug but in order to cut the number of deaths, advice should be available in clubs on actions to take in order to reduce the risks, such as drinking the right amount of water. The MPs agreed that as long as ecstasy remained a class A drug, educational warnings about the dangers of drugs such as heroin and cocaine would be discredited. The change from class A to class B would cut the maximum penalty for ecstasy possession from seven years to five years but in practice would mean that a fine or a police warning would be the most likely result for simple, small-scale possession. Special Report: Drugs in Britain -- http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/0,2759,178206,00.htmlNewshawk: puff_tuffSource: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: Alan TravisPublished: Wednesday, May 22, 2002Copyright: 2002 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Site:Drugs Uncovered: Observer Special http://freedomtoexhale.com/dc.htmVote To Legalise Drugs Defies Lib Dem Leader http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12196.shtmlLib Dems Call for Ecstasy Laws Shake-Up http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12157.shtml 
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