Scottish Herald seeks new strategy in drug policy

This article, posted on the 28th June 2006, in the Herald discusses the inexorable global growth in the drug trade despite prohibition. The author, Daniel Donnelly, questions the effectiveness of current policy highlighting the fact that the UK has one of the harshest drug regimes and yet suffers from the worst levels of drug abuse. The author says that radical change and courage from the public and politicians is necessary for success.

TV Presenter, Jonathan Ross calls on Tory leader to support legalization

This video clip on the BBC search site shows Jonathan Ross interviewing David Cameron, the Tory leader. Towards the end of the clip Ross tries to persuade Cameron on the merits of legalizing drugs such as that of curbing the power of criminals. Cameron concedes only that a different approach to the drug problem such as more treatment would be an improvement in policy.

Decriminalization of cannabis to help overstretched police

Matt Cooper, from the Sunday Times - Ireland, berates the lack of garda resources for controlling gangland murders and the spread of drugs. In the last ten years since the murder of journalist, Veronica Guerin, the rate of gangland murders and drug consumption have greatly increased. He suggests the decriminalization and regulation of cannabis to free up garda time to concentrate on more dangerous drugs. He finds the political leadership wanting in conviction, courage and imagination in dealing with these issues. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-2242197_1,00.html

Dutch majority wishes in conflict with EU rules

This NIS News Bulletin, (http://www.nisnews.nl/public/210606_1.htm), reports that the European Justice Commissioner, Franco Frattini, has warned that the legalization of cannabis conflicts with EU rules. The Lower House majority of the Dutch parliament wants to take cannabis cultivation out of criminal hands and put it under state supervision.

Scottish Drug Tsar admits enforcement is not the only solution

This article published on the 18th June 2006 from the Scotland on Sunday (http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=892852006) reports on remarks made by Tom Wood, a former deputy chief constable. Wood has stated that enforcement should no longer be the number one priority but should be placed behind education and deterrence in the war on drugs which he described as "long lost".

Safe injection sites encourage detox in users

This article from the Vancouver Sun, published on 8 June 2006 (http://www.canada.com/vancouversun...bdfa39) shows that liberal approaches to currently illegal drugs lead to harm reduction amongst users. In this case Vancouver's safe injection sites have led to more users seeking detox.

A Times critique of drug policy in Afghanistan

This article, published on 8 June 2006 in the Times at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,6-2215682,00.html examines how Western attempts to eradicate opium poppy production is causing increasingly desperate farmers to switch allegiance to the Taleban. Attempts to grow other crops have proven futile since the opium poppy is one of a very few that can survive the arid landscape and be profitable. The Western policy is extremely counter-productive. Not only are Afghans turning to the Taleban but attempts at eradicating the poppy have simply resulted in a flourishing of corruption where policemen charged with destroying the crops simply accept bribes. The situation is devasting for the Afghan people and for the troops deployed. The article concludes that Afghanistan would be much better off if the opium poppy could be cultivated legally to provide the morphine and codeine supplies which are absurdly in a global supply shortage.

The Independent endorses the Zurich approach

In this article by the health editor, Jeremy Laurance, in the Independent published on 2nd of June 2006 the approach of Zurich authorities in liberalizing drug laws is commended. The number of new users of heroin in Zurich has dropped a stunning 82%.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article623415.ece

The Scotsman denounces prohibition as a failure

This article from 2 June 2006 and published in the Scotsman opinion section (http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=816152006) declares the post-war prohibition of drugs to be a failure for all but the drug barons. The article suggests wresting control of the drug empire from criminals and ensuring a cleaner, safer supply of drugs. The authors concede that it would be naive to expect demand for drugs to vanish but propose that cutting the criminals out of the supply chain would reduce demand. The authors wonder if there is any other solution to the devastation wreaked on Scotland by the prohibition of drugs.

Ben Elton, comedian, calls for the end of prohibition

According to this article, posted on the 1 June 2006 in the Scotsman (http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=808472006), Ben Elton has spoken in the Scottish Parliament for the need to end prohibition. According to Elton the law "is effectively the number one sponsor of organized crime".

A Drug Reform Group letter

This letter, published on 30 May 2006 in www.charleston.net, highlights the benefits to society of ending the war on drugs and instead regulating and controlling currently illicit substances. Criminals would be put of the drug trade business as the price would be kept down, thereby excluding them from currently profitable trades. Problem users would be treated for their health problems rather than criminalized and law enforcement officers could focus on reducing crimes where "people are in real trouble". The letter makes reform seem a no-brainer.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/?newsID=90512&section=letters

This article from the St Louis Post from the 29 May 2006(http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/0F6D92DC6CAC90528625717B001DC948?OpenDocument) decries the idea of legalizing drugs. The authors, Daniel Duncan and Edward Tasch, believe that the focus on controlling supply has been flawed and that instead controlling demand would help to drive down drug use. They do not think drugs should be legal since alcohol, a legal drug, is "by far a bigger problem than any other drug". The authors do not believe that gangs which subsist on drug trafficking revenues would cease to be a problem if drugs were legalized. They also don't believe that problem drug users would cease to commit crime to fund their habits if drugs were legalized. The authors' stances suggest that they have not considered a legal framework in which problem users could be prescribed drugs for free and in which drugs could otherwise be sold through a controlled, criminal-free, health-conscious environment.

The benefits of legal consumption rooms could be enhanced through free drugs as well as needles

An article from the Times Online on the 29 May 2006 by Rachel Campbell-Johnston examines the advantages of consumption rooms where drug users may get free needles and medical advice. She suggests these rooms should provide free drugs as well since this would likely reduce the attractiveness of trying the forbidden and would precipitate the end of addiction or "force the endgame" on the user.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20911-2201188.html

Afghan Parliament rejects legalization of opium crop

According to this article, published on 28 May 2006 in www.dailytimes.com.pk, the upper house of the Afghan parliament has decided that the activities of an international think-tank, the Senlis Council, which has been pushing Afghanistan to legalize its opium crop, are against religious rulings and the constitution. Senlis claims drug eradication will never work and that opium production could be licensed and used to make pain-killers.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\28\story_28-5-2006_pg4_15

Philadelphia Inquirer against prohibition

This article posted in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 25 May 2006 questions the attempt by Christian members of Congress to ban internet gambling. The author, Frank Catania, highlights the contradiction in exempting internet horse racing gambling from the ban and sees this as pandering to special interest groups. He reasons that strict regulation would be of greater assistance to underage or problem gamblers than an outright ban. He concludes that "History has taught us that prohibition does not work".
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/14660177.htm

Ottwan journalist against legalization

This article by Geoff Matthews in the OttawaSUN.com on 25 May 2006 is against legalizing prostitution because "making prostitution legal would take all the fun out of it" and pursuing illegal prostitutes is more fun than in legal, "clinical" environments. He also doubts whether members of the public would support the movement of hookers from darkened alleys to places where they live and work. He objects to governments legalizing hitherto illegal activities and then hoping the problems will vanish which is why he thinks "it's wrong to give crack addicts clean pipes and heroin addicts clean needles and safe injection sites". He thinks that this legalization is the thin edge of the wedge and fears governments may in the future legalize bank robbery. http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Matthews_Geoff/2006/05/25/1596519.html

Critique of American War on Drugs

An article in the Voice of San Diego published on the 25 May 2006 discusses the war on drugs in the light of recent attempts by Mexico not to criminalize small quantities of any type of illegal drug. U.S.A. pressure prevented Mexico's reforms. This article by Elie Shneour explores the waste in lives, resources and truthfulness that the "war on drugs" has created. http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=euLTJbMUKvH&b=312470&ct=2503625

American drug war in Mexico

Here's an article which discusses the recent attempt to moderate prohibition laws in Mexico and how that was thwarted by U.S.A. pressure. The article stresses that it is prohibition of drugs rather than consumption of drugs which causes so many social problems. It was posted in The Windsor Star on 23 May 2006.
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/editorial/story.html?id=f02fb2f6-5980-4646-b468-2fde0ac10265&p=2

Heroin consumption rooms not ruled out by Tory party

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph of 24 May 2006 the Conservative party has tentatively accepted proposals to allow heroin users special consumption rooms where they may legally inject themselves. The shadow home affairs minister Edward Garnier hasn't ruled out recommendations from an independent group which said such rooms would improve the health of users and reduce the risk of overdose.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/24/ndrug24.xml
Although not mentioned in the above link the "independent group" is likely to be the "Independent Working Group" set up and funded by the Joseph Rowntree Commission and published on the 23 May 2006, as per the following link, http://www.jrf.org.uk/pressroom/releases/230506.asp

Comment from Steve Chapman at the Chicago Tribune

22 May 2006

Steve Chapman discusses in this article the economic and policing advantages of decriminalizing drug use in various different countries in the light of the recent proposal to do so in Mexico.
http://www.startribune.com/562/story/443790.html