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North Wales newspaper
articles - the drugs debate:
The original articles can be viewed at http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk
Just type 'cannabis' into the search box, top right,
then find the relevant date.
What do people in North Wales think about drugs
policy? Find out here:
Police 1
Police 2
Police - what to tell children?
MPs
Plaid Cymru
Professionals dealing with substance
misuse
The public
Cannabis and pain relief
Drug problems in North Wales
Drug dealers supply 50% of
children
Dec 14 2001: 'We
need to look at legalising all drugs'
Daily Post
NORTH Wales chief constable
Richard Brunstrom will today call for a Royal
Commission to investigate the possibility of
legalising some, or even all, illicit drugs. Mr
Brunstom believes Britain is losing the battle
against drugs and he will argue for the setting up of
a Commission urgently to consider ways of reversing
the trend.
The chief constable will tell members of the police
authority that despite the spending of billions of
pounds and thousands of officer hours the numbers of
addicts and recreational users of illegal drugs in
the UK have multiplied at an alarming rate since the
1970s. Mr Brunstrom will argue that following the
lead of America, the UK has, since the 1960s, adopted
one course, and one course only - banning the sale or
possession of illegal drugs. That was despite the
catastrophic failure of the USA's 1920s Prohibition
Laws against alcohol. Mr Brunstrom believes despite
an ever increasing effort to stop the flood of drugs
such as cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin onto
our streets they are now more available - and cheaper
- than ever before. He will tell members that £6.6bn
is spent on drugs annually in the UK and much of that
sum is raised from criminal activity.
Mr Brunstrom will also attack the use of legal drugs
- alcohol and tobacco - which he describes as the
most dangerous. He finds it is baffling and
hypocritical that these, albeit lightly controlled by
the government which raises substantial taxes from
their sale, are treated in a wholly different way
from other addictive and dangerous drugs, despite the
immense cost to society and industry from the results
of their abuse.
Mr Brunstrom dismissed the Home Secretary's backing
for the reclassification of cannabis as timid. He
believes the move will leave the dealers and
smugglers of illicit drugs to continue to amass vast
fortunes while they undermine our society.
Sep 18 2002:
'Methadone is bigger killer than heroin' - police
chief
By Steve Bagnall Daily Post
Staff
"Chief Constable Richard
Brunstrom was speaking before today's landmark
conference at Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, in which he
will again call for a major review of the drugs laws.
He said: "Methadone is as addictive as heroin
and is clearly more dangerous. Head for head, more
people die from methadone abuse than heroin abuse.
Mr Brunstrom said there will be three points in his
conference address - the current drugs laws are not
working, agencies have to treat addicts as victims
beyond arresting and jailing them, and part of
successful treatment is making clinically pure heroin
available to addicts on the NHS.
"The two most dangerous substances which are
misused are tobacco and alcohol and they are freely
available," he said. "They kill many more
people than all the other illegal drugs. More than
50pc of all people dying from drugs die from tobacco,
just under 50pc die from alcohol. Five or six per
cent die form all the other drugs put together. Our
drugs laws are illogical, they are unethical, they
are counterproductive because they make the situation
worse and they are untenable. I am arguing for a
complete review of our drugs laws to put them on some
rational basis. Why are some drugs legal and other
drugs illegal? How on earth did we get into a
situation where tobacco is freely available, although
lightly controlled, and ecstasy is completely and
utterly illegal? If you look at the death rate there
is no comparison. It is difficult if not impossible
to sustain an argument that heroin is more dangerous
than cannabis or that cannabis more dangerous than
tobacco. Heroin is not an inherently dangerous
substance in its pure form. The real impact heroin
has on society - unlike tobacco, which is killing
many people, heroin doesn't kill hundreds and
thousands of people each year - is it causes you to
have to steal to feed your habit and that has an
enormous impact on society which is not currently
catered for."
Sep
5 2002: 'Police chief in dilemma over drug laws'
Emma Thomas, Crime Reporter, The
Western Mail
ONE of Wales's leading police
officers says he finds it impossible to explain
Britain's drug laws to his children. As details
emerge of how the Government's reclassification of
cannabis policy will be policed, involving a
"three strikes and out" tactic for dealing
with users, North Wales Chief Constable Richard
Brunstrom says he finds the law as it stands
illogical. "It is impossible to explain
logically to my children why cannabis is illegal and
nicotine and alcohol, which are more addictive and
more harmful, are freely available," he said.
Jul 20 2001: 'Cannabis
decriminalised within five years, says MP'
Cannabis will be decriminalised
by the end of this Parliament, believes a Labour
member of the influential House of Commons Home
Affairs Select Committee.
David Winnick's comments come as a BBC survey showed
that at least 81 Labour backbenchers would be
prepared to vote for decriminalisation if it was
recommended by a Royal Commission.
Thirty one said they would oppose it.
Even some ministers are in favour of relaxation of
the law on the drug, claimed backbencher Jon Owen
Jones, who yesterday tabled a Private Member's Bill
in the Commons calling for legalisation.
Some 95 backbenchers told BBC radio that they would
support a Royal Commission inquiry into the
decriminalisation of the use and supply of cannabis -
more than four-fifths of the 116 Labour MPs who
responded to the survey.
And 32 said that they would vote for
decriminalisation without an inquiry, with an
additional 45 backing it if the inquiry found in
favour and four only if supply was restricted to
prescriptions by doctors. However, a majority of the
234 MPs approached - 118 - refused to reveal their
thoughts on the subject, even anonymously.
Mr Jones, a former Welsh Office minister, welcomed
the survey's findings, telling the programme: "I
think there are a number of ministers who privately
recognise that the policies of the Government are not
working and need a radical overhaul."
Dame Ruth Runciman, whose report for the Police
Foundation last year called for cannabis to be
downgraded to Class C status, said the survey results
reflected "considerable unease" about the
UK's drug laws.
Decriminalisation would not require complex
legislation and could be introduced by the time of
the next General Election in 2005 or 2006, she said.
Sep 21 2001: 'Plaid
back cannabis cafes plan'
By Clive Betts, Western mail
PLAID Cymru voted yesterday to
approve the opening of cannabis cafes, and floated a
dream of Wales gaining visits from tourists who use
soft drugs.
By a large majority, the party's annual conference in
Cardiff changed previous policy and approved the use
of cannabis for recreational purposes.
The party also called for use of the drug for
medicinal purposes to be decriminalised. ...
Probation officer Leanne Wood, a candidate in Rhondda
at the last election, said that individuals did not
become violent after using cannabis.
Ms Wood claimed, "It is no more harmful than
tobacco or alcohol."
... another party heavyweight, former chairman Marc
Phillips, swung the debate. "The arguments for
removing cannabis from the atmosphere of illegality
are compelling," he said.
Sep 19 2002:
'Politicians `ignoring the facts on drugs' '
By Rhodri Clark, The Western Mail
... at the conference of the
North Wales Drugs and Alcohol Forum ... The 500
delegates voted over-whelmingly in favour of
scrapping the distinction between hard and soft drugs
and creating a scale of risk for all drugs, including
alcohol and tobacco.
Oct 27 2001:
'Majority 'in favour of legalising cannabis' '
A majority of Britons believe
cannabis should be legalised and sold under licence
in a similar way to alcohol, according to a new poll.
Some 65% of those questioned, agreed it should be
legalised and 91% said it should be available on
prescription for sufferers of diseases like multiple
sclerosis.
The poll, carried out by Mori for the News of the
World, follows the Government's announcement that the
law on the drug has been eased.
While possession of cannabis will still be illegal,
police will no longer be able to arrest those
carrying it.
It will also be reclassified as a Class C drug,
putting it in the same category as anti-depressants
or steroids.
The poll says 56% of people aged 18-34 supported the
plans. Only among the over-55s was there a majority
opposed to them. Alcohol and tobacco were rated as
more dangerous by 45% to 24%.
There were worries over users progressing to other
more harmful substances such as heroin and cocaine.
Some 47% said cannabis led to harder drugs, 41% said
it does not.
A majority of those quizzed (53%) said the proposed
change in the law would make no difference to the
number of people taking cannabis.
Just 6% admitted having used it themselves, and 97%
claimed that they would not use it in the future.
Mori interviewed 603 Britons aged 18 or over on
October 25 and 26.
Sep 10 2001: 'UK
cannabis trials show 'significant' pain relief
benefits'
Preliminary results from trials
of cannabis-based pain-killers have shown most
patients derived a clinically significant benefit.
The trials taking place in Oxford, Great Yarmouth and
London are testing the pain-relieving effects of
active compounds found in cannabis. Early results
showed that in 41 cases out of 53 pain relief was
significantly greater than when patients were given a
non-active "dummy" placebo drug.
GW Pharmaceuticals, which has a Home Office licence
to grow cannabis for medicinal use, has presented the
data at a meeting in the US. Most patients involved
are suffering from multiple sclerosis or spinal cord
injuries. Dr Philip Robson, medical director at GW
Pharmaceuticals, said: "This is the most
comprehensive evaluation of cannabis-based medicines
so far undertaken in patients suffering from multiple
sclerosis and spinal cord injury. "We are seeing
definite trends indicating the superiority of active
treatment over placebo. These encouraging early
results fully justify the expansion of the clinical
research programme into larger- scale phase three
pivotal trials."
Dr Geoffrey Guy, executive chairman of GW
Pharmaceuticals, said: "We remain confident of
being able to present data on quality, safety and
efficacy to the UK regulatory authorities in 2003,
and - subject to approval - bring the first
cannabis-based prescription medicine to market in
early 2004."
Dec 5 2002: '1,000
clients using drink-drug service'
by Emyr Williams, Caernarfon And
Denbigh Herald:
"David Roberts, manager of
Substance Misuse Services with the North West Wales
NHS Trust, said ... "There are very few areas in
Ynys MÙn and Gwynedd where you can't get drugs these
days, and it is clear that it has spread to all the
rural areas, where substances are readily
available."...
Giving a break-down of main substances involving
referrals in the two counties, he revealed that
heroin accounted for 41 per cent, alcohol 38 per
cent, cocaine/crack 3 per cent, amphetamine 1 per
cent, cannabis 1 per cent, and other opiates 16 per
cent."
Dec 4 2002:
'Underage sales shock'
By Elgan Hearn, Bangor And Anglesey Mail
CIGARETTES and alcohol can
easily be bought by underage consumers on Anglesey,
according to a survey released by Trading Standards
Officers. An undercover operation using young people
to try to buy drink and cigarettes proved that some
island shopkeepers were quite willing to sell goods
to those underage.
The survey showed that children as young as 14 had
little difficulty in buying alcoholic drink and
tobacco products. Anglesey retailers sold alcohol on
more than 50 per cent of occasions to children aged
14. The national figures of the survey organised by
Wales Trading Standards showed a rate of 30 per cent.
Similarly, illegal sales of cigarettes on Anglesey
were made on 40 per cent of the occasions that
volunteers tried to make test purchases.
Anglesey's chief trading standards officer David
Riley expressed his extreme disappointment at the
local results of the all-Wales survey into the sale
of age-restricted goods to children. He said:
"To add to these disturbing results, trading
standards wrote to all retailers on Anglesey with
detailed guidance some six weeks before the survey
was carried out. "We even issued them prior
warning that the survey would be taking place.
On Anglesey, test purchases were made at 60 outlets
selling age-restricted products, including alcohol,
tobacco and fireworks, during late October and early
November.
Links:
North Wales Drug and Alcohol
Forum: www.nwdaaf.org.uk
SubstanceMisuseNet: www.substancemisuse.net/wales.htm
Welsh Assemby's 'Tackling Substance
Misuse in Wales': www.wales.gov.uk/subisocialpolicy/content/direct/misuse.htm
Crime v Health: www.wales.gov.uk/subisocialpolicy/content/consultations/daat-e.htm
Assembly's Health website: www.wales.gov.uk/healthplanonline/index.htm
Giving Up Smoking Campaign: www.givingupsmoking.co.uk
