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Legalise drugs to beat crime
Date published: 11 March 2009
THE war on drugs has failed according to an Oldham Euro-MP, who is calling for legalisation of some illegal drugs.
Liberal Democrat Chris Davies said international policies intended to curb drug use have turned two-bit smugglers into millionaire gangsters and helped fund international terrorism.
Mr Davies said the policies of prohibition, demanded by the UN, have failed.
He claims that they are directly responsible for a criminal trade believed to be worth £200 billion a year.
He said: “Chicago gangster Al Capone did well out of US alcohol prohibition in the 1920s, but legions of his kind now make a fortune out of 21st century drugs prohibition on a world-wide scale.
“They corrupt officials, undermine governments, and make a laughing stock of police forces across the world.
“The illegal drug trade also funds terrorist organisations and puts guns in the hands of those who would kill British soldiers in southern Afghanistan.”
Mr Davies said the huge financial gains to be made because drugs are illegal creates incentives for their harmful drug use.
He claims the only way to defeat the criminals is to legalise some drugs, making them available for sale through closely supervised official outlets.
With government officials meeting in Vienna this week to set world drugs policy for the next 10 years, Mr Davies is calling for adoption of a radically different approach. He said: “The current system of absolute prohibition is creating more drug users, not less.
“If people wanting to quit smoking or drinking ran the risk of being locked up if they asked for help, the public would rightly think that politicians had taken leave of their senses.
“Some politicians are condemning people to a life of addiction so that they can pretend they are tough on crime.
“Politicians who call for continued use of tough penalties against drug users have pushed up prices and created the incentives for criminals.
“They must bear responsibility for the explosion in drug addiction over the past 40 years.”
Comments
I agree that making drugs illegal has helped dealers make a fortune and filled prisons with their victims. I'd rather have the feeble minded given their drugs than them break into my house & sell it's contents for a pitance for their next fix. Or pushers giving kids free samples to get them hooked
The only problem is how they are distributed, because the current method via Drs surgries just clogs everything up there.
Drug taking is rife even in schools
mr davies wake up and smell the coffee, drugs are illegal,its harsher sentences we want and more police,so stop fannying about and get a proper job,you're one of the reasons your party will never be in power
Yet another daft idea from a politician past his 'sell-by date'!
What else does he think should be legalised to make the UK look law-abiding & the police look better?
I think you should wake up & look around keefey. drugs are everywhere regardless of them being illegal. Rewards are huge, all you will do by cracking down is force prices up, and that means more robberies, burglaries etc etc You're quite happy with dealers offering drugs to kids are you? Ao long as there's big money to be made there'll be a dealer
The simple fact is current legislation ISN'T WORKING. Locking up soft drug users in prison, is NOT the answer,it DOESN'T WORK. How many people replying here KNOW what their talking about from first hand experience? Not many. Just the usual hysteria from brainwashed sheeple. He's NOT talking about gun's or car parking etc. Lets have cops catching REAL criminals and not chasing soft drug users. The prisons should be full of REAL criminals if the sheeple opened up their minds and thinking.
Lets go all out Jeepster and have a legalised injection site next to your house.I think not somehow.
Have Your Say
what next mr Davies legalise guns murder rape terrorism and why not just get rid of all the yellow lines on the roads so people can park any where.i think you start to think about another carreer.
By alex wood @ 11/03/2009 12:59:35