Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
From: [press 2] at [cbnewsd.cb.att.com] (barry.o.olson)
Subject: Call For Stronger Drug Laws in Britain
Date: Thu, 19 May 1994 23:40:30 GMT

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	 LONDON (Reuter) - Sixties rock stars were renowned for
smoking it. American President Clinton said he tried it but 
didn't inhale. But a new British drug law aims to crack down on
the icon of hippy culture -- marijuana.
	 An amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill, currently before
parliament and expected to become law in July, will increase the
maximum fine for possessing the drug to $3,700. The fivefold
rise is the first for 17 years.
	 But the move against marijuana use has met unexpected
opposition from police and magistrates, who will implement it.
	 ``We don't think it will be particularly effective. There is
a danger it could lead to more crime as users may commit crimes
to pay for their fines,'' said Fran Edwards, spokeswoman for the
Police Federation, which represents police in England and Wales.
	 Increasingly British police have simply cautioned people
possessing small amounts of drugs for personal use. In 1992, 51
percent of drugs offenses were dealt with in this way, compared
with two percent in 1982 and the trend has been towards
lenience.
	 Guidelines to magistrates suggest a fine of $270 for
possession against a present maximum of $750. Rosemary Thomson,
chairwoman of the Magistrates' Association, is dismissive of
higher fines.
	 ``It's utter rubbish, so far out of synch with the
seriousness of the offense,''  she said.
	 ``It is not on our agenda,'' said Thomson when asked if the
new law would cause Magistrates' Association guidelines on fines
to go up.
	 The attitude of the magistrates and police may make the
increased fines pointless. Police will still caution most cases
and magistrates will keep their old guidelines.
	 Ironically the drive to discourage the use of marijuana has,
instead, opened a debate about its legalization.
	 Mike Goodman, director of the drugs welfare charity Release,
said it had done people who want to legalize marijuana
``a real favor.''
	 ``Most people involved in the field find marijuana
non-problematic. It gets a clean bill of health compared to
heavier drugs,'' he added.
	 Not everyone agrees. Conservative member of parliament Tim
Rathbone, chairman of a parliamentary committee on drug abuse,
told Reuters: ``It is very dangerous for the people who use it.
It can damage their brains and their bodies.''
	 Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in Britain.
A recent survey said that nearly a third of 14 and 15 year-olds
had used it. Some experts call for the complete legalization of
all illicit substances.
	 Richard Stevenson, an economist at Liverpool University,
wrote a paper called ``Winning the War on Drugs -- To Legalize
Or Not?'' for the Institute of Economic Affairs, a right-wing
think tank.
	 Stevenson believes that all drugs should be legalized,
marketed and regulated so that they can be controlled.
	 ``I am prepared to argue that drugs should be as legal as
beer. They could be available from chemists clearly labeled and
unquestionably with a government health warning,'' he said.
	 But easy availability could increase the number of users.
The idea of buying heroin as easily as a bottle of wine angers
Rathbone. He said that society's experience of alcohol abuse did
not recommend making heroin equally obtainable.
	 ``Ready availability has already made alcohol by far the
greatest drug threat. More crimes are committed, more families
are split and more work days lost through alcohol,'' he said.
	 Rathbone's views are shared by Steven Green, chairman of the
Conservative Family Campaign, a Christian lobbying group.
	 Green does not see marijuana as harmless and believes users
will move on to 'harder' drugs like heroin and crack cocaine.
	 ``The link between hard and soft drugs is pretty much
established,'' he said.
	 He welcomed the higher cannabis fines as a ``signal that the
government is not going soft on drugs.''
	 The ruling Conservative Party has little intention of
reversing its tougher policy. But opposition Labor politician
Tony Banks has called for the setting up of a Royal Commission
to debate Britain's drug laws.
	 ``A Royal Commission should look at the whole issue of
legalizing or decriminalizing soft drugs and hard drugs,'' he
said. But others oppose the idea.
	 ``It would serve no purpose. All the facts are already
public that prove drugs are harmful and shouldn't be
legalised,'' said Rathbone.
	 Banks admits a Royal Commission could be a long way off. But
he believes British drug laws will change within the next 10
years. ``It may be the triumph of hope over experience but at
least I'm trying,'' he said.


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