"MIXED MESSAGES ON DRINK AND DRUGS ARE THE ROAD TO SOCIAL RUIN"

  

" Law enforcement has been undermined by mixed and confusing signals. The latest such muddle surfaced last week in a report by a body styling itself the UK Drug Policy Commission.

This said that, since the UK drug market can never be eradicated, police action against drug dealing should be focused on where it is doing the most harm. This is absurd, dangerous and just plain wrong on every level.

To see how ridiculous it is, imagine a report which said that crime could never be eradicated, and so to minmise the damage, the police should henceforth deal only with the most serious murders, assaults or burglaries.

Such a proposal would be laughed out of court as a recipe for anarchy. Yet when it comes to drugs, this absurdity is put forward with a straight face and given pride of place on the BBC's Today programme...

...The UKDPC report says, in effect, that the harm done by some drug dealing can be tolerated in order that the police can concentrate on the really dangerous stuff. This would merely mean that the most harmful drug trade would promptly relocate itself in those areas the police had conveniently vacated. And since one of the main reasons our drug laws are in such a mess is that the police already prioritise one type of drug dealing over another, the poposal is likely to exacerbate the problem even further.

Ministers stopped trying to eradicate drug use long ago. That is why our drug problem is out of control. "

To read Melanie Phillips' full blog, click here.