Professor calls for drug decriminalisation

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by Change | 17 Aug 2010

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A leading drugs expert has called for the "decriminalisation" of drugs because he believes it would afford addicts more help.

Drug addicts would be afforded more help and crime rates would lower if the use of illegal substances was decriminalised.

This is according to former president of the Royal College of Physicians Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, who said that there is enough evidence to suggest that making drugs illegal is not good for addicts' health, while it has also impacted crime rates.

In an interview with Sky News, Professor Gilmore urged the government to reconsider drug laws with a view to decriminalising illicit substance abuse.

"The problem is that this policy we have had for 40 years of saying that we do not want drugs in society just isn't working," he explained to the news provider.

"We cannot stop production from overseas and we cannot stop importation, but we can start treating heroin addiction as a medical condition."

Professor Gilmore went on to concede that, while decriminalisation is a "difficult word", he does support the establishment of a regulatory framework rather than an outright ban.

The Observer's editorial on August 8th stated that prime minister David Cameron and deputy prime minster Nick Clegg are "perfectly placed" to begin a national debate on the legalisation of illicit drugs.

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