Charity demands drug legalisation

10 August 2007

The only way to control record levels of illegal drug use in the UK is to decriminalise drugs, says drug charity Release’s 40th Anniversary Conference.

Home Office statistics show there are 300 000 branded drug users in the UK. Human rights lawyer Simon Hughes believes that the level of drug use in the UK is “higher than any other country in Europe- proportionally and absolutely.”

Founder of Release Caroline Coon said: “Drug taking is normal not deviant” and the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) 1971 only succeeds in criminalising law abiding citizens. She is of the opinion that a “democratic deficit” exists in the way the UK handles illegal drug use.

Columnist for the Guardian and Sunday Times Simon Jenkins said: “My hard-line on drugs is legalising the bloody things. The purpose of declaring something illegal is to stop it happening.” He believes the MDA 1971 has not managed to accomplish that.

The aim of the conference was to review the MDA 1971 and the 10 year contract between the UK and UN to eradicated global drug abuse.

Release was formed in 1967 and is the oldest drug charity in the UK.