Drug Abuse and a Path to Prevention

Today, October 15th, 2007, a senior police office in the UK; Wales to be accurate; announced that he was backing a plan to legalise Class A drugs in an attempt to control, and surely protect, those unfortunate enough to have become involved in such practice, and subsequently become addicted to a way of life which is slowly killing them.

Most, if not all, drug addicts will tell you that if they could, they'd quit. Saying 'quit' and carrying it out are two very very different acts.

I have a drug problem, and I'll openly admit it. I smoke tobacco. I drink alcohol. Without wanting to openly incriminate myself to the world, I have also 'dabbled' with some other, less socially acceptable substances, but have not, thankfully, ever become addicted to them in the way I've become so with regard to booze and fags.

I consider myself a strong willed person, and feel that if I put my mind to it, I could quit smoking. My alcohol intake is moderate and by no means a problem. I drink socially and with meals, but do not depend on it for any other reason.

These drugs are considered 'socially acceptable', although current legislation in the UK, and increasingly across Europe, the US and other parts of the world is making it less so. The danger is that tobacco, and to some regard, alcohol, is in danger of joining the ranks of Cannabis, Cocaine and maybe even Heroin as socially unacceptable. They are addictive, and with the law making it harder and harder to 'light up' in a social environment, means that eventually the entire 'social drug' scene will be driven underground.

Tobacco and alcohol, to my knowledge, are unclassified, unlike Cocaine and Heroin as Class A and Cannabis to a lesser extent.

I applaude this senior Police Officer, for not only bringing the discussion to the fore, but for his courage to put his name to the plan with the possible career repercussions it could bring him. Damaging to say the least, this man has shown bravery over common sense in a world that is increasingly being legislated against.

Putting cigarettes and booze to one side for the moment, the 'illegal' drugs have a number of problems associated with them that makes 'kicking the habit' more difficult. Apart from the addictive qualities of certain drugs, there is a Kudos associated with their use, peer pressure and the obvious pleasure they bring to the person partaking in the act.

The effect of legalising the supply of Class A drugs would not be endorsing their use. The purpose of this legislation would be to bring the drug world into the real world. Overnight, it would remove 'dirty' drugs from the street. It would, to a certain extent, remove the Kudos associated with obtaining and using drugs. Most importantly, it would significantly reduce the danger of overdose and death from people injecting substances that they have absolutely no idea what it contains, but only interested in the effect or satisfying the urge of addiction.

Going back to the first part of this post, most people addicted to Heroin would tell you that they 'want' to give up. Treatment for the withdrawal from Heroin is expensive, if not painful.

Proper withdrawal programs could be drawn up for addicts with medical grade drugs being prescribed and properly administered in gradually reduced doses to patients. Safe withdrawal under supervision would be much easier and the 'stigma' associated with being a user would be removed, albeit gradually.

Let us back Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom. Not to turn our nation into a country of drug users, but to help the law help those that are most at risk from addiction - never mind Keep Britain Tidy, but more a case of Get Britain Clean.

And of course, with the use of illegal drugs being reduced, the supply and demand chain would be broken down, and the police could be properly used to reduce real crime on the streets of our nation making it a safer place for ALL of us to live and enjoy.