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Leicester MP Keith Vaz in call for rethink on drug laws and policy

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Britain's war on drugs is not working and a major investigation is needed on how to tackle the scourge of criminality and addiction drugs cause, said Leicester East MP Keith Vaz today.

In a major report, the Home Affairs Select Committee, which Mr Vaz chairs, has called on the Government to set up a Royal Commission to look at drug laws and policy.

He said: "Drugs cost thousands of lives and the taxpayer billions of pounds each year.

"This is a critical, now or never moment for serious reform. If we do not act now, future generations will be crippled by the social and financial burden of addiction.

"After a year scrutinising UK drugs policy, it is clear to us many aspects of it are simply not working and it needs to be fully reviewed. We cannot afford to kick this issue into the long grass.

"We have failed to deal with the dealers and we have not focussed on the users.

"Only with this twin approach will we break the devastating cycle of drug addiction in society."

The Home Affairs Select Committee's report focuses on the need to "break the cycle" of addiction and highlights the need for improved treatment in prisons and wider society and for early intervention with better education and preventative work.

Comedian and film star Russell Brand was among those who gave evidence to the committee. He said people with the "condition of addiction" should be given supervised medical care rather than be punished by the criminal justice system.

Such an approach would mean people caught in possession of highly addictive drugs, such as heroin, would not be prosecuted but would instead be placed on supervised medical care.

As part of the inquiry, the Leicester Mercury ran a poll on its website asking people whether cannabis should be legalised. A huge majority – 87 per cent – said it should.

However, it is thought news of the poll spread on the internet and that the pro-cannabis lobby took part in the poll in large numbers.

The Home Affairs Committee has not made any recommendations for changes in the law but said ministers could learn from the experience of Portugal where drugs have been "depenalised" – with possession of small amounts not subject to criminal penalties.

Mr Vaz said the Leicester Mercury poll had been very useful – but he did not favour decriminalisation.

He said: "I think the majority feel it's not an issue for the police. But to decriminalise it would send a very powerful message that it's acceptable."

The Government swiftly rejected the idea of a Royal Commission. A spokesman said: "Drugs are illegal because they are harmful – they destroy lives and blight communities."

Leicester MP Keith Vaz  in call for  rethink on drug laws and policy


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