cannabisnews.com: Tories To Restore Hard Line on Drugs





Tories To Restore Hard Line on Drugs
Posted by CN Staff on July 20, 2002 at 17:54:10 PT
By David Bamber, Home Affairs Correspondent
Source: Sunday Telegraph UK
Oliver Letwin, the shadow home secretary, is to outline a new hardline policy on drugs tomorrow, calling for zero tolerance of cannabis users and the enforced treatment of all offenders.If drug users refuse to co-operate with rehabilitation, under Mr Letwin's proposal they could be jailed for possession of even a small amount of cannabis.
In a statement reminiscent of Ann Widdecombe's controversial and short-lived call for £100 fines for all cannabis users, Mr Letwin will set out plans for the police to tackle anyone caught with soft drugs. He will say that officers must not turn a blind eye to them, as David Blunkett is proposing by downgrading cannabis possession for personal use from class B to C. Mr Letwin is visiting Sweden next week, where he says strong anti-drugs policies have worked.He said yesterday: "Just 11 per cent of Swedish schoolchildren have tried drugs compared with 45 per cent in Britain.""The Swedes realise that rather than waiting for young people to be tempted on the conveyor belt of drugs, it is better to prevent the problem in the first place," he said."Drug education in schools is compulsory. Rehabilitation programmes offer a mixture of voluntary and coercive treatment,"he added.Mr Letwin will outline a new programme aimed at children, including a publicity campaign in junior and infant schools.He will also suggest that the monarchy should join the fight, citing the example of Queen Sylvia of Sweden who campaigns against drugs.Source: Sunday Telegraph (UK)Author: David Bamber, Home Affairs CorrespondentPublished: July 21, 2002Copyright: Telegraph Group Limited 2002Contact: stnews telegraph.co.ukWebsite: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Related Articles:Britain To Let Pot Smokers Off Lightlyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13384.shtmlTories Condemn Brixton Cannabis Scheme http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13335.shtmlTories Dub Cannabis Pilot 'Disaster'http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13334.shtml
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