Yes, I'm surprised as you probably are!
Richard Branson, of Virgin Ltd, has recently posted a blog that urges the government to look again at our failing 'war on drugs' and urging that we look at other ways to deal with drug addiction, addicts, associated crime and social problems.
He includes a link to this petition, started by an MP from the Green Party in Brighton, which urges an immediate enquiry and investigation.
This is from the petition page:
Drug related harms and the costs to society remain high in Britain, with a growing consensus that the current enforcement led approach is not working. In recent months the independent UK Drugs Policy Commission has highlighted the fact that Government is spending around £3 billion a year on a policy that is often self-defeating; and the Home Affairs Select Committee has concluded Government action is needed "now, more than ever" to consider all the alternatives to our failing drug laws and learn from countries that have adopted a more evidence based approach. We are concerned that, in this age of austerity, nobody is checking whether Britain's current approach is value for money - or money wasted. We therefore call on the Government to commission an authoritative and independent cost-benefit analysis and impact assessment of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 within the next 12 months, in order to provide the evidence for Parliament to pursue a more effective drugs policy in the future.
This is positive news and I suggest you all sign and share it!
It seems the issue of our outdated and unfit for purpose drug policies here in the UK seem to be being talked about more often in the news recently. I hope and pray this is the start of the tide turning here.
As Portugal and holland have proven, the decriminalisation of drugs and the treating of addicts as people that need help, as opposed to criminals and lost causes, works!
