Congratulations to Jim Anderton for perpetuating the "Wack-A-Mole" syndrome in the "War on Drugs". (Sorry to use such horribly American terms, but it seems, as usual, the US is at the forefront of this stupid, futile and costly war). Yes, earlier this week BZP was made illegal thanks to him, but I still can't quite figure out why. It is now a Class C drug - whereas alcohol should be a Class B drug. Yet he hasn't made that illegal (I will endeavour to find a source for that statement). In fact it has become more and more readily available in recent years, with the numbers of outlets selling alcohol increasing exponentially. And now, of course, there is a new legal drug all ready to go on the market - and we don't even know what's in it!
A couple of points. Firstly, I thought the outlawing of BZP was going to come with a change to the Misuse of Drugs Act that would make it mandatory that companies had to prove themselves that the new drug they are putting on the market is safe before it went on the market, rather than the Government having to "prove" that it is harmful enough to be illegal before making it illegal. However, I understand that the Act is going to be amended later on this year, and that is a change that will probably be put into it. However...
(Point number two before I go out and have some good sober times on a Friday night. So that I can party harder tomorrow night.) Some minor, or even major amendments to the Misuse of Drugs will not have much of an effect. Why? Because we have such an inconsistent and dishonest approach to drugs in the country (and in much of the world). Inconsistencies in Government policy, where one drug is are allowed to be sold and advertised everywhere pretty much, when it is an extremely harmful drug, and most other drugs are criminal offences even just to possess. But there are misunderstandings on both sides. Of course the law-makers want to be doing what they can to protect citizens, especially younger ones, from harm. They're not going to do that by making them criminals though. If we are ever to grow out of our binge drinking culture, and be able to move to a stage where most people can enjoy drugs safely most of the time (yes, drugs are not all bad. They are a lot of fun, mind expanding, relaxing - many things to many people. We are never going to rid our society of them, and why should we?) we need to be much more level headed and mature when talking about them, and start a dialogue between the different groups in society that have differing views. It's hard, especially when so many people have been affected adversely by drugs, but it is the only way we can move forward.
PS Alcohol is a drug!
