Scottish Drugs Forum
Skip to Content | Skip to Main Navigation
20 January 2006
SCOTTISH Drug Forum Director David Liddell has welcomed a Home Office decision to review the UK’s drug classification system.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced yesterday that a consultation paper will be published in the next few weeks calling for suggestions for a review of the drug classification system.
David Liddell said: “The Misuse of Drugs Act is over 35 years old now, therefore a review of drugs classification as mooted by Home Secretary Charles Clarke is long overdue. That does not necessarily mean things should be changed but it is important that we take a fresh look at the Act in the light of passage of time and changes in drug use of the last three decades.”
The move was sparked off by two other areas of drugs issue considered by the Home Secretary – the decision announced yesterday to leave cannabis as a Class C drug and the current Home Office consultant on threshold levels of cannabis in a person's possession which would deem them to be a supplier.
The Home Secretary said that the more he considered these matters the more concerned he has become about the limitations of the current system. However, he warned that his final decision on supply thresholds will be at a considerably lower threshold than the 500g suggested in the current consultation.
"Decisions on classification often address different or conflicting purposes and too often send strong but confused signals to users and others about the harms and consequences of using a particular drug and there is often disagreement over the meaning of different classifications. For example, many people wrongly interpreted the reclassification of cannabis to mean that cannabis was not harmful and that its use was acceptable and even legal.”
The Home Secretary said his decision to leave cannabis as a Class C drug was influence by data on levels of use of the drug and evidence that cannabis use has fallen among 16-24 year olds from 28percent in 1998 to less than 24 percent last year.
“The preliminary assessment is that, contrary to my personal expectation, reclassification has not led to an increase in use. Moreover I accept the view of the Advisory Council that further research on the mental health implications is needed before any decision to reclassify is made.”
Instead, there will be a massive programme of public education to convey the danger of cannabis use and he will keep this matter under close review.
Meanwhile, Methyl Amphetamine is to be kept as a class B drug - though this is subject to a review reporting later this year – and the Home Secretary has also accepted the Advisory Council on Drug Misuse’s advice not to classify Khat as a controlled drug.
Mr Clarke has also asked the Advisory Council to report on the classification of so-called date rape drugs, including GHB and Rohypnol.
Commenting on the Home Office announcements, David Liddell said:
"Fundamentally, Scottish Drugs Forum does not think this is only a matter of either reducing or increasing penalties. As a policy and information charity which works in partnership with various organisations, agencies and communities to reduce drug-related harm, we are more focused on identifying all solutions which can demonstrably reduce the damage that drug use may - and that drug problems certainly do - cause.
"However, it is crucial that any review is approached with an open mind and must also be focused on improving the potential for reducing drug-related harm rather than just being seen to send out the “right” messages. These always carry the danger of being hi-jacked by those with a moral rather than pragmatic agenda.
“A review must also be undertaken on evidence-based practice rather than politically-based practice. For instance, it is not always the case that the greater the penalties, the less the use - despite what some say. Other European countries have lesser penalties for cannabis than in the UK - but they also report lower levels of use.
“We have supported the reclassification of cannabis from B to C on the basis that it creates a much clearer distinct between it and drugs which cause the greatest harm - heroin and cocaine.
“Similar arguments may well apply to the drugs currently graded as Class A drugs - heroin, cocaine and ecstasy - and this is one of the reasons a review of classification would be a worthwhile exercise.”
On the decision to leave cannabis as a Class C drug, David Liddell added: “Cannabis, of course, does carry some degree of risk of harm - especially if used in large amounts and very frequently. However, the Government has got it right - the best way to prevent people from being harmed through cannabis is by educating them of the risks associated with using it."
12 January 2006
Three new faces have been appointed to SDF's Board of Directors.
Mark Cresswell, Sarah Harris and Thomas Munro were successfully nominated at SDF's AGM on 13 December.
Mark Cresswell
Mark is Project Manager of the New Horizons project in Cranhill, Glasgow. He has a range of experience of working with people with drug problems in Australia and has also worked as a Psychologist in a range of establishments. He began his working career in childcare and then probation. In addition he has a range of teaching experience and has been on the Board of a number of Non-Government Organisations. Mark is a Bachelor of Arts (Behavioural Science) and a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology.
Sarah Harris
Sarah is Specialist Pharmacist in Substance Misuse for an NHS Health Board since Jan 2003. She manages the pharmacy needle and syringes exchange service for this NHS Health Board. She holds a BSc degree in Pharmacy and a MSc degree in Pharmacy Practice including research experience in treatment resistant schizophrenia.
She is a past Chair of Scottish Specialist Pharmacists in Substance Misuse (SSPiSM) and a Member of Addiction Education Scotland (AES) as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of GB representative.
Thomas Munro
Thoman (Tam) is Chair of Dumbarton Road Corridor Addiction Forum in Glasgow, a post he has held since 2002. He is also chairs Dumbarton Road Corridor Environmental Trust (since 2004), Yoker Resource Centre (since 1984) and Dumbarton Road Corridor Youth Health Project (since 2002).
Tam sits on current Dumbarton Road Corridor Social Inclusion Partnership Advisory Board as the Chair of the Addiction Forum. With the support of the SDF Community Engagement Officer, he attends and represents the Forum at the Communities sub Group of Greater Glasgow Drug Action Team.
He also advises and represents the community on the education and training thematic Group, West Area Forum and Northbank Economic Development Study Forum.
The trio replace Hilary Patrick, who stood down at the AGM, and Mark O’Donnell and Chris White who retired as Directors during the year.