Pubdate: Sun, 02 Apr 2000 Source: News of the World (UK) Copyright: 2000 News of the World Contact: http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/ STRAW'S DRUGS STANCE 'SCARE-MONGERING' SAYS LABOUR MP A Labour MP has described Home Secretary Jack Straw's belief that decriminalising cannabis would attract drug tourists to Britain as "ill-informed scare-mongering". Paul Flynn, the MP for Newport West, spoke out as Mr Straw said he accepted there was a "coherent argument" for legalising cannabis - but immediately insisted that the case for doing so was fatally flawed. Mr Straw said legalisation would risk making Britain the centre of the European drugs trade and stressed that the Government would continue to take a "cautious" approach to proposals for drugs law reform. Earlier this week a report by the Police Foundation charity recommended that people caught with small amounts of cannabis or Ecstasy should not be sent to prison. The report was quickly rejected by the Government, which said relaxing the law would send out all the wrong signals. Writing in the News of the World, Mr Straw said: "Although the Police 46oundation did not go the whole way to recommend this, I accept that there is a coherent argument in favour of legalising cannabis." While those in favour of decriminalising cannabis argued that it had a different effect from hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin and was no more serious than the effects of alcohol or tobacco, the World Health Organisation and the British Medical Association had repeatedly concluded that cannabis was harmful. Mr Straw argued that legalising cannabis would probably see consumption increase. Imposing heavy duties on the drug would only encourage smuggling. He accepted that there was not necessarily a direct link between cannabis use and addiction to hard drugs. However of legalisation he added: "But what would almost certainly happen is that the UK would take over from the Netherlands as the centre for Europe's drug trade." But Mr Flynn said: "Britain has the harshest laws in Europe and the worst drug problems. Countries with pragmatic intelligent laws have fewer problems. The UK's mindless prohibition is doing more harm than the drugs themselves." He added: "The only way to reduce harm is to replace the irresponsible, illegal market with a legal, licensed one that can be regulated, policed and controlled." - --- MAP posted-by: Allan Wilkinson