Pubdate: Sun, 04 Jan 2009 Source: Sunday Telegraph (UK) Copyright: Telegraph Group Limited 2009 Contact: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/437 Author: Tom Whitehead Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) DOWNGRADE ECSTASY, SAY GOVERNMENT ADVISERS A recommendation to downgrade Ecstasy is expected to be put to the Home Secretary by her own drug advisers later this month. Home Office sources believe The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) will call for the drug to be moved to Class B, even though it was blamed for at least 30 deaths last year. However Jacqui Smith will almost certainly dismiss the official recommendation and keep the drug as Class A alongside the most dangerous substances such as heroin and cocaine. It comes as critics accuse the ACMD of being influenced by pro-drug "ideologues". Mary Brett, spokeswoman for Europe Against Drugs, said: "The present ACMD includes few members who take a definite drug-prevention stance. It is imperative that a committee of this importance needs to be properly balanced." David Raynes, a member of the National Drug Prevention Alliance said the ACMD should be "an impartial centre of expertise carefully weighing evidence and public good" but added: "Recent behaviour leads me to believe it is being controlled by a few ideologues, pursuing a broadly liberal and pro-drug, legalisation agenda." Downgrading Ecstasy would see dealers face 14 years instead of life in prison and the maximum penalty for possession would fall from seven to five years. The ACMD voted on possible reclassification in a closed session in November and is due to reveal the result of that decision in a report to Ms Smith later this month. The chairman of the body, Prof David Nutt, has previously said the drug "probably shouldn't be'' in the top band, suggesting it is less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. But the Home Office is expected to ignore an ACMD recommendation for the second time after last year dismissing calls to keep cannabis as Class C. The drug will return to Class B later this month amid concerns over growing health risks. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "Ecstasy can and does kill unpredictably; there is no such thing as a "safe dose". The Government firmly believes that ecstasy should remain a Class A drug. "The Home Office has not requested ACMD to review the classification of ecstasy (MDMA). It is doing it at the request of the Science and Technology Committee." Critics have also called into question the ACMD's fitness to advise ministers. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin