Call For Action To Stave Off 'Road Safety Nightmare' As Drink Blitz Starts Frank Urquhart and Karen Mcveigh

POLICE should be able to stop and test drivers for drug abuse, a senior officer said yesterday.

As Scottish police forces launched their Christmas drinkdriving campaign, Supt Alistair McLuckie, the deputy head of Strathclyde Police traffic department, said that the increasing abuse of illegal and prescribed drugs by drivers was a potential road safety nightmare. Special training to combat the growing menace is needed by both police officers and casualty surgeons, he said.

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A SHERIFF has criticised the Scottish home affairs minister Henry McLeish over suggestions that the courts are failing to sentence enough criminals to community service orders.

Sheriff James Farrell said yesterday it was "strange" that the Government should say sheriffs were underusing the instrument, when a drugs offender could not start a CSO in Edinburgh for eight weeks because of the waiting list.

Yesterday Sheriff Farrell said it was "very unsatisfactory" to be told by social workers that David Nicolson, 22, a drugs offender, could not begin his 160hour community service order for up to eight weeks because of "current high demand".

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MARGARET COOK, the estranged wife of Robin Cook, the foreign secretary, today calls for the pharmaceutical industry to be nationalised. She said that doctors should be freed from commercial pressures, possibly by banning drug representatives from hospitals and doctors' surgeries.

Writing exclusively in The Sunday Times, Cook, a consultant haematologist at St John's hospital in Livingston, has presented the case for a central "watchdog committee" comprised of professional bodies' representatives to monitor drug development.

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JENNY BOOTH Home Affairs Correspondent

THE Scottish home affairs minister, Henry McLeish, has called on judges, sheriffs and fiscals to reconsider their attitudes to punishment in a radical review which would keep lowlevel offenders out of prison while jailing murderers and sex offenders for longer.

Scottish Office ministers have already started talks with the Lord Advocate, Lord Hardie of Blackhall who is ultimately in charge of prosecutions and with the Lord President, Lord Rodger, Scotland's most senior judge, on new approaches to punishment.

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"Drugs are pulling Scots into the depths of despair.

The only way to help addicts is to take their problems seriously regardless of the substance they're addicted to.

I live with someone who is addicted to to the socalled "soft drug" cannabis.When we sought help,we were told that money was only available to whelp those addicted to hard drugs

Cannabis wrecks lives,and more experts should recognise this."

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Opinion

Time to face reality of drugs

Editorial comment

IT IS only right that the casual, unbelievably callous murder of five year Dillon Hull in Bolton should concentrate minds on the problem of drugs. The child's death is the vilest of metaphors for the carnage being wrought among the young by an epidemic that has resisted every curative campaign and is only now receiving honest debate. Illegal drugs mean vast amounts of black money. Fortunes in untraceable cash mean organised crime. Noone, anywhere in the world, has managed to suppress the appetite for narcotics. Does this mean that the "war" against them is lost before it has begun?

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The vicious hold drug barons have on Scottish jails is being weakened by the growing number of prisoners who are setting up drugfree areas in an effort to kick their habit.

Almost half of Scotland's prisons have now created drugfree zones where inmates can try to 'stay clean' without being offered, or pressurised into taking, illegal substances. Around 500 of the country's 6,100 prisoners are already living in drugs nogo areas.

If the areas prove successful, they could stop criminals from reoffending, cut drugrelated crime and help reduce prison overcrowding by helping addicts to lead stable lives free of crime upon release. The areas may also curb the violence which has led to a frightening level of attacks stabbings, slashings and even murders involving prisoners in drugrelated feuds.

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THE Government was accused of going soft on crime yesterday, after it decided not to insist on life sentences for repeat violent and sex offenders in Scotland.

The Home Secretary, Jack Straw, told the House of Commons yesterday that rapists, abusers and thugs will face a mandatory life term in England and Wales if they repeat their crimes. But in a parliamentary written answer, the Scottish Office home affairs minister, Henry McLeish, said that Scotland would not be following suit.

Mr McLeish said that the Scottish legislation that enshrined the "two strikes and you're out" policy had been watered down in its final stages, leaving it to the trial judge to decide whether a life sentence was imposed. There had been no such watering down of the Crime (Sentences) Act for England.

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The government's own drug advisors have joined the growing chorus of criticism of Scotland Against Drugs.

The allparty campaign, which has received UKP4m of public money, has been reprimanded for its "unhelpful" approach to combating drug abuse.

This latest broadside against SAD has come from the Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse, the team of experts which helps the Scottish Secretary draw up drugs policy.

A majority of the group's members have written to Donald Dewar warning that: "It is our belief that Scotland Against Drugs has been, to say the least, unhelpful in assisting the development of an efective response to drug use in Scotland" a damning verdict on an initiative planned as a countrywide antidrugs "crusade".

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In the US, 50 federal agencies nozzle up to the war on drugs' teat every year to the tune of upwards of $50bn. Try to tell those agencies that the war on drugs accomplishes nothing.

No doubt Scotland, as welll as the rest of Great Britain, has a similar impediment to rational discourse.

Those of us engaged in a continuing effort to bring back rationality to the drug use and abuse debate thank you and Alan Cochrane's contributions towards that end.

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Scotland Against Drugs, the troubled allparty camapign that is spending UKP4m of public money, is to be revamped.

The move will follow sharp criticism of its contraversial tactics by chief constables and medical experts. Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar is planning to overhaul the initiative launched just 18 months ago as a Scotlandwide antidrugs 'crusade'.

David Macauley, SAD's outspoken campaign director, is likely to be ousted during the shakeup. The group will be warned to tone down its "alarmist" advertsising campaigns and avoid "moralistic" attacks on people with less strict views on drugs.

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GRAMPIAN Health Board yesterday unveiled its plan to begin the fightback against the scourge of heroin addiction and hard drug abuse which is sweeping the northeast of Scotland.

The board's campaign will be spearheaded by a drive to combat the mounting toll of drugrelated deaths in the area by trying to stop legallyprescribed doses of the heroin substitute, methadone, getting on to the black market.

Overdoses of methadone were last year responsible for twothirds of the 32 drug related deaths in the northeast. Three of the five drugrelated deaths in Grampian last month were also due to methadone poisoning.

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THE mother of Scotland's youngest ecstasy victim yesterday called for convicted drug pushers to be charged with murder or attempted murder.

Phyllis Woodlock, who took the decision to switch off her 13 yearold son's life support machine last Thursday, was expanding on her call at the weekend for courts to crack down on drug dealers.

Trembling with emotion, she said at the launch of National Drugs Awareness week: "Our next step is to try and change the law so that anyone who supplies or sells drugs to someone else should be charged with intent to kill or of causing someone's death."

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GRAMPIAN'S Chief Constable, Dr Ian Oliver, has called for offending drug addicts to be forced to accept treatment. It is the only way to break the cycle between their habit and crime, he says.

Dr Oliver, the man widely tipped to become Tony Blair's "drugs tsar" in charge of the national fight against the problem, was commenting on his force's annual statistical report, which reveals it seized almost five kilos of heroin last year more than double the total for the previous year.

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THE man tipped to be Tony Blair's drugs supremo, Grampian Police chief Ian Oliver, launched a scathing attack on the Scotland Against Drugs campaign last night. Mr Oliver said new posters, based on a survey which found that 56% of 16yearold Scots have tried illegal drugs, gave youngsters the wrong impression. The chief constable was speaking at a meeting of the Grampian Joint Police Board at Elgin, where he revealed the latest figures in his annual statistical report. One of the posters shows a blackboard with the question chalked on it: "What do you call a teenager who uses drugs?" The answer reads: "The majority." Mr Oliver said the posters gave teenagers the message that drugtaking is the norm. He said: "I don't believe this is an accurate statement of fact and sends out a mixed message. "The more prominent message that could be taken from that poster is that if you are a youngster who is not using drugs, you are in the minority." But last night David Whitton, a spokesman for Scotland Against Drugs, vigorously defended the posters and said earlier advertisements produced by the group had won a string of awards. He said: "Who is he speaking on behalf of? The previous adverts that we did won seven awards nationally for their creativity and for getting the message across. "The latest advertising is specifically targeted at raising the awareness of what is going on at parents who don't think drugs affect them. "The posters draw strong reactions, but that is what they are for." The offending poster is based on figures from a survey of 10,000 children in schools throughout Scotland, believed to be one of the largest samples ever taken. Mr Whitton added: "The information is that 56% of 16yearolds have tried illegal drugs. "This was aimed at the more mature members of the population who need to be shaken out of their lethargy. "Hopefully, it will get parents speaking to their children about drugs." Another TV campaign advertisement from Scotland Against Drugs shows an elderly woman sitting at home alone while a young man breaks into her house to steal money to finance his drug addiction. "This is just sending out the message that elderly people are the most vulnerable," said Mr Oliver. "I must express my grave concern at some of the advertising being used to get the message over." Mr Oliver talked of the growing scourge of heroin peddled on Northeast streets and revealed that addicts were running up huge crime bills to feed their habit. Figures show that, on average, each Northeast junkie is using an astounding UKP30,000worth of heroin every year and as stolen property is sold on for a third of its retail value, that means an addict has to steal UKP90,000worth of goods to pay for it. The report shows 1,746 people were caught with drugs. More than 500 involved in supplying were also apprehended. Seizures of heroin more than doubled, from just over 2kg in the same period last year to nearly 5kg, worth at least UKP500,000. Hauls of the rave drug ecstasy were up by more than 1,000 to 3,608, while cannabis resin seizures amounted to 15kg. Mr Oliver said drugs were perhaps the greatest threat to the fabric of society and feared a future where drugtaking is part of everyday life. His comments came after five people died of drug overdoses in the Northeast within a fortnight and a further 12 were saved only by the skill of the emergency services in Aberdeen. The statistical report for 19961997 revealed that drug abuse claimed 30 lives in the Grampian area last year. Mr Oliver said: "That is higher than many other areas of Scotland. "We have been very successful in catching major dealers but you no sooner take one out than another two or three jump into their place. "I cannot give an answer as to why Aberdeen and the Northeast has such a serious problem regarding availability of hard drugs. "Perhaps the area, because of its economy, is being targeted because dealers know there are going to be rich returns. The rewards can be huge." Mr Oliver called for a coordinated campaign, from the schoolroom to the boardroom, against the drugs menace. Meanwhile, the Scotland Against Drugs weeklong Shop A Dealer campaign is being repeated after its first run last year led to 200 arrests and drugs worth UKP365,000 being seized across Scotland. The Crimestoppers phone line received 62 calls in the opening weekend of Shop A Dealer week. A Shop A Smuggler hotline has also been set up by Grampian Police. The hardline approach is part of National Drugs Awareness Week, highlighting the growing social problems caused by drug misuse.

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The dangers of smoking are well known. It is the single largest cause of serious illness and preventable death in this country. Yet trying to give up is not always easy. Those sudden urges for one last drag can be the downfall of even the most determined and motivated of people. But help can soon be at hand or, more accurately, at your fingertips, judging by the recently published results of a Scottish health initiative.

In an antismoking campaign carried out by the Health Education Board for Scotland smokers were invited to call a telephone helpline known as Smokeline, available free of charge to callers and staffed by trained counsellors seven days a week. These councillors not only offered advice and tips on giving up but also provided general support and encouragement when needed by smokers and their families.

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SCOTLAND'S united front in the war on drugs descended into a shambles last night on the eve of National Drugs Awareness Week.

The row blew up as the campaigns director of the Governmentbacked group Scotland Against Drugs turned on drug agencies advocating "harm reduction" and accused them of peddling death.

David Macauley's comments were branded irresponsible, divisive and hypocritical at a time when the nation is in mourning for the death of Scotland's youngest ecstasy victim.

One drugs project leader even called for SAD, which is organising the awareness week, to be disbanded.

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Scots Campaign Sparks Call for Hard Facts Rather Than Scaremongering

THE latest major poster campaign by Government backed Scotland Against Drugs has been accused of sending children a mixed message about drug taking.

Dave Liddell, director of the Scottish Drugs Forum said that the billboard advertisement which will appear at 218 sites across the country lends credence to the view that habitual drug taking is acceptable.

The concern surrounds the wording of one of the posters which poses the question: "What do you call kids who have taken drugs?" The answer given is: "The majority."

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A FALL of two thirds in drug deaths in Glasgow this year has been hailed by police and drugs workers as a major breakthrough in the drugs war.

The death toll has dropped from 36 in the equivalent period of 1995, to just 11 in 1997 in the year to the end of May, the first significant fall since records began eight years ago.

Delighted drug workers say that Glasgow's unique, controlled programme of prescribing methadone to heroin addicts is probably the major factor in producing the fall.

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Sir, In your editorial (20 May) criticising the call from the Church of Scotland for the decriminalisation of cannabis, you say the "Kirk finds itself at odds with the new Government, which believes that pot smoking can lead to harder and more harmful drugs and should therefore be banned". This is not the case, as the Government does not claim that using cannabis leads to harder drugs: the "progression theory" has long been discredited.

You go on to state that "there is no evidence that decriminalisation alleviates the drug problem". Again, that is simply not true. The experience in the Netherlands is precisely that; indeed, decriminalisation there has reduced hard drug abuse substantially.

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CHURCH of Scotland ministers who backed the decriminalisation of cannabis explained their reasons yesterday for the controversial break with Kirk tradition.

This week's agreement by the General Assembly that the drug should be decriminalised, and that an independent group should look at the case for legalising it, was backed mainly on the grounds of inconsistencies in sentencing, according to a straw poll of ministers.

But the Rev Shirley Blair, a minister from St Thomas's Church, Leith, also spoke of medical benefits experienced by at least three of her parishioners taking the drug.

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>Steel says drug ban is a failure > >Sir David Steel, the elder statesman of the Liberal Democrats, said >yesterday that prohibition of soft drugs had been a failure and that >politicians were not qualified to deal with the subject. > >On ITN's lunchtime news, Sir David, whose son Graeme was jailed for >nine months in 1995 for growing cannabis plants worth 30,000 UKP at his >Borders cottage, said: > >"Politicians are not in the best position to pontificate on this >subject. It is largely a generation problem and that's why we are >realistic in the Liberal Democrats by saying let's have a Royal >Commission as we had on the issue of embryo research." > >

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