KILLER drug ecstasy is safer than ASPIRIN, top cop Richard Brunstrom claimed yesterday. He also repeated his call for Class A substances like heroin and cocaine to be LEGALISED. The North Wales chief const-able claimed such a move was "inevitable" - - and could happen in 10 years. About 400 people in the UK have died from ecstasy since 1994. But Mr Brunstrom, known for targeting speeding drivers, called it a "remarkably safe substance, far safer than aspirin". The maverick cop told the BBC: "There is a lot of scaremongering, rumourmongering around ecstasy. [continues 150 words]
KIDS get better warnings on the dangers of drugs from The Simpsons than their teachers, an expert claimed last night. The TV cartoon gives a more accurate picture than "worthy" classroom lessons, according to Richard Ives. And it holds children's attention because it is funny, he said. Mr Ives praised episodes where teenager Bart gets high on "an all-syrup Squishee", mum Marge "drinks spiked water and trips" -- and dad Homer takes dope. The London Metropolitan University boffin lauded the storylines as "sophisticated". [continues 122 words]
SCHOOLS minister Ruth Kelly yesterday cleared the way for random drug testing of pupils. The Education Secretary claimed one pilot scheme had been a "hugely effective" tool in tackling substance abuse. Ms Kelly told a teachers' conference in Birmingham that she had an "open mind" about extending the system nationwide. She said: "Drugs is an issue that is not going away in schools." Abbey School in Faversham, Kent, screened 20 pupils a week at random. Swabs were taken and samples checked for traces of cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy. GCSE results leapt significantly last year after the scheme was introduced. Ms Kelly said: "It was a hugely effective way of creating peer pressure against taking drugs." [end]
