Personal drug use should be legalised to cut crime and improve health, a top doctor has said. Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, the outgoing president of the Royal College of Physicians, suggested that relaxing the law on possessing substances such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis would not increase the number of addicts. This could save vast amounts of taxpayers' money, he suggests. Campaigners in favour of legalising drugs and making them available for free on the NHS claim it would cut crime as addicts would no longer steal to fund their habit. [continues 559 words]
Drug addicts should be prescribed free heroin on the NHS, a nursing leader has claimed. Dr Peter Carter, head of the Royal College of Nursing, also believes surgeries should set aside so-called 'shoot-up' galleries - rooms laid out with needles so users can inject in private. He said making the Class A drug available would reduce crime as addicts would not need to steal to fund their habit. Dr Carter added that such a service could be available on the NHS 'within a few years'. [continues 447 words]
Children as young as 12 are to be offered treatment for cannabis-related mental health problems at a leading clinic. The Priory Hospital, in Roehampton, south-west London, has set up a new clinic to treat young people suffering from the effects of drug and alcohol use. The NHS will pay to treat 12- to 18-year-olds suffering from psychological problems after smoking cannabis. Figures disclosed by The Daily Telegraph yesterday show that 500 people are being treated by the NHS every week for mental health problems related to cannabis. [continues 65 words]
