War On Drugs Is Wrong (from The Herald Election Site)

A former health minister claimed yesterday that "war on drugs" was the wrong approach to the issue.

Susan Deacon, recently appointed professor of social change at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, was health minister under Donald Dewar and has been involved in major studies of the drugs issue since she returned to the back benches.

Now that she has left parliament she is weighing in against a tough criminal justice approach to the problem which she says will never work as well as a social education and health approach.

She believes that an election produces an inappropriate bidding war. Only the Conservatives commented on her views, with both Labour and the SNP backing away from stressing the problem as an election issue.

"I think there is a very, very genuine commitment by a wide range of politicians and parties to try to do something meaningful about drugs," said Professor Deacon.

"The difficulty often translates into some pretty rough rhetoric and sometimes good ideas but not really a wide-ranging, informed and comprehensive policy approach to the issue.

A range of policies is needed to address the problem, she said. "The idea there is one type of treatment that works and one that doesn't is nonsensical.

"I think one of the big challenges that lies ahead is to ensure you have a range of treatment options, not just for opiates such as heroin but for the whole range of drug and substance misuse problems."

Calling for a review of the use of methadone and a wide-ranging debate on drugs, she said too many people are being criminalised and many who need treatment, are not receiving it. "There must be a more informed, measured approach to this debate to make progress," she added.

The co-convener of the socialist party Solidarity, Rosemary Byrne, welcomed Ms Deacon's "sensible" comments.

Annabel Goldie, Scottish Conservative leader, said: "I am delighted that a respected figure such as Susan Deacon has spoken up against the status quo. We need zero tolerance to those who deal in death, and effective rehabilitation to halt the spiral of crime by those who take drugs."

[italic]This Susan Deacon woman's an idiot![/italic] She sounds like a typical bleeding heart - she even makes wee Cathy sound tough. Kisses and cuddles don't work with junkies and dealers and the sooner her and her ilk realise this the better. We need a simple, two-pronged approach to the drug problem - 1. Tough love for the weak-willed users and, 2. Zero tolerance with the pushers and the big fish. Drugs are a cancer destroying our civilisation.

This Susan Deacon woman's an idiot!
She sounds like a typical bleeding heart - she even makes wee Cathy sound tough.
Kisses and cuddles don't work with junkies and dealers and the sooner her and her ilk realise this the better.
We need a simple, two-pronged approach to the drug problem -
1. Tough love for the weak-willed users and,
2. Zero tolerance with the pushers and the big fish.
Drugs are a cancer destroying our civilisation.

I don't see where "tough love" is inconsistent with her "a range of treatments". We are not winning the "war on drugs" & knee jerk reactions do not help. Susan Deacon is generally accepted as one of the most capable Labour politicians, granted not a high standard,. The fact that she is being driven out of Parliament because McConnell puts only yes men (& LibDems) into his cabinet has deprived Scotland & indeed Labour of much needed talent.

I don't see where "tough love" is inconsistent with her "a range of treatments". We are not winning the "war on drugs" & knee jerk reactions do not help.

Susan Deacon is generally accepted as one of the most capable Labour politicians, granted not a high standard,. The fact that she is being driven out of Parliament because McConnell puts only yes men (& LibDems) into his cabinet has deprived Scotland & indeed Labour of much needed talent.

While I'm glad that Susan Deacon has come to her senses, I'd have been happier if she hadn't allowed her policies while in office to be dictated by Daily Record headline writers. This is too little, too late.

Neil, there is [italic]no[/italic] treatment that totally breaks the drug cycle except cold turkey. Methadone and other substitutes are exactly that - substitutes. But cold turkey is severe, in fact it is akin to torture, so do you really think Susan advocates the enforced incarceration of all addicts and the witholding of drugs from them until they are clean? What about their yuman rights - God, the woman's a monster! As for the suppliers, state-sponsored execution seems reasonable.

Neil, there is no treatment that totally breaks the drug cycle except cold turkey. Methadone and other substitutes are exactly that - substitutes.
But cold turkey is severe, in fact it is akin to torture, so do you really think Susan advocates the enforced incarceration of all addicts and the witholding of drugs from them until they are clean? What about their yuman rights - God, the woman's a monster!
As for the suppliers, state-sponsored execution seems reasonable.

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