Legalise Drugs
Standing in the queue for the toilets, I look around with disgust. Someone throwing up in the sink, whilst another stranger walks past, patting him on the back, exclaiming “having a good night then”- but he means it. Two other guys stand opposite me, desperately licking powdered remains from a small plastic wallet. The person in front has a gibberish conversation with two random blokes behind me. Pairs emerge from toilet cubicles, rubbing their noses. The guy stops being sick, looks up laughing and says “pills and MDMA… not a good mix” to anyone that listens. And the worst thing? I have come to expect nothing less.
Today it seems that there is no longer a minority that do drugs but instead the majority. Indeed a drugs culture has always been commonplace on the social scene. For decades young people have, and will continue to, take drugs whilst clubbing. But the difference nowadays is how it appears to be deemed socially acceptable. No longer is there a hush hush surrounding the recreational activities of clubbers, the subject matter has seemingly lost all it’s taboo with the dawn of the 21st Century.
So what are the real ‘problems’ of this behaviour? The government constantly insists on clamping down on drugs, the media names and shames any celebrity pictured taking them and health experts continually speak out on the dangers. Yet the statistics on the 2007 NHS Drug Misuse show findings that the use of Class A drugs have increased. The RSA Commission on Illegal Drugs released a report last year stating that a lot of money was wasted trying to achieve the “impossible” goal of stopping the importation of illegal drugs, which are “demonised” by politicians and the media. So where do we stand on this long, somewhat overdue issue?
Should we believe the hype?
Only recently did a top police chief make a controversial submission suggesting that drugs should be legalised. Richard Brunstorm, the chief constable of North Wales, made the claim that:
“Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance, far safer than aspirin. It is far less dangerous than tobacco or alcohol, both or which are freely available”.
Not surprisingly this caused a bit of an uproar, and demands for him to be sacked. But looking at what is available to purchase already, I pose the question - why? Tobacco pollutes the lungs and causes cancer, but it is left to the choice of the buyer whether they want to smoke such a harmful, addictive substance. I actually hear people moaning about smoking bans, and that they need cigarettes to get through the day. Drugs don’t harm people stood near the people using them, yet smokers are harming people around them. And smoking causes far more deaths. Alcohol is equally as harmful, causing kidney failure, depression and obesity. Is it not ironic then that there could be outrage at such a comment? It is a almost a scenario of a phrase used so fondly by my Grandma; the pot calling the kettle black.
To make this clear, before readers start crying in outrage at my blunt honesty, I am not in favour of drugs. They are illegal, dangerous and potentially life threatening. Drugs are the cause of thousands of crimes, criminal gangs and even fund terrorism. If addicted, people’s lives are drained out of them as they become helpless and deprived of every possession in order to pay for their next fix. But we have to begin drawing lines, (no pun intended). For people’s perceptions have tarred ‘druggies’ with a different brush to smokers and drinkers.
I decided to conduct my own survey, and found out some hard hitting facts. 50% of the people I asked admitted to taking drugs, with 60% of those being male. Of the 50% that hadn’t tried drugs, 80% said they didn’t think it was acceptable for anyone to try them, compared to a 90% acceptance for people to try them from those who had done so already.
55% of people who had never taken drugs were smokers, whereas only 35% of people who took drugs also smoked cigarettes.
Interestingly I found that 22.5% of all people asked thought that legislation was a good idea, with 17% saying maybe, 5% opting for unsure and 47.5% saying that they felt it was a bad idea. However, 60% of the parents asked strongly said it was a bad idea.
A massive 83% of 18-21 year olds said they took drugs, compared to only 8% of people over the age of 40.
Unsurprisingly, the results showed that 65% of persons who took drugs went to clubs that played dance music, 5% went to places that played pop music, another 5% went to places that played indie, 10% opted for rock bars and 15% said the music was mixed. 55% of those who took drugs felt that there was an acceptance of drugs nightlife.
I am a student myself and no stranger to the clubbing scene also, like any other young person my age. And I am in with that percentage of acceptance. Unsurprisingly, I have had encounters with drugs and the people who are mixed up in them. I come from a small town and when I first came to Liverpool two years ago I was shocked at the amount of people that experimented with drugs. I had heard the hype and had my own views on people who associated with illegal substances. But being a part of this environment soon had me thinking, perhaps out of naivety some might say, that drugs used recreationally is not what the government needs to be concerned about.
The Bigger issue?
Now I’m not saying it isn’t an issue, neither do I put my fellow age group on a pedestal above other drug users, smokers or drinkers. But it’s simple. Young people take drugs, go to nightclubs and dance. The only people they have a chance of causing harm to are their fellow peers and clubbers who are big enough and daft enough in the first place to be partaking in the night’s activities
The drugs advice site www.talktofrank.com states that “Ecstasy is not a drug that makes people violent”. Certainly, alcohol is the cause of far more violence in my experience, and from what I read in the newspapers. Drunken brawls kick up on streets whilst ‘druggies’ are still dancing away. These partygoers go to these clubs knowing what the score is and what to expect. Even the bouncers know what is going on – how can they not? There is a clear distinction from being drunk and people off their head on substances. Certain places, which I won’t be foolish enough to name, are known for their activities. But the bottom line is that many people who discriminate these activities are at home tucked up in bed, arising for the day when the weak and weary finally go into hibernation as the previous night eventually takes its toll. So the point I’m making is that this type of drug culture is harmless to those not involved.
Drugs being supplied to troublesome gangs, the youths of our streets that carry knives whilst missing out on an education, this is the bigger issue. The NHS statistics on Drug Misuse speak for themselves, showing that 29% of 15 year olds reported taking drugs last year. 52% told they had been offered cannabis, whilst a further 18% had been offered cocaine and ecstasy. Shockingly, 33% said they thought it would be easy to obtain illegal drugs.
A teacher, who wishes not to be named, told me how his school was currently threatened with closure. The school is gaining recognition for its positive dealings with drugs, using drama and dance classes as an informative medium to pupils. But many schools fail to deliver the much needed educational manner of combating the problems.
Then there are the people hooked on heroin and crack cocaine, so hooked that they lose everything they have to be able to pay their debts, and consequently end up with nothing but an inescapable way out. The government speaks out so confidently against anyone that takes drugs, but seems incapable in dealing with the problems. Are police tackling these child gangs that intimidate local residents? Are they arresting or even helping the addicts who wander round this city asking for 45p for a bus journey home, when clearly the only journey they are on is one to self destruction? I question how naïve young people experimenting with drugs can be tackled. Because I put this to you; dancing until 6am seems like a minor problem in retrospect to the others I have mentioned. So without any drastic measures implemented on those more serious issues, how can a change be expected on the night scene?
Insane
The real trouble is that nowadays the law has gone insane. There is no high standard to look upon. It is the victims that are prosecuted and the criminals compensated. How often I read in disbelief the stories of a crack smoking mother who is rewarded custody over her children because a so called judge feels it is best they are brought up with her opposed to the father. Or the young teenagers that merely have drugs confiscated by police, like a teacher taking a pupils mobile phone and then giving them it back at the end of the day. After all, the kids can get more where that came from. The best example is the likes of Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse. It is at the point of laughable that they are constantly allowed to get away with such public displays of criminal behaviour. And what makes me confused is the big deal the press make of this! Headline news! Shock pictures! Video evidence! And their point is…? If the police are going to constantly let them get away with this behaviour, then why the surprise that they do it so freely? Only recently has the Amy Winehouse been caught sniffing various drugs in video footage, but the Back to Black singer will no doubt go Back to Crack after starry eyed police issue her little more than a telling off.
These two are meant to be role models for the younger generation. The clubbers are not dabbling in drugs because the likes of these crackpot celebs are, but impressionable kids out there are the ones at risk of following suit. Yet no example is being set. The government bleats about cutting down on drug use, but they DO have the power to stop it, or at least minimise it. ASBOS and slaps on the wrists of the hooded youths roaming our streets is nothing more than putting on a front that something is being done. Again I reiterate that I am not defending the drug nightlife, I am pointing out that this genre are but a small root of the problem.
So who is to blame?
Well, when we look at it, there are two problems – the buyers and the sellers. If the drug dealers were all found and arrested tomorrow, then the problem would be solved. But then if all users were suddenly gifted with some sense and stopped buying drugs then the dealers would be out of business.
And so it’s a catch 22 – dealers will keep supplying so long as there is a market. And there always will be. Instead, we need to focus on what can be done. And I believe that it’s getting rid of one of the two problems. The Government is fighting a losing battle, a problem that will not go away even if it is swept under the carpet. Does not the unpopular opinion of Richard Brunstorm maybe have a valid enough point behind it? Why not let clubbers have their way and party ‘til they drop (literally if they want), and go all out and make the majority of drugs available behind the counter like its sister health hazards, tobacco and alcohol.
Legislation
This way, this instantly kills off the criminal world that surrounds drugs. By making them legal, the likes of ecstasy and cocaine will lose all its taboo, becoming less appealing and rebellious to people seeking a thrill. Drugs are an escapism, but it is the forbidden appeal that draws a person to using them. A colleague suggested that if they were legalised then they could be made in factories where there is only one, safer substance being used to make the pills. And put tax on it. Stamp an age limit on buyers, as with alcohol and cigarettes, and a health warning. This might sound crazy but it will solve part of the problem. Gone will be the criminal attachments and young yobs mixed up in them. The RSA Commission report concluded that drugs were “harmless” and should no longer be “demonised”. It said: “The evidence suggests that a majority of people who use drugs are able to use them without harming themselves or others. They are able, in that sense, to ‘manage’ drug use”. Of course, this only suggests a majority. But in retrospect, the majority can smoke and drink without coming to any harm. So is this not the same situation? Or is it always going to be a case of one rule for one thing and a different for another? More importantly, if drugs were legalised then maybe there could be other ways of obtaining them for manufacture, instead of importing them from the countries that are caught up in civil wars as a result of Cocaine distribution.
What the doctor says
I needed a medical and more sensible input into this article, so I spoke to Dr. Robert Barnett from Liverpool’s Greenbank Rd Surgery. He told me how he too accepted the fact that lots of young people are experimenting and taking drugs nowadays. Referring to comments made by Police Chief Richard Brunstorm, he said:
“All drugs, prescription or medication carry a risk with them. The difference is that the manufacture controlled ones we can predict the side effects, unlike the unlicensed ones.”
This made me think about the point I earlier made, that if they were legalised then at least they would be controlled by manufacturers. I asked Dr. Barnett of the medical dangers that Class A drugs posed, and was told of the unsettling realities:
“The main problem, ultimately, is death. Patients are admitted to me with severe psychological and psychotic problems. It is not uncommon for users to get a paranoid type behaviour”.
Speaking about the promotion of the awareness of drugs, he agreed that a lot was being done, but it is never enough. He said:
“The problem is trying to get the message across to a medium of teenagers. Hard hitting adverts only reach some people, advertisers need to be smarter and aim for the facebook and youtube age. It is also beneficial to ensure that older peer groups in schools are giving the right message to youngsters”.
Finally I asked him what he thought about the drug fuelled antics of celebrities like Amy Winehouse. His immediate response was:
“I think it is exceptionally sad when celebrities, who are ultimately role models, succumb to the misuse of drugs. I hope some good comes out of the media coverage, and helps them to kick the habit and use their experience to explain the dangers to others. As talented as these people are, it’s sad to think that this is happening”.
Changed attitudes
So there we have it. I wanted to write this article because I thought it would spark an interesting debate. I never realised how many people were involved in the taking of drugs, let alone how many turn a blind eye. I began by venting my surprise at the drug culture in Liverpool and how it appears to be widely accepted. I conclude by saying that on reflection, I sadly accept it myself. Even the doctor does. Hence I made the point for a safer, more restricted way for drugs to be a part of society. For it’s about time the higher authorities realise that the only way to combat Britain’s drug culture is to adapt to it, and if that means legislation then so be it. Many readers will no doubt be outraged that I could suggest such a thing, and that I don’t know what I’m talking about just because I’ve been to a few clubs. But an example can be made of the fact that after coming to this city my morals soon evaporated. The survey I conducted may show around a 50/50 split of people that dabble with drugs, but 80% of users are the in the 18-21 year old age group, proving that this is where the main market is at, and hence suggesting what we need to adapt to. I spoke to Dr. Barnett so that his more important opinions will hopefully influence those of you out there who are either thinking about, or currently taking drugs. But my thoughts are that no matter how much awareness is raised, it sadly won’t change anything. Indeed the likes of Cocaine users should be more aware of the war and violence behind the powder they so freely sniff, but unfortunately taking away the glamour will not make a big enough difference. And in all, I wanted to make a point of my own opinions, as they highlight how critical the problems of drugs are for me to even suggest such methods of solving the issue. It is by no means just this city that has a problem, this just happened to be the one that opened my eyes to it. The sooner that Gordon Brown, and those angered readers, face the obvious – that drugs are here to stay – the sooner we move forward in minimising the issues they bring. Then maybe one day my attitude can change.
by Joe Thewlis
First published in magazine issue - February 08
