Quotes

"Proposals will be laid before you for establishing a more comprehensive, rapid and flexible system of control over dangerous drugs."

Queen's Speech, 10 Oct 1969

"… I will in the next few weeks publish a consultation paper with suggestions for a review of the drug classification system, on the basis of which I will make proposals in due course… one needs to proceed on the basis of evidence… I want to emphasise to the House the importance of evidence and research on this subject."

Home Secretary Charles Clark, 19 Jan 2006

"Government will base all decisions about risk on what serves the public interest. Action taken to tackle risks to the public will be proportionate to the level of protection needed and targeted to the risk."

Principles of Managing Risks to the Public , HM Treasury/Cabinet Office, 2003

"Around four million people use illegal drugs each year. Most of these people do not appear to experience harm from their drug use, nor do they cause harm to others as a result of their habit."

HC-318, The Government’s Drugs Policy, is it working? 2002

"Government acknowledges that alcohol and tobacco account for more health problems and deaths than illegal drugs."

Cm 6941, The Government Reply to the Fifth Report from the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee Session 2005-06 HC1031 Drug classification: making a hash of it?

"The scientific evidence is now clear that nicotine and alcohol have pharmacological actions similar to other psychoactive drugs… For the ACMD to neglect two of the most harmful psychoactive drugs simply because they have a different legal status no longer seems appropriate."

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Pathways to Problems 2006

"At present, the legal framework for the regulation and control of drugs clearly distinguishes between drugs such as tobacco and alcohol and various other drugs which can be bought and sold legally (subject to various regulations), drugs which are covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) and drugs which are classed as medicines, some of which are also covered by the Act. […] these distinctions are based on historical and cultural factors and lack a consistent and objective basis."

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Pathways to Problems 2006

"The current classification system has evolved in an unsystematic way from somewhat arbitrary foundations with seemingly little scientific basis."

Prof. David Nutt et al, Development of a rational scale to assess the harm of drugs of potential misuse, The Lancet 2007

"…the current classification system is not fit for purpose and should be replaced with a more scientifically based scale of harm… We conclude that, in respect of this case study, the Government has largely failed to meet its commitment to evidence based policy making."

House of Commons Science and Technology Committee; HC1031, Drug classification: making a hash of it? 2006