Government Adviser Fired For Saying Alcohol Is More Dangerous Than Drugs
Last week I posted a story about the UK drugs chief who said that ecstasy, LSD and cannabis are less dangerous than cigarettes and alcohol. Well the poor guy’s been fired for it! Alison Kilkenny bemoans this War on Some Drugs idiocy:
The Guardian reports that Professor David Nutt, the British government’s chief drug adviser, has been fired after claiming that ecstasy and LSD are less dangerous than alcohol.
So continues the journey to failure first instigated by the British and United States government four decades ago when the two governments implemented their long and pointless “Wars on Drugs.”
If you’re one of the 34 percent of admirably plucky and stubborn Americans who don’t think the War on Drugs is failing, perhaps examining the idiotic way in which the British government handles drugs will inspire you to see the flaws in supporting laws that arbitrarily dictate what substances human beings can and cannot ingest.
In 1971, the British government created the Misuse of Drugs Act, which categorizes drugs into a hierarchy of classes (A, B, and C). Class A includes heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine, LSD and psilocybin mushrooms. Class B includes cannabis, amphetamine, codeine and methylphenidate (”Ritalin”). Finally, Class C includes GHB, ketamine, diazepam, flunitrazepam and most other tranquilizers, sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines as well as anabolic steroids.
Like in America, the British government punishes intent to distribute more harshly than regular possession…
[continues in HuffPo]
