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Home secretary: I smoked cannabis Home secretary: I smoked cannabis
(20 minutes later)
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has admitted she smoked cannabis while she was at Oxford University in the 1980s.Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has admitted she smoked cannabis while she was at Oxford University in the 1980s.
Her disclosure came the day after Prime Minister Gordon Brown said she would head a review of UK drugs strategy - including reviewing the cannabis laws.Her disclosure came the day after Prime Minister Gordon Brown said she would head a review of UK drugs strategy - including reviewing the cannabis laws.
"I did break the law... I was wrong... drugs are wrong," Ms Smith, 44, said."I did break the law... I was wrong... drugs are wrong," Ms Smith, 44, said.
She had smoked it "just a few times", had "not particularly" enjoyed it and had not taken any other illegal drugs, she told the BBC.She had smoked it "just a few times", had "not particularly" enjoyed it and had not taken any other illegal drugs, she told the BBC.
A number of senior politicians have admitted smoking cannabis in their youth - including at least one of her predecessors as home secretary, Charles Clarke.A number of senior politicians have admitted smoking cannabis in their youth - including at least one of her predecessors as home secretary, Charles Clarke.
Mental health 'dangers' Experience 'helps me understand'
Asked why today's students should listen when she urged them not to try the drug, she said that over the past 25 years the dangers of cannabis use had become clearer.Asked why today's students should listen when she urged them not to try the drug, she said that over the past 25 years the dangers of cannabis use had become clearer.
These included the mental health dangers of cannabis and the increasing strength of the drug.These included the mental health dangers of cannabis and the increasing strength of the drug.
She said she had been wrong to break the law and wanted to focus on stopping other people doing what she had done. I hope that my experiences in my life have actually helped me understand that I do want crime tackled Jacqui SmithHome secretary class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6249316.stm">Profile: Jacqui Smith
She said the government had more people in drug treatment and was tackling drug-related crime. Ms Smith was asked on GMTV whether her admission made her unfit to be home secretary.
She said: "I think in some ways I have learnt my lesson and I have a responsibility as home secretary now to make sure we put in place the laws and the support and information to make sure we carry on bringing cannabis use down, which we are doing.
"On the whole I think people think human beings should do jobs like this. I am not proud about it, I did the wrong thing.
"One of the things about being a politician is that you are often criticised for not knowing what's going on. I hope that my experiences in my life have actually helped me understand that I do want crime tackled."