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| Drugs 'legal in 10 years' claim | Drugs 'legal in 10 years' claim |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The legalisation of all drugs is "inevitable", according to the Chief Constable of North Wales. | The legalisation of all drugs is "inevitable", according to the Chief Constable of North Wales. |
| Richard Brunstrom, who has campaigned for drugs like heroin to be made legal, says he believes the move towards decriminalisation is "10 years away." | Richard Brunstrom, who has campaigned for drugs like heroin to be made legal, says he believes the move towards decriminalisation is "10 years away." |
| The chief constable said repealing the Misuse of Drugs Act would destroy a major source of organised crime. | The chief constable said repealing the Misuse of Drugs Act would destroy a major source of organised crime. |
| He also said he thinks ecstasy is safer than aspirin. Drugs charity DrugScope said legalisation is "unlikely". | |
| Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, the controversial chief constable acknowledged that his was a minority view, but he said attitudes were changing. | Speaking on the BBC's Today programme, the controversial chief constable acknowledged that his was a minority view, but he said attitudes were changing. |
| "I'm certainly out of step with the majority of senior police officers, but not all of them," he said. | "I'm certainly out of step with the majority of senior police officers, but not all of them," he said. |
| Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance - it's far safer than aspirin Richard Brunstrom | Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance - it's far safer than aspirin Richard Brunstrom |
| "But in terms of society, public attitudes change quite rapidly and you need look no further than drinking and driving: in the space of my lifetime drinking and driving has gone from being socially acceptable, almost the norm, to being socially unacceptable. | "But in terms of society, public attitudes change quite rapidly and you need look no further than drinking and driving: in the space of my lifetime drinking and driving has gone from being socially acceptable, almost the norm, to being socially unacceptable. |
| "I think that the legalisation and subsequent regulation of proscribed drugs is now inevitable, and I think it's ten years away, not ten months away." | "I think that the legalisation and subsequent regulation of proscribed drugs is now inevitable, and I think it's ten years away, not ten months away." |
| He went on: "It has already happened in for instance Portugal, a full member of the European Union, decriminalised under the existing international treaties. | He went on: "It has already happened in for instance Portugal, a full member of the European Union, decriminalised under the existing international treaties. |
| "The same sort of thing is being talked about across the world." | "The same sort of thing is being talked about across the world." |
| He said levels of drug misuse across the country might be falling because of better treatment programmes, but the problem was still acute. | He said levels of drug misuse across the country might be falling because of better treatment programmes, but the problem was still acute. |
| 'Prohibition doesn't work' | 'Prohibition doesn't work' |
| "We're still causing something like £20bn worth of damage to our society every year," he said. | "We're still causing something like £20bn worth of damage to our society every year," he said. |
| "More than half of all recorded crime is caused by people feeding a drugs habit. | "More than half of all recorded crime is caused by people feeding a drugs habit. |
| "The government wants evidence-based policy; the evidence is very clear that prohibition doesn't work, it can't work, an enforcement-led strategy is making things worse, not better." | "The government wants evidence-based policy; the evidence is very clear that prohibition doesn't work, it can't work, an enforcement-led strategy is making things worse, not better." |
| Mr Brunstrom was invited onto Radio 4 by three members of Dyfed-Powys Police, who were guest editing the New Year's Day's edition of the programme. | Mr Brunstrom was invited onto Radio 4 by three members of Dyfed-Powys Police, who were guest editing the New Year's Day's edition of the programme. |
| He also said there was a lot of "scaremongering" and "rumour-mongering" about drugs. | He also said there was a lot of "scaremongering" and "rumour-mongering" about drugs. |
| Battle | Battle |
| "Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance - it's far safer than aspirin," he said. | "Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance - it's far safer than aspirin," he said. |
| "If you look at the government's own research into deaths you'll find that ecstasy, by comparison to many other substances - legal and illegal - it is comparably a safe substance." | "If you look at the government's own research into deaths you'll find that ecstasy, by comparison to many other substances - legal and illegal - it is comparably a safe substance." |
| A spokesman for DrugScope, the UK's leading independent centre of expertise on drugs, said they believe the legalisation of drugs within the next decade is "unlikely". | |
| "Neither the current government nor the leaders of the other parties show any inclination towards drug law reform in the near future," he said. | |
| "And in fact this government has already suggested its desire and its looking closely at reclassifying cannabis from class C to B." | |
| In October, Mr Brunstrom said drugs laws were out of date and that the police are engaged in a battle which they cannot win. | In October, Mr Brunstrom said drugs laws were out of date and that the police are engaged in a battle which they cannot win. |
| He said he is now campaigning for drugs to be legalised, and for the class A, B and C system to be scrapped. | He said he is now campaigning for drugs to be legalised, and for the class A, B and C system to be scrapped. |
| The police chief's suggestions were criticised by some politicians. | The police chief's suggestions were criticised by some politicians. |