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Plainsman1963

Drug classifications 'irrational, political'
08-10-06 | Stuff.Co.Nz | Joanna Davis

Which drug would you rate as the most dangerous – ecstasy, alcohol or tobacco?

A New Zealand expert is backing British MPs who say the way drugs are classified is riddled with anomalies.

New Zealand and Britain use similar drug classification systems.

Here, class A drugs – considered those that pose a very high risk of harm – include heroin, LSD and cocaine, while class B drugs cannabis, ecstasy and methamphetamine are considered high risk.

Alcohol and tobacco are not even rated, despite their being the most commonly used drugs and cause the deaths of more than 5000 New Zealanders a year between them.

British parliamentary science and technology select committee members want alcohol and tobacco added to the classification system and rated higher than ecstasy, which they say is not as dangerous as previously thought.

Committee chairman Phil Willis said it was time to bring in a more systematic and scientific approach. "How can we get the message across to young people if what we are saying is not based on evidence?"

Christchurch-based National Addiction Centre researcher Dr Simon Adamson said drugs such as LSD, ecstasy and cannabis did not cause much harm.

Their classifications as class A and B drugs did not make a lot of sense, he said, and the approach was irrational and political.

"Politicians are more likely to get votes by being tough on drugs than by being soft on drugs. It doesn't mean that being tougher is the best approach," he said.

Adamson said it would not be realistic to classify and criminalise tobacco and alcohol.

"Drug policy does have to recognise existing habits and the fact that so many people already drink and smoke."

He said the risks of alcohol and tobacco should be more explicitly acknowledged so that steps could be taken, such as removing all alcohol advertising and raising the age of purchase of alcohol back to 20.

"It's not a magic bullet, but it's quite clear reducing the purchase age has increased the death and injury toll. "Overseas research has shown that raising the age again does bring that toll back down," he said.

Smoking kills three people a day in Canterbury and costs the region's hospitals $23 million a year.

Ministry of Health figures estimate alcohol-related conditions cause about 150 deaths a year, including from heart and liver damage, high blood pressure and some types of cancer.

Alcohol use also contributes to the road toll, other accidents and violence.

Adamson said that although heroin was clearly risky to individuals, it did not make people act dangerously in the way alcohol did.

"With alcohol, people become dangerous and violent.

"It's very liver toxic and it severely affects driving ability," he said.

 

Buzzby

Perhaps they should take into consideration the fact that New Zealand has the highest percentage of marijuana users of any nation on Earth? And that cannabis is relatively benign, especially considered next to the ravages of the legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco?

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