Pressure to reform drugs laws needs your help today says former Health Minister
Former Health Minister Norman Baker MP writes : I want to tell you about the work I've done to reform Britain's drug laws and the report I published last October.
Last year we commissioned a report on Britain's drug policies that compared drug policies across the world with the level of drug use. There was a clear pattern: severe punishments make no difference to the rate of drug use in a country.
It means our so-called tough drug laws, which lock up more than 10,000 people each year in Britain, weren't stopping people from taking drugs. These 'tough' laws could even be making the problem worse.
I had to force this report to be published last October because Conservatives at the Home Office continually blocked me. They were against using evidence to shape our drugs laws.
When the report was finally published in late October the response was amazing. More than 5,000 people joined our campaign to reform Britain's drug policies. Reformers hailed the study and there was some cross-party support in Parliament. Theresa May wouldn't budge-she was always going to ignore this report.
The Tories will not do anything to change Britain's drug laws, even though the evidence says they aren't working. Unfortunately Labour aren't much better, they stuck their heads in the sand when the report came out.
Adding your name will make a big difference in our campaign to create a stronger economy and a fairer society. More than 9,000 people have already signed up to reform Britain's outdated drugs laws so that they are based on evidence, not dogma and prejudice. Reforming our laws means that people will get the help they need to beat addiction and get on in life.
Please add your name today and help end Britain's drugs policies that don't work:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/drugs
Thank you,
Norman Baker
Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes