Letter

Should drugs be decriminalised?

Try a little compassion

BMJ 2007; 335 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39402.572685.BE (Published 22 November 2007)
Cite this as: BMJ 2007;335:1061.4

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  1. Roger L Weeks, general practitioner
  1. London SW14 7DF
  1. roger{at}safescript.org

    The idea that the availability of drugs creates addicts is rubbish and backs up the panoply of sanctions that support the present law.1 2

    Most people accept that government is responsible for preventing the actions of some people harming others. Thus, we can harm ourselves by smoking, drinking, and overeating, but unless these habits damage others the law is indifferent, and rightly so. Laws arbitrarily criminalising the ingestion of some substances …

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