The majority of Britons realise illegal drugs are a fact of life a new survey has found.
According to a YouGov poll of nearly 3,000 people, 89% believe "whether we like it or not, there will always be people who use drugs and the aim should be to reduce the amount of harm they cause themselves and others".
However, there is a clear distinction between views on so-called hard drugs, such as heroin and so-called soft drugs like cannabis.
73% of the people questioned said the sale and possession of hard drugs should remain criminal offences, whereas 38% believe the same about soft drugs.
15% of people reckoned both the sale and possession of soft drugs should not just be decriminalised, but legalised.
There was also a difference of opinion between people born since 1960 and older generations. Younger people are more likely to believe in decriminalisation, with a total of 60% in favour of legalising possession of soft drugs for personal use, or treating it as a lesser offence, like illegal parking or speeding.
Amongst those born before 1945 that figure falls to 48%, with just 8% in favour of legalising the sale and possession of soft drugs.
When it comes to drug problems in Britain as a whole, just over half (53%) agreed "there is a serious problem affecting practically the whole country" whilst 39% said the problem is "largely confined to certain neighbourhoods and kind of people". Whereas Just 5% said they thought there was "not really" a serious drugs problem in this country.
The poll, for the Daily Telegraph and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, also looked at the harm caused by alcohol and tobacco. It showed that the majority of people (78%) believe that consumption of alcohol causes "most harm to the largest number of people and their families".
Smoking tobacco was second with 60% and taking illegal drugs third with 55%.
Respondents were also asked if there should be a Class D classification covering some of the less harmful drugs which are currently illegal, as well as alcohol and tobacco and 56% said they would be broadly in favour of such a classification, whilst 30% said they were broadly opposed.
The poll surveyed 2,938 people online across Britain. Source: Press Association, 14/08/2006
Source: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Posted: 16th August 2006
