06/09/2007 00:00:00
UK: MP's anger at drug cautions
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Lancashire police let more than 200 people caught carrying cannabis off
with just a slap on the wrist, according to new figures.
Government figures show that 210 formal warnings, which bring no
criminal record, were handed out for possession of the drug in the
county in 2006/7.
This is a 46% fall since 2004, when police were first told not to
prosecute most minor first-time offenders, in comparison to increases in
the rest of the country.
Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans has accused police of treating stamping out
smoking in public more seriously than possession of cannabis.
However, police insist figures showing they took 179 people to court for
possession of the drug between April and August this year, shows how
tough they are on drugs.
Mr Evans, whose constituency includes Fulwood, said: "My message to the
Government and police is that this must be treated extremely seriously.
"It is a gateway drug. This is not a socially acceptable drug. Talk to
any doctor and they will tell you the psychiatric damage it can do is
ghastly."
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/MP39s-anger-at-drug-cautions.3179648.jp
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=12820
Author:
Lancaster Evening Post via UKCIA
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