More calls to legalise cannabis have been made following the cautioning of the Home Secretary's son for selling drugs.

The Home Secretary, Jack Straw, was urged by one of his own backbenchers, Paul Flynn, to "Go Dutch" and legalise cannabis after his son William was cautioned by the police for selling drugs.

The Labour MP for Newport West, who is vice-chairman of the Commons Drugs Misuse Group, applauded the police's decision not to prosecute the 17-year-old after he admitted supplying cannabis to an undercover reporter.

He said the teenager had had a "lucky escape" and urged his father to adopt an "intelligent" drugs policy like Holland's, where cannabis has been partially decriminalised.

Mr Flynn told the Home Secretary: "It was right not to prosecute Jack Straw's son, although the lives of tens of thousands of other youngsters have been wrecked for similar and lesser offences.

"Many have lost jobs, been expelled from schools and jailed for possession or dealing."

Users as young as 13

Drugs have become central to the teenage culture in Britain: not only is availability becoming more widespread, but the age of people getting involved in the culture of illegal drugs is getting lower.

Brighton has one of the worst drug records in Britain

One of the worst areas for drug problems among young people is in the south coast town of Brighton, where children as young as 13 say they have been offered drugs and some admit having taken them.

A recent survey revealed that more 15-year-olds in Britain were experimenting with drugs than in any other European country.

Fourteen-year-old Clare started on cannabis when she was 13 years old and has taken speed and LSD.

"Mainly my older friends get it," she said. "Once you've got it, you go to someone else's house, shut the door and then you're there."

Anti-drugs campaigns are being ignored

Clare, who lives in Brighton, says she has heard anti-drugs campaigns.

"I listened but I didn't really because my curiosity got the better of me. It's all part of the culture as well."

Don Brown, who runs a youth club and help service for teenagers on drugs, says he is in no doubt that the cannabis smoker will move on to harder drugs.

However, some children say it is a natural progression. One teenager said: "It's all about children growing up. It's a lifestyle now, it's not a fact of peer pressure any more and people will gradually make their way through drugs and it's up to them."

Another youngster said: "Before I tried cannabis I thought it was classed as a bad drug -- on a level of other drugs such as heroin.

"After I tasted cannabis and saw there wasn't a problem with it I thought speed will be okay, but that is a lot more damaging."

Sussex police has one of the worst drug beats in the country. Their policy is to caution first time cannabis users and always to prosecute dealers.

They do not send undercover police into clubs, but rely on closed circuit television and nightclub bouncers for tip offs.

Jeremy Paine: targeting dealers

The Head of Sussex Drugs Squad, Jeremy Paine, said: "It is readily available, I accept that, but we are doing a lot of work concentrating on the dealers - these are the people who are putting our kids at risk by offering them drugs when they're having a good time, there's lots of peer pressure and they think they ought to try it because their friends are with them.

"We're doing lots of work in schools with the young kids so they're given the education so that they can make informed decisions in the heat of the moment and think about whether drugs are really for them."

However, some believe that anti-drugs campaigns could never solve the problem. MP Paul Flynn believes the only successful anti-drugs policy is decriminalisation like in Holland.

He said: "Twenty years of cannabis decriminalisation there has cut all drugs use. No police, courts or prison time is wasted chasing cannabis users."

The MP, who visited the Amsterdam last week, said: "In Britain's [EU] Presidency year we should try humility in lecturing other EU countries on drugs policy.

"Our so-called 'tough' policies continue to fail with soaring drug use and crime. In Holland, 'intelligent' policies have reduced all harm."
 

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