Drugs strategy - Drugs war will be long and slow

IT would appear that Minister of State Noel Ahern, who has responsibility for drugs strategy and community affairs, is quite right in stating that the war on drugs is not being won.

His opinion is shared by an expert in the area, Jerry Cameron, a former US head of police, who spent most of his career in the anti-narcotics branch of the force. He is now spokesperson for LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition).

This is a group comprising former law enforcers whose experience is that Western governments have failed to tackle the drugs war and resources would be far better spent on promoting drugs awareness.