Drug laws are driven by "moral panic" says a new study which concludes that most drugs have been wrongly "demonised". An independent study also recommended the setting up of "shooting galleries" where users can inject drugs safely.

The two year study by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, or RSA argued that "whether we like it or not, drugs are and will remain a fact of life".

This forum debate has now closed. Here is a selection of your views on the topic.
Dean
Yes I would have to agree with the idea of setting up "shooting galleries" for drug users but I don't think the concept should just stop there.Personally I would like to see centres set up for voluntary euthanasia so people who genuinely wanted to die could go along there to be helped to end there own life. In fact I would have to say that opening a centre like that for assisted suicide should definitely be given priority over opening up one for people who just wanted to experience the effects and joys of having mind altering drugs pumped into their sorry systems.
Really, I do think we truly need to get our priorities right over this one instead of wasting precious taxpayer dollars on underdogs and losers who just want to float on clouds in heaven all day instead of bearing the drudge of modern day society.

Amanda
I believe that marijuana should be decriminalised. The amount of time and money that the government spend on finding the people e.g.

"growers" "tinnie houses" is amazing, that money could be better spent in finding real criminals. I would also like to note that while this column is about 'Demonising' drugs does more harm than good; many of you have written in doing just that, demonising drugs. For those of you out there that have not experienced taking drugs, what gives you the right to even comment on this topic? You cant just say that all drugs are bad or even different categories are bad. It is the things that some people do in the business of drugs that are the bad things, if you take away the business aspect and turn them into legal business then you will take away the illegal crimes with it as you would be able to report to the police when crimes happen, e.g. you get ripped off. Most of the views I have read seem to think that P is "evil" well that is just not the case. These people you read about in the news that were on "P"' when they created these horrible crimes would have in all likelihood done the same crime straight, it is the people not the drugs that are the problem. I have been a regular user of P for 7 years and it hasnt changed me or effected my life negatively at all, I have never become angry of violent, I have never hurt anyone and have never committed a crime other than doing drugs, I don't have mood swings and I live a great life. If we want to stop the crimes that are happing the best way would be to de-criminalize drugs and get the profits away from the criminals then there would be nowhere near as much crime as there is.

Paula
My partner was also a frequent cannabis user for many years, but without the mood swings, which I think was possibly because I did not hassle him about it. I would rather he was doing that than drinking regularly. I had no trouble getting pregnant. Twice. Two lovely lively intelligent inquisitive children, one an adult now, the other in his teens.