Comment: UK HOC Home Affairs Committee hearing on drugs

Comment by Calvina Fay, Executive Director of Drug Free America Foundation

UK HOC Home Affairs Committee hearing on drugs

This hearing is woefully lacking in integrity. The chair of the committee clearly leads David Nutt through his testimony to deliver a pre-determined point of view to support a biased agenda. Mr. Nutt is never questioned about his sources as he throws out ridiculous statements such as his claim that horseback riding is as dangerous as drug use. First, I seem to have missed the worldwide announcement that we have an epidemic of horseback riding injuries. But, we all know that we have a worldwide drug epidemic.

While I cannot speak to the number of horseback riding injuries in the UK, I can tell you that in the United States, 30 million people ride horses and only 50,000 per year are treated in emergency rooms for injuries, according to the Journal of Trauma 1997. This is .001666percent! On the other hand, in 1997 we had 542,594 drug induced visits to emergency rooms and 15,973 drug induced deaths, meaning deaths resulting directly from drug consumption, primarily overdoses. There were hundreds of thousands of other drug users who were treated or died from secondary problems associated with drug use.

In the United States from 1999-2002 there were only 76 fatal injuries to youth under 20 years involving riding an animal or an animal drawn vehicle. (National Center for Health Statistics. 1999-2002 multiple cause-of-death file. March 2005.) There really is absolutely no justifiable comparison of illicit drug use to horseback riding.

Second, his nutty statement completely ignores the fact that horseback riding does not put others at risk like drugs do. He ignores the fact that drugs are connected to all kinds of crimes, including organized crime and terrorism. The same cannot be said about horseback riding.

He points out that he sees a rising tide of damage from alcohol. Does it ever occur to him that alcohol is so widely used and abused because it is legal and socially acceptable and if other drugs achieve legal status we will see similar impacts with them? He states that people should be able to use other drugs instead of alcohol. He incorrectly states that there is no crime involved with alcohol use. Children and other family members who have been victims of physical and sexual abuse,and neglect would certainly disagree with that remark.

Nutt’s unfounded opinion that 25% of Brits would switch from alcohol to marijuana if it became available in Amsterdam-style cafes is left completely unchallenged by the chair. Upon what science does he base this silly opinion? Funny thing is that, in reality, it is very common for drug users to consume alcohol in addition to – not instead of -their other drugs. So from where does his opinion originate?

Nutt holds up the liberal Dutch and Portuguese drug policy models as successes to be followed while completely ignoring the data. Both policies have been dismal failures and we are now seeing efforts underway to adjust these policies towards a more conservative approach.

This hearing is a sham and the committee chair should be removed from his position in disgrace for orchestrating this circus!