Dead injecting drug user in Glasgow had anthrax, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon didn’t kill him, but they helped by keeping alive the phoney ‘war on drugs’ for political gain, how many people need to die before drugs get legalised?

Dear All

I am absolutely sure that it is proper that drugs must be legalised.

For decades, there has been a phoney ‘war on drugs’ conducted by authorities which has failed and been of very limited success.

It has been kept afloat by politicians who seek political office because they want to be seen as ‘tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime’!

Add to it, that is as far as their mentality takes them, once said they stand back and expect applause for how clever they are!

Drugs like alcohol has always been with us, the problem goes back centuries, we can’t stop the population but what we can do, is make a problem work for society.

 Legalising drugs can generate revenue, the money can be used to make people’s lives better, help local communities and support services which we all use.

And the onlyway to kill in the drug market is to enter thus taking control away from criminals who use it to expand their ‘’empires’.

The lack of action by government leads to deaths, an injecting drug user who has died in Glasgow has tested positive for anthrax.

The result has been confirmed by health officials.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) said the incident was an "isolated case" and may be down to contaminated heroin or cutting agent.

Either way this person is dead, junkies aren’t politically popular, so when it comes to help, they don’t even appear on the political radar for help and support.

We take money and seize assets from drug dealers et al and that money finds its way to various groups via grants from government, it is therefore logical that government should enter the drug market and tap this source of revenue for the benefit of the people. We can also help these unfortunate people better manage their lives; perhaps get them back into society.

Supt Grahame Clarke said:

"We can confirm that Strathclyde Police is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and working closely with the health board and Health Protection Scotland. Some people might have concerns about coming forward to police. However, the safety and well-being of everyone in our communities is the force's priority. I would appeal to anyone, especially drug users, to come to us with information that may enable us to trace the source of the anthrax.."

We need drug addicts out of the court system, we need these people out of jail, we need to help them, old fashioned Victorian values ensure no change to drug policy, any attempt is used to smear opponents as being ‘weak’.

The tough decision is to legalise drugs.

I didn’t know the person that died, I don’t know if he was a good or bad person, I don’t know that if he had the right type of help whether he could have had a future.

But I do know that no one in this SNP Government wasn't interested enough to want to help him and others like him, this SNP Government seems only interested in helping certain sections of society to advance at the cost of others. 

That is why we need new leadership at the political helm of Scotland, the kind that forces through the tough decisions without regard to whether they have concerns about getting re-elected at the ballot box.

Leadership can change lives, we don’t have leadership at present; we have ‘managers’ in Holyrood.

And they are managing this country and its people into the ground as they pursue their own self interest.

It is time to legalise drugs and solve problems in society, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon didn't kill this man, but they helped.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University