Pubdate: Sun, 13 Apr 2003 Source: Sunday Times (Australia) Copyright: 2003 Times Newspapers Ltd Contact: http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/letters/letters.html Website: http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/438 Author: Grahame Armstrong Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) BRITISH TRIAL 'A FAILURE' The State Government's plan to decriminalise minor cannabis use follows a similar experiment in Britain that has since been branded a failure. In Britain, the Blair Government allowed cannabis users in a working-class area of London's Lambeth to escape the full sanction of the law. After a year, the experiment was widely condemned as having a shocking effect on vulnerable people, particulary children. Opposition Leader Colin Barnet this week quoted from an article in London's Evening Standard to underscore his opposition to the Government's legislation. "Working-class children are being turned into stoned, imbecilic criminals," Julie Fawcett, a youth worker, was quoted as saying. A Lambeth GP, Dr Clare Gerarda, said: "They (children) have got the message that suddenly it's all right; that the police won't do anything to them." London Deputy Assistant Commisioner Mike Fuller said: "One of the problems of children taking cannabis is that it brings them into contact with dealers." Mr Barnett said the Blair Government was using trendy, middle-class policies on working-class children and treating them as guinea pigs. He said the State Government was trying to do the same. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager