drugs – Page 5 – Ian Birrell

Agony of losing both our ‘stupid boys’ to ecstasy – and why drugs should be legalised

Published by The Mail on Sunday (12th June, 2016) The boy’s room at the top of the house looks like any teenager’s bedroom, with school pens stacked neatly […]

Poison Penn

Published by The Daily Mail (12th January, 2016) The gangsters had a problem. Their Sinaloa cartel was killing so many people in the battle to control Mexico’s drug […]

Aid / Drugs / Policy

Drug warriors being defeated, but Britain fights on

Published by The Independent (9th November, 2015) There can be no doubt that the daft war on drugs is devastating many of the world’s poorest countries, from Africa […]

Drugs / Police / Policy / Politics

Slowly but surely, the West is coming down from the hallucinatory war on drugs

Published by The Independent (27th July, 2015) The stench of hypocrisy has long hung over the drugs debate. Politicians joke about their own use, then talk tough about […]

Arts / Books / Drugs / Policy

The war on drugs is stupid and counter-productive

Published by The Spectator (16th July, 2015) Zero Zero Zero by Roberto Saviano (Allen Lane) & Dreamland: The True Story of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones (Bloomsbury) […]

Drugs / Policy / Politics

The ban on legal highs is mind-bendingly stupid

Published by The Independent (1st June, 2015) Sometimes it is hard not to wonder at the stupidity of Westminster. Advanced nations around the world are waking up to […]

Drugs / Policy

The war on drugs isn’t working, so let’s stop pretending it is

Published by The Daily Telegraph (30th April, 2015) Outside of their families and friends, few tears will have been be shed for the eight heroin smugglers killed by […]

Aid / Iran / Pakistan / World

Foreign aid millions helped Iran hang 3000 people – including women and children

Published by The Mail on Sunday (14th December, 2014) British aid has assisted the brutal execution of nearly 3,000 people accused of drug smuggling in Iran, according to […]

Drugs / Policy

Another stupid salvo in Britain’s idiotic war on drugs

Published by The Guardian (26th June, 2014) Khat has been legally imported into this country for 60 years, a mild natural stimulant chewed by a tiny slice of […]

Drugs / Policy / Politics

High time to end this immoral drugs war

Published by The Independent (30th April, 2014) It is 43 years since Richard Nixon, in need of a public enemy to shore up support for his snarling style […]

Drugs / Policy

How legal highs could be brought down to Earth

Published by The Guardian (26th April, 2014) Just down the road from my house are shops that demonstrate the absurdity of our drug laws. The shelves are filled […]

Drugs / Policy / Politics

A cheer for Nick Clegg – he is talking about drugs

Published in The Independent (February 10th, 2014) Hooray! Give Nick Clegg a cheer – at last we have a prominent frontline politician talking some sense on drugs. Following […]