Sir Richard Branson: War on Drugs has ‘Totally Failed’

By Ewan Palmer

Sir Richard Branson has told MPs that the approach to drugs must change (Reuters)

Sir Richard Branson has told MPs that the approach to drugs must change (Reuters)

Sir Richard Branson believes that the use of drugs should be treated as a health problem and not a crime, adding the war on drugs has “totally failed.”

Giving evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, the Virgin boss told MPs that the failure was down to “trying to deal with it as a criminal problem rather than a health problem”
The entrepreneur also told MPs that Britain should follow in the steps of countries like Portugal, where not a single person has been jailed for using drugs in the last 10 years.
“10 years ago they had a massive drug problem. Heroin was rampant and they decided to move drugs from the home office to the health department,” the tycoon said.
Branson suggested that the drugs policy should be in the hands of the Department of Health, and not the Home Office. He believes this would help the authorities concentrate on organised crime and the people dealing  drugs.
 
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