Observer story about the war on drugs: "The war on drugs killed my daughter"
I am not a reader of the Guardian, because although I agree with many of its stated values, I know from personal experience that it is totally hypocritical in practice. So I don't know what its stance on drugs is, but I'd take a shrewd guess it's in favour of legalising recreational drug use. The chattering classes in North London are quite fond of a bit of Charlie at their dinner parties after all. It seems the only explanation for the massive leap it makes in this story where it is claimed that the war on drugs killed someone's daughter.
Normally I avoid reverse snobbery, but it seems quite remarkable that this mother doesn't blame her daughter, the dealer, or even the maker of the drug. She blames the government. Personally I am against the legalisation of recreational drugs, but for some limited tolerance and improved treatment for drug addictions and better access to problem-solving courts. Whatever your feelings about legalisation though, this narrative makes no sense. If middle-class kids can run foul of illegal drugs, what about poor kids?
The reference to khat is slightly baffling. The drive to criminalise khat has come from the Somali community, concerned about the zombification of many young Somalis:
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-campaigners-welcome-government-crackdown-4873433
All in all, it seems a rather desperate attempt to make a personal freedom issue into a public safety issue.
All in all, it seems a rather desperate attempt to make a personal freedom issue into a public safety issue.
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