[Margaret Pilkington]

Legalising drugs will not make a difference.
The message that legalising drugs sends out is that taking drugs is safe.
Taking drugs is NEVER safe....even therapeutic drugs have side effects.

It is highly likely that if drugs were legalised then they would be taxed.....and there would always be those who would want to avoid taxes..They would get their supply from dealers in a similar way to how they do now.

If drugs were prescribed, you would get those who would sell their supply, but cut it first with Ajax or some other noxious substance.

The drug problem is because police forces have been lax in dealing with those who deal drugs and those who use drugs.

They say that they have not time to devote their resources to catching these criminals.
What they fail to recognise is that many crimes have drug use at their roots.

Addicts need their fix, they have no money, so they burglarise, rob and mug.
A whole industry gets set up to deal with stolen goods.

So Lord Falconer is wrong. Taking the line of least resistance is never the way to tackle wrong doing.

If drugs are legalised then we sell our young people short and damn them to a life where their potential is never realised.

As for your assertion that you are not in favour of legalisation....I think you are being disingenuous.
A leopard only changes its spots if you skin it.