should all drugs be classifed class A

Personally - I'd go the other way and completely legalise all drugs.

Prohibition doesn't work, and never has. Criminalising drug users / addicts only compounds the problem - like with your friend, used to be switched on/pro active chap, now the drugs have taken hold but our only response is to criminalise the addicts making them unemployable and pigeon holing them.

I have to wonder if it really achieves anything by giving youngsters criminal records for having cannabis on them, or any other drug for that matter. I believe it should be illegal to supply people under the age of 21 with any drug but after 21 we should be able to make our own choices.

The intention behind the drugs laws are good on paper, ie try to stop people from harming themselves, however it's been shown that it doesn't work. You can't make everything illegal because someone might die from it. Bubble was legal up to this year, kids were using it as a high, so the Government made it illegal. It's still being used, however now a drug called NRG is also coming in to the fore which is currently legal. The government's response will be to make this illegal as well - where does it stop ? Are we going to make climbing trees illegal because kids fall out of them and injure themselves.

I haven't got statistics to hand, but far more illnesses, deaths and violent disorder can be attributed to alcohol - so why is this drug legal but others aren't ? My view is that alcohol has become an accepted drug by society, so it is tolerated but the public's fear on other drugs is largely unsubstantiated, largely due to a lack of knowledge.

The drugs problem will not be solved by the criminal justice system but by the health system in providing support, and the education system by providing er, education.

When you say drugs to be classified as class A, I take it that you don't mean the many opiate based pain-killers that are on the market? These are basically derivatives of opium, morphine, cocaine etc. Why are those ok for you?
I have talked to 100's of people, mainly MS, Crohns, dystrophy patients etc who benefit greatly from medical marijuana, but of course not in this country. More forward-thinking countries have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, and they have very few problems in comparison. There are always pathetic cases that will have problems - people always seem to focus on these, rather than the many that are helped. Some people will get addicted to sniffing sellotape - I don't think we should be basing medical attitudes and available treatments solely because some individuals are intolerant to them.

legalising doesn't mean drugs will be any more available. There are many drugs that are legal now that are only available on prescription.

And I would stick my neck out and say that most illegal drugs aren't taken by the stereotypecal junkies that spring to mind when talking drugs, but the Saturday night crowd who want a pill to go clubbing with, or a bag of coke for a good night out. They are IMO the biggest users. They're normal everyday folk the rest of the time but like to party a little harder than most.

In most cases yes. It doesn't stop them though, the risks of getting caught are very low. And as you said they have to have it on them.

Its attitudes towards drugs that need changing and from early on too.

Kids grow up being told drugs are bad, dangerous and all the rest of it. When they reach their teens they get a new education. Drugs are fun and not that dangerous if you're careful. It mades everything up to that point seem like scaremongering and lies to keep them on the right path. So they dabble and find yes, they are indeed fun, and safe they believe, those adults dont know what they're talking about.

Now this is far from all kids but I do know this is how it happens in many cases.

We should be honest with them from the start. They shouldn't be led to believe that everyone who touches drugs ends up like Zammo because they'll soon find out thats a lie. They should be put off in a way that overrides what they are told by their friends later on. And told the truth.

In edit: The more pressure on dealers the better. The more they have to lose by getting caught selling, the better.

I can't find it online, but I remember a statistic from when I did my toxicology degree - more people in the UK have died from choking on breakfast cereal than from cannabis or ecstasy usage.
Time to ban those murderous cornflakes?

That's a very fair point, but is the misery caused by the drugs themselves, or their illegality? Countries like the Netherlands which "tolerate" and make freely available the softer drugs, only really have problems with hard drugs and alcohol.

I agree with darkest.

Haha! So does cocaine

Just because something is illegal doesn't make it worse than what is currently legal.

If we go the way of banning everything that is recreational (as opposed to medicinal) and is known to be harmful. The first ones to go would be alcohol and nicotene. Cigarettes especially have no safe minimum and zero health benefits.

I also agree that prohibition doesn't work. And you can't legislate for idiocy. All you can do is bring your own kids up to treat such temptations intelligently.

I feel the best way to tackle it is 2-fold. Social engineering - basically make being drunk, stoned etc etc etc seriously un-cool. And harsh - very very harsh - penalties for getting oneself into that state. The message being - you can take the stuff if you choose, but you WILL be held responsible for it and you WILL pay for it.