Riding High

Politicians are always talking about doing what works and basing policy on the evidence. But my conclusion is that they use evidence only when it suits them. To be fair, we ask much of our politicians and they can only fail to meet our hopes and expectations.

Take horse riding – recent research has shown that horse riding is more dangerous than taking ecstasy. Apparently, someone gets badly hurt one out of every 350 trips on horseback whereas the figure is one in 10,000 for taking ecstasy.

David Nutt, who chairs the independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs found that by comparing statistics on horse-riding with the taking of ecstasy he could determine that, on average, horse riding was more dangerous for the individual than taking ecstasy and, perhaps more importantly, more damaging to society.

He cited that horse riding contributed to more road accidents and global warming through higher methane emissions. Yet the government classifies ecstasy as a “Class A” drug which, just for possession, carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment whereas dangerous driving, for example, attracts a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment.

The government is out of step with society – around five times as many people take ecstasy as watch Blue Peter. It is out of step with the police – who don’t even bother to charge 40% of those in possession of ecstasy. It is out of step with the scientific community which, although having reservations about continual heavy use of the drug, in general think the classification is bizarre. And even that august magazine The Economist calls for drugs to be regulated rather than banned. Far more people die because drugs are illegal than die from the drugs themselves.

My own sense is that the current government drugs policy was implemented after pressure from the Americans in the sixties who, despite their horrific experience with prohibition, wanted the world to eradicate drug use by making it illegal. It was destined to fail, it is failing and the quicker we ignore America on this issue the better.

I like horse riding and in my experience there are few pleasures better than an early morning gallop along the beach but if others prefer clubbing on ecstasy who am I, or the government, to deny them their pleasure?

I want the police to be able to concentrate on making our roads safer – that would be a benefit for all of us.