LET'S LEGALISE COCAINE

1. Rosie Boycott http://bit.ly/b6NWQ0

1.1. Drugs are not going to go away, and the war on drugs is not working. The only people who benefit from the current situation are the dealers.

1.2. Half of the inmates at Wormwood Scrubs are there because of drug related offences. Couldn't police time be better used?

1.3. Illegality forms a barrier against education about drugs and support for users and victims. Ending prohibition is not the same as saying yes to drugs.

2. Dr Mark Collins http://bit.ly/b0Qtmq

2.1. Cocaine is about the worst drug we could legalize. It is one of the most addictive and irreversibly alters the structure and function of the brain.

2.2. Less people die from drug use than alcohol use. Does this mean drugs are safer or does it mean prohibition is, to some extent, working?

2.3. We should follow common sense rather than romantic idealism; drug use leads to jails, institutions and death.

3. Jamie Whyte http://bit.ly/cFWhP4

3.1. All sorts of things are harmful, does this mean they should be banned?

3.2. Cocaine is actually good for its users. The anti-drug position is one of puritan bigotry not concern for peoples' welfare.

3.3. There is a risk of addiction, but it is just that, a risk. There are risks involved in driving a car but we allow people to make that decision on their own, why is drug use different?

4. Julie Lynn-Evans http://bit.ly/cggeTU

4.1. Yes we should treat rather than lock up young offenders, but to legalise the drug would be to increase its use and increase drug related crime.

4.2. The destructive effects of addiction cannot be underestimated. Users turn their backs on families and society.

4.3. Since laws surrounding alcohol have been relaxed we have seen an increase in binge, teenage and female drinking. Zero tolerance is the only policy that works.

5. Camilla Cavendish http://bit.ly/cWo2Z2

5.1. Prohibition is not working. Two thirds of young people admit to having tried cocaine. The money spent on this failing method is being wasted.

5.2. This is because a fight against cocaine is a fight against human nature. The desire to have a good time (users) and the desire to make shed loads of money (dealers.)

5.3. The illegality has created the most effective pyramid scheme ever known. It is a $400billion global industry.

6. Joe Studwell http://bit.ly/c3hwNN

6.1. The proposition turns on a liberal fallacy; that people can and would make the right decision were they offered the choice.

6.2. Proximity becomes a crucial issue. The closer we are to drugs, the more we will take. The easier they are to get, the more we will take.

6.3. Look for example at the rate of consumption of sugar, saturated fat, and alcohol. Look at addiction to prescription drugs. Legality will not stop people taking drugs.