Letter: New ways to counter drug-related crime

Sir: Your leading article 'Thinking the unthinkable on drug-related crime' (15 May) raises the question of legalising or decriminalising drugs. This institute (RISCT) has in recent years commissioned and published conflict studies on Global Drug Trafficking and Drug Trafficking after 1992.

Each of these studies, researched and written by a British expert on terrorism, the Mafia and drug trafficking, has endorsed the need for 'a radically new approach to drug- related crime'. Each of them also has implicitly supported the idea of a full debate on the desirability of relaxing the laws on drugs with a view to cutting crime and at least mitigating the serious economic effects of the illegal traffic.

In the light of this, RISCT has carried out the necessary literature search and other preparation for an urgent investigation of the problem in Europe and America. Our wholly negative experience so far in seeking the relatively small sum necessary to carry out the initial research tends to confirm your view that there is a great reluctance, not only politically, to provide the basis on which to debate such controversial measures.

There are many facets to this problem and the outcome of any research is by no means a foregone conclusion, but there is an urgent need to consider any new legal, judicial or operational measures, such as licensing, for countering both terrorism and drug trafficking that appear to offer prospects of real progress.

Yours faithfully,

WILLIAM GUTTERIDGE

Executive and Editorial Director

Research Institute for the Study

of Conflict and Terrorism

London, W1

25 May