P2 "Legalize, don't criminalize" is Howard Douglas' motto. He insists the only way to
P1 Two years ago, Scott Douglas died of a heroin overdose. Why is his father calling for
all drugs to be legalized?
control drugs is to regulate the sale of them. "I don't want a soft line on drugs. I wish that
people wouldn't use them. But they do, and so we need to put some order into the market."
P3 He firmly believes that his son would still be alive today if heroin had been legal.
Scott Douglas was 33 when he died two years ago. A long-time heroin user, he was forced to
live without the drug during a five-week prison term. He was killed at home by his first dose
after being released.
P4 An inquiry into Scott's death found that because he had been without the drug for
several weeks, his body could not take his normal dose. It also revealed that his final shot
contained an impurity - urine acetylcodeine. "If there had been a controlled environment for
my son to take his heroin, and it had been supplied legally, he would still be alive. There are
basically two policy options: you can legalize and regulate the supply, as you do with other
drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, or you can leave criminals to control everything."
P5 Although Mr.Douglas admits that many parents would not approve legalization, he
would like to see heroin supplied by the health service to addicts and a "clean and controlled
environment" for it to be taken with free needles and medical advice.
P6 After Scott's death, Mr.Douglas became deeply involved in the debate and was able to
understand why many young people turn to drugs. "I met a lot of Scott's supporters and they
had one thing in common - they couldn't understand with the world." Scott could never
understand why three-quarters of the world had to go hungry while one quarter had more
food than they needed. For a lot of [addicts] the world is a very painful place. Drugs take the
edge off reality.