ESRC: People are becoming more tolerant of the use of cannabis, but there are still clear limits to what is acceptable in the area of illegal drug-taking, according to new research funded by the ESRC. Views about cannabis have shifted considerably over the past two decades, with 41 per cent of Britons now supporting its legalisation - up from just 12 per cent in 1983. However, very few (eight per cent) endorse the view that adults should be free to take any drugs they wish, says the report into a study led by Nina Stratford of the National Centre for Social Research. The opinions of some 1,000 people in England and Wales and 1600 in Scotland were surveyed. Attitudes towards heroin remain very negative with nine in ten believing it should stay illegal – the same proportion as in 1993. Ecstasy is seen in a similar light, with again nine in 10 wanting it to remain illegal. Only seven per cent agree that ecstasy is not as damaging as some people think, and three-quarters believe that its legalisation would lead to an increase in addiction. The view that ecstasy is a ‘soft’ drug similar to cannabis has little public support. Most people (86 per cent) support allowing cannabis to be prescribed by doctors for medical purposes. As observed in 1995 research, the young, more educated, professionals and Londoners are more liberal in their attitudes towards the drug.
Die Originalpublikation ist erst am 15.7. erhältlich...