§ 33. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps he intends to take to warn young people of the dangers of drug dependence, particularly on soft drugs and cannabis.
§ Mr. Elystan MorganThe Home Office has begun talks about this question with the Health Education Council which has been set up by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Social Serivces.
§ Mrs. ShortI am obliged to my hon. Friend for that reply. Will he bear in mind that, besides young people, parents, too, need guidance about the recognition of symptoms in young people who are on 1562 drugs, and will he take urgent steps to deal with the problem?
§ Mr. MorganI will certainly bear that in mind. I should, however, say that publicity about drug dependence must be very carefully handled if it is not to be counter-productive.
§ Mr. BlenkinsopDoes my hon. Friend agree that the most important thing is to make sure that information is based on facts, not on pure romance?
§ Mr. MorganYes, I accept that.
Mr. Gresham CookeAs one who has seen young people recovering from the effects of cannabis and other soft drugs in remand homes, will the Under-Secretary make it clear to both parents and children that the effects flowing from these soft drugs are much longer-lasting than the effects, say, from alcohol.
§ Mr. MorganThe view put forward by the hon. Gentleman endorses what was said in the debate on cannabis in this House a fortnight ago.