Ecstasy 'safer than aspirin'; police chief

By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Jan 2, 2008, 8:49 GMT

Anti-drugs campaigners have condemned comments made by a controversial police chief saying the drug ecstasy was "safer than aspirin". EPA/Zhara Muhammad

(M&C) - Anti-drugs campaigners have condemned comments made by a controversial police chief who said the drug ecstasy was "safer than aspirin".

Richard Brunstrom, the chief constable of North Wales Police, made the comments after being questioned on his policy of legalising all drugs.

"Ecstasy is a remarkably safe substance - it's far safer than aspirin," he said. "It's easy to find people on both sides of what is really a very heated debate at the moment, I think," he said.

"But if you look at the Government's own research you will find that Ecstasy by comparison to many other substances, legal and illegal, is a comparatively safe substance."

"There is a lot of scare-mongering, rumour-mongering around Ecstasy in particular. It isn't borne out by the evidence. Ecstasy is not a safe substance and I'm not suggesting that it is."

"But it's much less dangerous than for instance, tobacco and alcohol, both of which are freely available," he added.

Mr Brunstrom's view is that prohibition has not worked and drugs should be made legally available in the same way as alcohol and cigarettes.

However his views were criticised by anti-drugs groups. Peter Stoker, of the National Drugs Prevention Alliance, said: "Mr Brunstrom should resign. His comments are increasingly incompatible with his position."

"The danger from illegal drugs isn't just a question of how poisonous it is in the short-term - although any dose of ecstasy can kill - it includes the damaging behaviour which people are sucked into and the harm it does to those around them, particularly their families."