25 years on, the "Misuse of Drugs Act" has failed to solve the problem

Lady Runciman says today's drugs culture is different

Charity Launches Inquiry into Drugs Laws

The inquiry will be headed by Lady Runciman, who, for more than 20 years was a member of the Government's advisory council on the misuse of drugs. Members of her team include senior police officers, academics, lawyers, and experts in the treatment of addicts.

They will be looking at the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act - which lists controlled drugs and classifies them according to how dangerous they are.

The Police Foundation says the law was designed for a particular time, but youth culture and the drugs issue have moved on, and review is essential. Lady Runciman says it's not an attempt either to smooth the path to legalisation, or bolster a law that may be perceived as failing.

Legalise it???

The inquiry, which is expected to last two years, follows the government's decision to appoint a drugs czar to co-ordinate the fight against drugs, and a renewed debate about whether de-criminalisation or tougher enforcement is more likely to be effective.

Earlier this month, the Bolton MP Brian Iddon had called for a royal commission to examine Britain's drugs problem, to look at the possibility of decriminalisation. His comments followed the shooting of a five-year-old in what the police suspected to be a drugs-related killing.

And last week, one of the country's most senior police officers, the chief constable of Bedfordshire, Michael O'Byrne, called for a fundamental rethink of the Government's anti-drug strategy. He said that legalisation and regulation similar to alcohol will have to be considered if a new drugs policy is not drawn up.