Alan Johnson, Labour’s last Home Secretary has admitted and apologised for his party’s failure to tackle binge drinking during his tenure.  He said:  ‘I regret not doing more to tackle the problems caused by binge drinking during my period in office. The Government is right to stop alcohol being sold below cost price. It’s something we should have done.’  Labour has been condemned for introducing 24-hour drinking (Tony Blair) and reducing alcohol-related taxes by £200million (Gordon Brown).

Johnson’s successor Theresa May has been commended for plans to prohibit shops from selling alcohol below cost price.

Mr Johnson said: ‘I regret not doing more to tackle the problems caused by binge drinking during my period in office. The Government is right to stop alcohol being sold below cost price. It’s something we should have done.’

The jury is out.  As the pressure mounts from the public and media, the ACMD provided its report to the Home Secretary last night recommending that mephedrone should be classified as Class B drugs.  Alan Johnson announced they are set to ban mephedrone and other synthetic ‘legal highs’ (as with synthetic cannabinoids) in a matter of weeks whose aim is to prevent manufacturers from producing further similar harmful drugs so they “can be in the forefront of dealing with this whole family of drugs”.

Alan Johnson also announces that he is “seeking cross-party support to swiftly ban these dangerous drugs from [UK] streets”.

The importation of mephedrone and its related products has now been banned with immediate effect. The UK Border Agency have been instructed to seize and destroy shipments of these drugs into the country.  Shops and websites selling the drug in various forms will be warned.

Class B drugs include cannabis and amphetamine sulphate, carrying with it imprisonment of up to five years for possession and up to 14 years for dealing.

Expect the banning process as follows:

1. Home Secretary announces intention to ban
2. Parliamentary business committees formed
3. Proposal laid in Parliament
4. Debate and vote in each House
5. Approval by Privy Council

As the ACMD’s successor to sacked advisor, Prof David Nutt, Prof Les Iversen and his team have conducted its first undertaking being the review on cocaine.  There has been a five-fold increase in users since 1996 and use among those in age bracket 16-59 has increased to 3% from 0.6% in the same period.  Iversen has told Home Secretary Alan Johnson that cocaine should remain in Class A due to its harmful effects.

Looks like bans on alcohol promotions are coming around quickly.  Bloomberg reports that UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson states the bans will start in April.  They will forbid current bar, club and pub promotions including drinking competitions and all-you-can-drink events.  Johnson states:  “The government and the industry have a duty to act.”