Keith Hellawell's task is thankless. As Britain's first Drugs Czar his brief is to stem the vast tide of illegal narcotics washing around the streets of Britain. It is a tough job; accordingly, he talks tough.

Mr Hellawell's straight talking has made the headlines before. And he did not mince his words when speaking to the Evening Press today. Recreational drug users, he said, have the blood of victims of drug barons on their hands.

These words demonstrate Mr Hellawell's passionate hatred of those involved in drug dealing. They also contain a simple logic. If no one took drugs, the trade would not exist. However, you might just as well argue that if all drugs were decriminalised, the vastly profitable illegal empires would also collapse. Neither eventuality is likely to happen.

This is not to suggest that Mr Hellawell's message is unhelpful. It will provoke further thought and debate about one of society's most enduring problems. Raising awareness is one of the jobs of the Drugs Czar, and he is certainly doing that.

One of Mr Hellawell's most persistent messages is that anyone, from any background, can become mixed up with drugs. Middle class users are just as at risk from the dangers of drugs as the stereotype poverty-stricken heroin junkie. He said the same to Pocklington School pupils in 1998, warning them that he had "been to a number of funerals of children" who thought they could control their drug habit.

Today he targeted clubbers, who are far more likely to take so-called "recreational" drugs. But on a Friday night out, it is unlikely they will stop to consider Mr Hellawell's words about the potential effects of their habit on people in the developing world.

The best deterrent is still fear. Fear of the harm drugs can do; fear of being caught. Users must be reminded continually that they gamble with their life and liberty every time they take drugs.

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