‘More to quit’ in drug advice row

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The UK’s chief drugs adviser is predicting there will be resignations after he was forced to quit for criticising government policy.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the scientific independence of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs was undermined by Prof Nutt’s comments.

The professor most recently criticised the decision to reclassify cannabis to Class B from C.

His sacking has been criticised by some drug research groups and MPs.

Prof Nutt told the BBC’s Newsnight the confidence of government scientists had been undermined by his sacking and their work was being devalued.

"I hope there will be no more sackings but I would not be at all surprised if other members of my council resigned," he said.

"One has already told me he will resign and I wouldn’t be surprised if others do."

‘Small risk’

He told the BBC he stood by his claim that cannabis should not be a Class B drug, based on its effects.

He described his sacking as an example of the government’s "Luddite attitude" towards science and accused Gordon Brown of making "irrational" remarks about the dangers of cannabis.

Governments may well have good reasons for taking an alternative view… When that happens, then the government should explain why Sir Michael Rawlins, Prof Nutt’s predecessor

But he denied that he had been trying to undermine the government’s policies on drugs.

Earlier this week Prof Nutt used a lecture at King’s College, London, to attack what he called the "artificial" separation of alcohol and tobacco from illegal drugs.

The professor said smoking cannabis created only a "relatively small risk" of psychotic illness.

In the past, Prof Nutt has also claimed that taking ecstasy is no more dangerous than riding a horse.

‘Inevitable decision’

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said the sacking had been "an inevitable decision" after Prof Nutt’s "latest ill-judged contribution to the debate".

But Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the decision to sack the adviser had been "disgraceful".

Claudia Rubin from Release – a national centre of thinking on drugs and drugs law – said the expert should not have been penalised.

MARK EASTON’S UK We are witnessing a collision between science and politics – there may be significant fall-out Mark Easton BBC’s home editor

Harry Shapiro, director of communications at DrugScope, said: "It would be naive not to expect those tasked with giving advice on drug policy to generate some controversy and debate.

"The Home Secretary’s decision to force the resignation of the chair of an independent advisory body is an extremely serious and concerning development and raises serious questions about the means by which drug policy is informed and kept under review."

Meanwhile, the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee has asked Mr Johnson to clarify why Prof Nutt was removed at a time when independent scientific advice was essential.

Phil Willis MP, Chairman of the committee, said: "It is disturbing if an independent scientist should be removed for reporting sound scientific advice."

Prof Colin Blakemore, professor of neuroscience at Oxford University and former chief executive of the Medical Research Council, said the government could not expect experts who serve on its independent committees not to voice their concern if the advice they give is rejected.

But Prof Nutt’s predecessor at the ACMD, Sir Michael Rawlins, said ministers had rejected advice in the past and would continue to do so.

He said: "Governments may well have good reasons for taking an alternative view… When that happens, then the government should explain why it’s ignoring the particular advice and I think that’s generally accepted as the principle."

The former government chief scientific adviser Sir David King said Professor Nutt had "stepped over the line" in criticising politicians but he agreed with him that classification should be based on the best scientific understanding.