"Naughty Noel Angers Drug Tsar"

Drug tsar Keith Hellawell has branded Noal Gallagher's comments on drug-taking in this week's NME as "disgraceful".

In January, Hellawell had praised Noel, saying he was a good role model for young people after the Oasis singer revealed he had stopped taking cocaine. But Noel's assertions on page 18 of this issue, that drugs are "fucking top", have forced the Tony Blair-appointed anti-drugs co-ordinator to backtrack.

Noel said in answer to a Fan-ish Inquisition question: "I think they're (drugs) all good, actually. Every single one. They all serve a purpose. Apart from crack and heroin which are pretty bad because they kill you - or in the case of crack you kill other people, ha! I've had good times on them all. As long as you use them in the right way and don't abuse them and don't let them tuck you up they're fucking top."

In a statement released on Friday, Hellawell said: "I think it's disgraceful, utterings like these are given the grace of the printed word. He clearly has no concerns for others. He is engaged in self-gratification and I can only hope that the damage that drugs cause to so many thousands of young people is not visited upon any of his family or his children."

Hellawell and Noel's comments come on the eve of a Cleveland Constabulary report which supports the legalisation and regulation of "some or all drugs". The report will suggest drugs like cannabis are decriminalised and Ecstasy be reduced from a Class A drug to Class B or C. However, Tony Blair and Hellawell are said to preparing stricter measures to deal with rid soaring drug offences. Blair favours a US-style 'zero tolerance' approach with sterner sentences for users and dealers.

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c 2000 Andrew Turner

aturner@interalpha.co.uk

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