It is very disappointing to see Paul Holmes backing an escalation of the War on Pleasure. And disappointing but not surprising to see John Key sticking his oar in as well. The two of them seem to think retaining the prohibition on methamphetamine, while making it more difficult for gangs to procure the necessary substrates, will help solve the 'problem” of people using methamphetamine. How naïve.

Dr (GP) Richard McGrath.

The reason gangs are in the ‘P' trade is because most potential competitors are scared off by the prohibited status of the drug, leaving criminals ready to reap the profits. John Key could pull the carpet out from under gangs and stop their drug revenue overnight by legalising the production, possession, use and sale of methamphetamine.

That's step one: taking the manufacture and sale of the drug away from gangs. A lot of harm arises in having to deal with these often unpleasant people and their less than user-friendly trading habits. There would be no more buildings damaged by the toxic chemicals used in clandestine P labs; instead, production could occur in secure, safe, commercial laboratories. With competition permitted, the price would drop; with legalisation, the illicit thrill obtained by flouting authority would disappear. With legalisation, the virulence of the drugs solid illicitly would diminish (the flip-side of Milton Friedman's ‘Iron Law of Prohibition.')

The use of methamphetamine and other recreational substances would become a health issue, not a legal one. Users would be less afraid to seek help for their drug-related health problems. Everybody would win – apart from the gangs.

Prohibition is a knee-jerk response to a perceived problem. It has never worked, never will. Sorry Paul and John, all you're doing is helping the gangs get richer with your silly posturing and power play. Destroy the gangs by getting drugs out into the open. Note how few gangs turn a dollar by selling alcohol.

A guest post by Dr (GP) Richard McGrath.