Recent announcements from the United Nations about the level of cocaine use in Great Britain and also the fact we are now the highest percentage users of cannabis in Europe make it clear that drug policies in place for many years have been a total and utter failure.

I believe even the use of such terms as "drug abuse" give a misleading impression - drug taking is drug taking.

The use of the term "drug abuse" suggests there is a correct and legal way of taking drugs which, of course, there is not.

The authorities need to take a much firmer line.

In a recent case, drugs were openly being sold on the seafront but the official concern was with the quality of the materials rather than the fact they were being sold.

Inevitably, such a situation will worsen, as it has done significantly over the past few decades.

I may be accused of being uncaring but, as far as I am aware, the vast majority of users of these substances do so by choice and therefore deserve neither sympathy nor the amount of concern shown by the authorities, in particular the police.

-David Robertson, Hove