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I smoked cannabis too, says health secretary Hewitt
Last updated at 09:07am on 24.04.07
Patricia Hewitt: Admitted she smoked cannabis
The Health Secretary became the highest profile Labour figure to come clean about marijuana use prompting criticism about the Government's mixed messages on drugs.
Miss Hewitt, who has previously refused to comment when asked if she had tried drugs, insisted that she only tried cannabis once and didn't like it.
In an interview with the Independent, she said: "I tried cannabis once when I was a student. It didn't do anything for me and I never tried it again. I've not used any other illegal drug."
The Health Secretary went on to insist that cannabis should not be declassified, although she was a member of the Cabinet when Labour took the controversial decision to downgrade from a Class B drug to a Class C drug three years ago.
The move has been fiercely criticised by police and mental health groups, who claim it has caused a surge in abuse among youngsters.
Patricia Hewitt as a student: 'I've not used any other illegal drug'
Miss Hewitt said: "I'm in no doubt that cannabis use is harmful for people with mental health problems... So I wouldn't want to see cannabis declassified."
The Health Secretary studied at the Australian National University, in Canberra, before going on to complete two masters degrees at Oxford and Cambridge. She did not specify whether she had tried cannabis in Britain or Australia.
Her admission came as a new official study revealed that over a third of all 15 and 16-year-olds in England have tried cannabis - the highest in Europe.
The extent of teenage drug taking was revealed in a report from the NHS's 'The Information Centre'. It also revealed that over half of 15-year-olds had been offered cannabis. Meanwhile, the number of hospital admissions in which illegal drugs played a role has almost tripled in the last nine year.
Previous Labour ministers who have admitted trying cannabis include the former Home Secretary Charles Clarke, the former Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam and the health minister Caroline Flint.
Tony Blair has been asked repeatedly whether he ever took drugs but has never given a clear 'yes' or 'no'.
However, many of the Prime Minister's close friends were known to have openly used cannabis while he was studying at Oxford.
The Chancellor Gordon Brown, Home Secretary John Reid and Commons Leader Jack Straw have all denied taking illegal substances.
"But it is regrettable that we discuss cannabis use in terms of celebrity or political disclosures of single episode use.
"That takes the focus away from the real danger of cannabis. It is a drug we have seriously underestimated. For someone like Patricia Hewitt to say that I tried the drug once and didn't like it belies the seriousness of the issue.
"The reclassification of cannabis may have been the single most unwise decision made by this Labour government."
Peter Stoker, director of the National Drug Prevention Alliance, said: "Patricia Hewitt says that cannabis use is harmful for people with mental health problems, but research shows that it is also harmful for people without mental health problems and can even trigger them.
"I find it extraordinary that she says she is against the 'declassification' of cannabis when it was this Labour Government that reclassified it in the first place.
"Miss Hewitt seems to be making things up as she goes along. The only thing I can put it down to is the dope she smoked when she was younger."
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "It is welcome that the Minister has belatedly acknowledged the alarming mental health implications for cannabis use.
"She should also acknowledge it is not just a problem for people with mental health problems, there is growing evidence it can lead to mental health problems in the first place. "She should also acknowledge that it is the Government's chaotic and confused policy on drugs that has led to more young people thinking it is ok to take the drug, thus compounding the problems she has identified."
Speaking about the new NHS drug figures, Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb added: "These shocking figures demonstrate the very serious health risks, on top of the social cost, of increased drug use. "Illegal drugs not only affect hardcore addicts, but pose a real and increasing danger to many young people."
Reader views (16)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
MD — maybe that was WHY she turned to a puff in the first place. And while I couldn't condone drug abuse in any form, of course, maybe her department's reforms might have been more reasoned if she's stayed on it?
- Karli, Tottenham, London
Who cares what this clown has done in the past. Look at what she is doing now! I think that "dope" is the most appropriate word.
- Gareth, London
Blimey. Anyone else noticed how much like Tony Blair she looked as a student.
If that's what trying drugs does for you, I'm glad I haven't.
- Md, London, UK
I'm intrigued by those eminent people who refused to comment. Surely this has to be taken as an admission of guilt?
- Arthur Deconstantinioni Iii, London
Would someone please explain the difference between marijuana and cannabis. Are the terms interchangeable?
- Pat, Henley
This explains perhaps some of the policies promoted by her and their apparent lack of common sense. Having said that her department is not very good at implementing them either, perhaps for the same reasons.
- Jose, Wales
I wouldn't say Patricia's mental health is normal - have you seen the decisions she has made over the last year? I'd be surprised if she said she wasn't off her face when those were taken.
- A.Noyd, London
We've all done it. And if you haven't you should.
- Jay, London
The woman is the most useless Health secretary in recent times!
- Kris, Leeds
At least we know the Gateway theory is a fallacy, as Pat is not on hard drugs, also her mental health seems normal?
- Winston Matthews, Horley, Surrey
In an interview with the Independent, Miss Hewitt said: "I tried cannabis once when I was a student. It didn't do anything for me and I never tried it again. I've not used any other illegal drug."
...funny that, she's saying what the rest of the country already know, cannabis is harmless, it's not a gateway drug and you can lead a normal and productive life after and whilst smoking cannabis.
If this is so, why is it still illegal for the rest of us to smoke it... are the politicians saying they're different from us? They can smoke it and carry on normally but the public can't? They can smoke it and not move on to harder drugs but the public can't?
So many politicians are coming forward and saying they've smoke cannabis when it was illegal so how do they think their prohibition is working then? Why don't they just admit that the prohibition of cannabis just isn't working and decriminalise it for the rest of us?
There's hard proof from Holland that shows if you decriminalise cannabis, hard drug use falls amongst juveniles quite significantly.
But the UK's media find it difficult to get away from this 'skunk missile' type of reporting... which is about as helpful as the governments stance on drugs.
'Weapons Of Mass Destruction' anyone... I think not.
- Penny, Hampshire
Well done Patricia! Good for you! It's about time that people in politics start telling the truth even if it's not what people want to hear.
- Alan, London
Unbelievable! She has spent most of her time patronisingly telling everyone else what is good or bad for them, and all the time she was a cannabis "trier"!
- Steve R, London, UK
So presumably, this proves that soft drugs lead to hard drugs as to come out with the rubbish she does on a weekly basis she must be on something that causes hallucinations.
- Trevor Roll, London
Considering some of the stuff that issues from her department, it makes one wonders if she's not been affected by smoking it when younger.
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
Most people think shes' still on it.
- Sammy, Buenos Aries
