David Cameron today hit back at Lib Dem calls for drugs to be decriminalised – claiming it would encourage children to get hooked. The Prime Minister said he did not want to send a message to youngsters than taking drugs was okay. He said: ‘Frankly, it isn’t.’ It comes after the Lib Dems jumped on a landmark Home Office report which claimed punishing substance abuse had no impact on the number of people getting addicted. MPs, also backed a motion today calling for the Government to overhaul Britain’s ‘failing’ drug laws. The Prime Minister said he did not want to send a message to youngsters than taking drugs was okay. But Nick Clegg (right) said giving drug addicts criminal records was 'helping the real criminals' - the dealers
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Home Office report says that tough anti-drugs laws do not work
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Claims decriminalising narcotics would not lead to more Britons taking them
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Report was led by Liberal Democrat home office minister Norman Baker
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He accused the Conservatives of blocking their release for 'political reasons'
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Has sparked a row within the Coalition as the Tories reject its findings
Mr @placeholder added: ‘And frankly I think one of the biggest problems we have got right now is the problem of so-called legal highs, drugs are being sold openly which can have real dangers, for particularly young people and I want to see us have tougher powers so that we ban these legal highs, take them off the high streets and protect more of our young people.’