The problem is simple - the consumers want the products very, very much. Why is another matter, but the tobacco industry traded on this situation for a century and only now is beginning to decline. Don't expect anything government can do to make much difference for quite some while.

Colin, shrewsbury,

The government should buy up the drugs at source to put the Taliban, etc. out of the business. Next, supply it free to all who will sign up for treatment, that will put the dealers out of business. Next, legalalise it.

R Mason, London, UK

Supply drugs at cost to registered addicts and eliminate high end users by spot checks and banning them from any senior positions if failing. Tax it like petrol not ban it. Total withdrawal added to the sentence for funding the addiction by crime would also help.

D Cage, Highworth, UK

Drug taking must be made DANGEROUS.
1. Random testing must be legal
2. Positive results must mean loss of job/fines of a percentage of wealth/forced bankruptcy.
3 High rewards for those denouncing drug users.

We need a high likelihood of being caught and really painful penalties.

Roger Alford, Guildford, UK

To everyone below and everyone reading, the answer is to legalise it, and the criminals with the drugs do fear decriminalisation. The reason it is not legalised is because all the politicians are too scared to stand up against "the war" they have fought for so many years...

Adam Webb, MK, UK

You solve a problem by facing it directly. Why do people use drugs? What does it give them that life doesn't? Highs, escape, thrills, temporary access to higher consciousness that our society denies exists? Bit like alcohol. Legalise and register users so they can be helped and not judged by fools.

Chris, London,

Don't legalise, medicalise. Let the poor desperate consumers line up twice a day for their free fix and watch the market disappear. When the demand is satisfied, the crime rate will drop and the rest of us can get on with our lives.

Lisa Hennessy, Herefordshire, UK

Introduce policies that hurt both dealers and users. Supply drugs free of charge for three years to cripple illegal supply. Then stop for three years. Disrupting supply will have devastating consequences for users who will be forced to seek help. Repeat the process infinitum.

Rob Bateman, Birmingham, England

The UK drug policy, like many others, has been driven by the American fixation with entry to South American countries under the guise of the 'war on drugs'. This policy has lead to massive profits for the suppliers to the detriment of ordinary people. Investment banking but without being legal!

Bobby Smith, london,

The easiest way to cut the drugs trade is to jail the users. With no demand there is no business. Italy had a problem with counterfeit goods sold on the streets, they imposed a massive fine on the purchasers and the police focus on catching the purchasers not the sellers. A very smart move.

Pete, Epping , UK

Drug use is driven by demand. It is NOT a victimless crime. Count the dead, police and druggies. Buy the DVD ' Drug wars '. It will scare you seeing the ease with which gang members kill each others and people like you. Was there a drug that was used to make people sick if they used drugs ?

Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA TX

You'd think they would have learnt something from Prohibition. They did. Cops made money. Legislation went against then. Today it's in nobody's interest to scuttle a multi-billion dollar industry. Interests are top down both sides. Neither wants the other out the league. Just lose the game

haralambos, joburg,

Those who advocate the legalisation of drugs tend not to live with bad drug addicts. They only see the nice ones who haven't cross the line yet. There are still problems with legal drugs like alcohol. Legalisation will not make the drug problem disappear - it will create another one.

Carolyn, Surbiton,

From all of the comments it shows that NO ONE has sufficient imagination or indeed awareness of the scale of the problem.
Drug misuse is NOT an isolated issue, it is linked to ALL other areas of crime, period! Theft, Violence, etc etc etc.
It's the top we need to start at, not the bottom!!

Shaun, Newcastle, Tyneside

Drugs are a business. It should be treated as such. However, there are still too many stupid voting "Daily Mail" readers who think that somehow the trade can be outlawed. They're the real drugs problem.

Dave, Slough,

Take a leaf out of Hollands book. Why fill our jails with drug mules, these people come from very poor backgrounds and some are threatened with there lives or there familys lives.Send them back home and save the tax payer money.

mark , Birmingham, U K.

Legislative policy and successive governments support a business environment that encourages huge personal financial gain for a small number of top people whilst forcing millions to suffer. Drugs policy or the 'light touch' of regulation for investment bankers? I know which causes most misery!

Bobby Smith, london,

What a farce. As long as the Daily Mail is happy though.... That 'Strong Signal' the government sent out over cannabis should start taking effect any day now and I think we'll see a miraculous solution to this problem take effect. No really, just wait and see. Why are you laughing?

Glen, london,

I was going to suggest the same as Brian Putman. Legalising drugs and putting them on the same footing as tobacco and alcohol would pull the rug from under the dealers and bring in revenue, part of which could be used to fund treatment and rehabilitation of addicts (as for alcoholics and smokers).

Jeremy Wall, Paphos, Cyprus

Prohibition in the USA didn't work and it was the birth of the Mafia.
5.3 billion pounds?
Legalise it, tax it and we can all benefit.
BECAUSE YOUR NOT GOING TO STOP IT

GJB, Slough, Berkshire

Whilst law enforcement agencies labour under restrictive 'rules of engagement' when attempting to target drug suppliers, and courts are not strong enough to impose proper sentences, the 'war' against drug dealing will not be won. If the government were serious about it, the gloves would be off now!

Jim, Exeter, UK

Wake up people. The CIA are responsible for the Drugs in the USA what make you think our lot don't do the same hear, It keeps the Police gainfully employed. If you all want more Police then someone has to create the crime, GET IT

Mark, Gateshead, UK

Legalise drugs? And what would they do with all the unemployed civil servants who spend their lives trying to fight the drug trade? Don't you see - the goodies and the baddies need each other - the former to earn a salary and the latter to keep the prices high. Remember it's the drug TRADE.

haralambos, joburg,

The UK Drug Policy Commission may be surprised that illegal drugs follow the laws of economics, supply and demand. Illegal status only serves to keep the price high, and increase the profits of the dealers. The "war on drugs" is no more winnable than the "war on terror," both are counterproductive

Rod Dalitz, Edinburgh, Scotland

legalise all drugs now. Control there supply, inlcuding cigarettes and alchohol and tax them. Use the funds saved and taxes earned to promote safe/non use and assist to those who get addicted - and who can now seek help easily. Stop this stupid policy which promotes organised crime and chaos.

andrew moore, brighton, uk

I was going to say that the UK Drug Policy Commission has no official standing whatsoever and is merely pushing a hidden agenda of drug legalisation. Sadly, all the commenters so far have a policy in the war on drugs of getting their capitulation in early. Pathetic.

KB, London, UK

The greatest fear of the major importers of illegal drugs is decriminalisation.

Nick Straker, Newcastle, UK

Despite appearances, the government is well aware that the drug war is unwinnable and that legalisation would be massively beneficial. It will simply protest otherwise, since there are too many powerful people/groups who make money from their black market status. Including cops, judges and MPs.

Andy, New York City, USA

" It suggests that a concerted approach involving police and local councils could include securing vacant buildings and other spaces where drug dealing occurs, removing pay phones and installing more closed-circuit television. "

Great, more tyranny and spying... Basically the same as before then.

Rob, Glasgow,

Legalise it, regulate it, tax it. There goes the black hole in Government funding and we could all get a several pence drop in income tax. If people can get it anyway, this would not lead to an increase in supply but it would knock the dealers out of business. Sense?

Brian Putman, Oxford,