Sacked drugs expert to give talk at university

A controversial expert sacked for challenging Government policyon drugs will present new findings at an event in Bath next week.

Psychiatrist Professor David Nutt was removed from his role as agovernment adviser on drug policy in 2009 after saying that LSD andecstasy were less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.

Now he will be giving a free public lecture at the University ofBath next Wednesday.

In his talk, called Science in Drug Politics: From currentoxymoron to future principle, Prof Nutt will be discussing theregulation of drugs including alcohol and tobacco.

He specialises in research into drugs which affect the brain, andconditions such as addiction, anxiety and sleep.

A onetime professor at the University of Bristol, he now works atImperial College, London, and is a former member of the Committee onSafety of Medicines.

He chaired the Government's Advisory Council on the Misuse ofDrugs until he was sacked by then Home Secretary Alan Johnson formaking comments which challenged Government policy.

Prof Nutt was unrepentant about his comments, which also includeda claim that taking ecstasy was no more dangerous than horse-riding, He said ahead of his Bath talk: "The regulation of drugs,including alcohol and tobacco, is an issue of pressing importancedue to the increasing health care costs associated with their useand the new sorts of synthetic agents being developed and sold overthe internet.

"My talk will reflect on these issues in the light of my tenyears experience on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

"I shall present new analyses that compare the harms of drugs andalcohol using more sophisticated methodology and challenge many ofthe current misconceptions about drugs, their harms and how to dealwith them."

The event is one of the university's Millennium lectures, whichaim to inspire young scientists from local schools and theundergraduate community, as well as engage the general public andacademics in scientific topics.

The lectures aim to cover all aspects of science and previousspeakers have included Prof Lord Robert Winston.

The lecture will be at 4.15pm in 3 West North 2.1 on theClaverton Down campus and is free.

This event is not ticketed and seats will be allocated on a firstcome, first served basis.